Updated August 2026
O-2E Pay 2026 — Prior Enlisted Officer
Complete 2026 O-2E (Prior Enlisted Officer) base pay table by years of service, plus BAH rates and total compensation breakdown. All rates include the 3.8% pay raise effective January 1, 2026.
What O-2E Is Called in Each Branch
O-2E is a paygrade, not a rank. Every branch pays O-2E the same base pay from the same table — only the title changes. If you came here from a Navy or Coast Guard search, the numbers below are yours too.
| Branch | Rank at O-2E |
|---|---|
| Army | First Lieutenant (1LT) |
| Marine Corps | First Lieutenant (1stLt) |
| Navy | Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) |
| Air Force | First Lieutenant (1st Lt) |
| Space Force | First Lieutenant (1st Lt) |
| Coast Guard | Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) |
Rank titles: U.S. Department of War, Military Rank Insignia. Where a service lists two ranks at one paygrade, the job determines which one you hold — the pay is identical.
O-2E Base Pay Table — 2026
| Years of Service | Monthly Pay | Annual Pay |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $5,446.20 | $65,354.40 |
| 2 | $5,910.60 | $70,927.20 |
| 3 | $6,272.40 | $75,268.80 |
| 4 | $6,484.50 | $77,814.00 |
| 6 | $6,787.80 | $81,453.60 |
| 8 | $7,090.80 | $85,089.60 |
| 10 | $7,270.50 | $87,246.00 |
| 12 | $7,382.70 | $88,592.40 |
All amounts reflect the 3.8% pay raise effective January 1, 2026. Source: DFAS.
O-2E base pay keeps rising through 14 years of service, from $6,484.50 at entry to $7,663.50.
O-2E BAH Rates — 2026 (With Dependents)
BAH for an O-2E with dependents ranges from $1,671 to $6,564 per month, with a national average of approximately $2,773/mo across 338 locations.
Top 5 Highest BAH Locations
- Westchester County, NY$6,564/mo
- San Francisco, CA$5,547/mo
- Maui County, HI$5,529/mo
- New York City, NY$5,502/mo
- Nantucket, MA$5,421/mo
Top 5 Lowest BAH Locations
- Anniston/Fort McClellan, AL$1,671/mo
- Monroe, LA$1,719/mo
- Youngstown, OH$1,740/mo
- Fort Sill/Lawton, OK$1,740/mo
- Stevens Point, WI$1,743/mo
Total Compensation Example — O-2E at 6 Years
BAH and BAS are tax-free allowances. Actual total compensation varies by duty station and dependency status. Use the Military Pay Calculator for a personalized estimate.
O-2E Drill Pay — Guard and Reserve
Guard and Reserve members at O-2E are paid from the same base pay table. One drill period pays 1/30 of the monthly base pay above, and a standard drill weekend is four periods.
| Years of service | 1 drill period | Drill weekend (4) | Annual (48 drills + 15 AT days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 4 yrs | $216.15 | $864.60 | $13,617 |
| Over 8 yrs | $227.60 | $910.40 | $14,339 |
| Over 12 yrs | $248.63 | $994.52 | $15,664 |
Drill periods are computed as monthly base pay ÷ 30 per DFAS Reserve Component drill pay rules; annual training is paid at the active-duty daily rate, so 15 AT days add 15 daily payments rather than 30 drill periods. Run your own numbers with the Drill Pay Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How O-2E pay changed in 2026
O-2E (prior-enlisted officer) pay rose 2.7% over 2025 — $197 more per month at the 12-year point. These rates only apply with at least four years of enlisted or warrant service before commissioning.
| Years of service | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 6 yrs | $6,375/mo | $6,788/mo | +$413 (6.5%) |
| Over 12 yrs | $7,186/mo | $7,383/mo | +$197 (2.7%) |
Promotion is still the bigger lever: at 6 years of service, pinning on O-3E is worth $1,149 more per month in base pay alone ($13,792 a year) — before any change in BAH.
2025 figures: DoD pay tables (incl. the April 2025 junior-enlisted adjustment). 2026 figures: official tables effective January 1, 2026.