Pay & allowancescalculator2026 rates, verified October 13, 2026
Deployment pay calculator for one month
Hostile fire or imminent danger pay, family separation allowance and hardship duty pay for a month, with how much of your military pay the combat zone tax exclusion covers.
Special pays this month
Example
$850.00 for October 2026
On top of basic pay of $3,946.80 for October 2026HDP-L capped at $100.00 in a month with HFP (the $150.00 tier).
Rates as of · verified · Change log · Report an error Independent estimate · not an official statement · general information, not financial or tax advice
This month’s special pays, drawn to scaleCombat zone tax exclusion
$4,496.80 excluded. All your military pay for this month is excluded from federal income tax (FMR 7A ch. 44).
Estimate by Rank and Pay · rates as of January 1, 2026 · not an official statement · rankandpay.com
Your month, line by line · October 2026
Basic payE-5, Over 4
$3,946.80
Hostile fire pay$450.00 a month, not prorated
$450.00
Family separation allowance$300.00 for the month
$300.00
Hardship duty pay (location)$150.00 tier, capped at $100.00 with HFP/IDP
$100.00
Special pays
$850.00
TSP: combat-zone contributions count toward the $72,000 annual additions limit; catch-up contributions from combat-zone pay must be Roth.
We show the excluded amount only — not the tax it saves (federal tax isn’t modeled).
FSA isn’t counted in the exclusion figure (whether it is taxable isn’t in our research).
How the math works
Each special pay has its own rule and its own cap; the combat zone exclusion then decides how much of the month’s military pay is free of federal income tax.
Combat zone tax exclusion: enlisted and warrant officersFor a month with at least one day in a combat zone or qualified hazardous duty area, all military pay for that month is excluded from federal income tax.DoD FMR Vol. 7A Ch. 44, Combat Zone Tax Exclusion
Combat zone tax exclusion: commissioned officersExcluded up to the highest enlisted basic pay ($11,166.90 in 2026) plus the HFP or IDP actually paid — $11,616.90 in a full HFP month. The rest stays taxable.We show the excluded amount, not the tax it saves: federal tax isn’t modeled.DoD FMR Vol. 7A Ch. 44, Combat Zone Tax Exclusion · Basic Pay – Enlisted, effective January 1, 2026 (page dated )
Tax saved: Not modeled— the exclusion’s value depends on your whole tax return; we don’t compute federal or state tax (checked October 13, 2026).
Savings Deposit Program: Not modeled— the deposit program’s 10% interest isn’t modeled.
Per diem and family separation housing: Not modeled— they depend on orders and location rates we don’t carry.
HFP and IDP after December 31, 2026: Not modeled— the authority in 37 USC 351 runs through December 31, 2026; a later month says “Not modeled” until an extension is in our data (checked October 13, 2026).
Other special and incentive pays: Not modeled— flight, dive, sea and other pays aren’t computed; add them under “Other military pay” for an officer’s exclusion limit.
How we check the numbers
From the agency’s own tables. Pay from DFAS, housing from DoD’s BAH file, VA rates from VA, fitness scores from each service’s current scoring tables — looked up the way the tables read, never interpolated.
Two dates on every answer. The date a rate took effect and the date it was last checked against the agency’s page. A rule that can’t be confirmed says “Not modeled” and why, instead of a guess.
Tested, then logged. The arithmetic runs on one engine with automated tests built from the agencies’ own worked examples; every rate or rule change goes into the public change log with its source.
How the combat zone tax exclusion works: one day counts the month, enlisted pay is fully excluded, and officers are capped — $11,616.90 a month with HFP.
E-5 over 4: $3,946.80 basic; $6,229.75 to $8,398.75 a month with BAH and BAS
2026 basic pay by grade and years, plus the proposed 2027 raise: 7/6/5% in the budget or 3.6% by formula, with no defense bill enacted as of October 16, 2026.