SeaBagGrade and longevity
Look up the table entry for the relevant paygrade and service bracket.
Compare a change
Check a different grade or longevity step while planning ahead.
Separate allowances
Use the BAH tool alongside basic pay instead of mixing the two.
A useful reference before you build the budget.
A paygrade change and a longevity step can both affect the basic-pay reference you need. Keeping those inputs visible makes it easier to compare two situations without losing your place in the table.
Open the basic pay tool in the app, select the grade and years of service, and check the table year. Use a separate BAH lookup when adding a housing allowance to the picture.
A basic-pay table is not a take-home-pay estimate. It does not capture every allowance, special pay, tax, deduction, or individual circumstance on your LES. DFAS publishes the official tables and pay information.
Longevity steps are where planning pays. Basic pay increases within a paygrade at two-year and then three-year intervals, and the jump at a step can matter as much as a grade change in your projections, so it is worth checking which step your timeline lands on. When you compare two scenarios in the app, keep the effective date in mind: the tables are updated most recently each January, and a January table applied to a mid-year change can shift the numbers you expect. The table also excludes the things sailors actually budget around — BAH, sea pay, bonuses, allotments, and taxes — which is why the LES remains the only reliable picture of what lands in the account. Use the lookup for the planning number, and verify anything contract-significant against DFAS’s published tables.
Official reference
DFAS military pay tables ↗Use the current source and your command’s guidance for official decisions.
Common questions
Does this show my bank deposit?
No. A basic-pay reference excludes the other pay, deductions, and withholding that affect a deposit.
Can I compare advancement scenarios?
You can compare the relevant grades and longevity brackets in the app. Official eligibility and effective dates still determine your pay.
Where can I verify a pay table?
Use the DFAS military pay tables linked below and confirm that you are viewing the correct year.