1981 US Military Basic Pay Charts
On October 16, 1980, President James E. Carter Jr. signed Executive Order 12248 which reflected the authorized 11.7% pay raise per Public Law 96-342, "The Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1981", for the uniformed members of the Armed Forces.
1980 Pay | 1982 Pay | Pay Raises
The beginning of "High Three" military retirement; per Public Law 96-342, "The retired pay or retainer pay of any person who first became a member of a uniformed service on or after the date of the enactment of the Department of Defense Authorization Act, 1981 [September 8, 1980], is determined using the monthly retired pay base or monthly retainer pay base computed under this section.", further states, the monthly retired pay base is, "one thirty-sixth of the total amount of monthly basic pay which the member received for any 36 months (whether or not consecutive) of active duty as a member of a uniformed service..."
Service End-strength authorization for active duty personnel:
- Army; 775,300
- Navy; 537,456
- Marine Corps; 188,100
- Air Force; 564,500
The Navy active duty end-strength actual, officer and enlisted, for 1981 was 540,219.
The United States military pay scales below became retroactively effective on October 1, 1980 and continued to be in effect until September 30, 1981. It is the basic pay amounts for the active components of the Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard.
The pay rates are monthly, US dollar.
1981 Enlisted Basic Military Pay Chart
| Pay Grade | Years of Service | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 2 | Over 2 | Over 3 | Over 4 | Over 6 | |
| E-7 | 828.00 | 893.70 | 927.00 | 959.10 | 992.10 |
| E-6 | 715.20 | 779.70 | 812.40 | 846.60 | 878.10 |
| E-5 | 627.90 | 683.40 | 716.40 | 747.60 | 796.50 |
| E-4 | 603.60 | 637.50 | 674.10 | 727.20 | 756.00 |
| E-3 | 580.50 | 612.30 | 636.90 | 662.10 | 662.10 |
| E-2 | 558.60 | 558.60 | 558.60 | 558.60 | 558.60 |
| E-1 | 501.30 | 501.30 | 501.30 | 501.30 | 501.30 |
| Pay Grade | Years of Service | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 8 | Over 10 | Over 12 | Over 14 | Over 16 | |
| E-9 | 1413.60 | 1445.70 | 1478.40 | 1512.60 | |
| E-8 | 1185.90 | 1219.20 | 1251.60 | 1284.30 | 1317.90 |
| E-7 | 1023.30 | 1056.30 | 1089.00 | 1138.20 | 1170.60 |
| E-6 | 910.20 | 943.50 | 992.10 | 1023.30 | 1056.30 |
| E-5 | 828.90 | 862.20 | 893.70 | 910.20 | 910.20 |
| E-4 | 756.00 | 756.00 | 756.00 | 756.00 | 756.00 |
| E-3 | 662.10 | 662.10 | 662.10 | 662.10 | 662.10 |
| E-2 | 558.60 | 558.60 | 558.60 | 558.60 | 558.60 |
| E-1 | 501.30 | 501.30 | 501.30 | 501.30 | 501.30 |
| Pay Grade | Years of Service | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 18 | Over 20 | Over 22 | Over 24 | Over 26 | |
| E-9 See Note 1 | 1546.20 | 1576.20 | 1659.30 | 1659.30 | 1820.40 |
| E-8 | 1348.50 | 1381.50 | 1462.80 | 1462.80 | 1626.00 |
| E-7 | 1203.60 | 1219.20 | 1301.10 | 1301.10 | 1462.80 |
| E-6 | 1072.20 | 1072.20 | 1072.20 | 1072.20 | 1072.20 |
| E-5 | 910.20 | 910.20 | 910.20 | 910.20 | 910.20 |
| E-4 | 756.00 | 756.00 | 756.00 | 756.00 | 756.00 |
| E-3 | 662.10 | 662.10 | 662.10 | 662.10 | 662.10 |
| E-2 | 558.60 | 558.60 | 558.60 | 558.60 | 558.60 |
| E-1 | 501.30 | 501.30 | 501.30 | 501.30 | 501.30 |
1981 Officer Basic Military Pay Chart
| Pay Grade | Years of Service | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 | Over 2 | Over 3 | Over 4 | Over 6 | |
| O-10 See Note 2 | 3932.90 | 4081.50 | 4081.50 | 4081.50 | 4081.50 |
| O-9 | 3494.40 | 3586.20 | 3662.40 | 3662.40 | 3662.40 |
| O-8 | 3165.00 | 3259.80 | 3337.20 | 3337.20 | 3337.20 |
| O-7 | 2629.80 | 2808.90 | 2808.90 | 2808.90 | 2934.60 |
| O-6 | 1949.40 | 2142.00 | 2281.80 | 2281.80 | 2281.80 |
| O-5 | 1559.10 | 1830.90 | 1957.20 | 1957.20 | 1957.20 |
| O-4 | 1314.30 | 1599.90 | 1707.00 | 1707.00 | 1738.20 |
| O-3 | 1221.30 | 1365.30 | 1459.50 | 1614.90 | 1692.00 |
| O-2 | 1064.70 | 1163.10 | 1397.10 | 1444.20 | 1474.20 |
| O-1 | 924.30 | 962.10 | 1163.10 | 1163.10 | 1163.10 |
| Commissioned Officer With Over 4 Years of Active Service as an Enlisted Member or Warrant Officer | |||||
| O-3E | 1614.90 | 1692.00 | |||
| O-2E | 1444.20 | 1474.20 | |||
| O-1E | 1163.10 | 1242.30 | |||
| Warrant Officers | |||||
| Under 2 | Over 2 | Over 3 | Over 4 | Over 6 | |
| W-4 | 1244.10 | 1334.70 | 1334.70 | 1365.30 | 1427.40 |
| W-3 | 1131.00 | 1226.70 | 1226.70 | 1242.30 | 1257.00 |
| W-2 | 990.60 | 1071.30 | 1071.30 | 1102.50 | 1163.10 |
| W-1 | 825.30 | 946.20 | 946.20 | 1025.10 | 1071.30 |
| Pay Grade | Years of Service | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 8 | Over 10 | Over 12 | Over 14 | Over 16 | |
| O-10 See Note 2 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 |
| O-9 | 3755.70 | 3755.70 | 3911.70 | 3911.70 | 4176.00 |
| O-8 | 3586.20 | 3586.20 | 3755.70 | 3755.70 | 3911.70 |
| O-7 | 2934.60 | 3105.00 | 3105.00 | 3259.80 | 3586.20 |
| O-6 | 2281.80 | 2281.80 | 2281.80 | 2359.20 | 2732.70 |
| O-5 | 1957.20 | 2016.90 | 2124.90 | 2267.10 | 2436.90 |
| O-4 | 1815.60 | 1939.20 | 2048.40 | 2142.00 | 2235.90 |
| O-3 | 1753.20 | 1847.40 | 1939.20 | 1986.90 | 1986.90 |
| O-2 | 1474.20 | 1474.20 | 1474.20 | 1474.20 | 1474.20 |
| O-1 | 1163.10 | 1163.10 | 1163.10 | 1163.10 | 1163.10 |
| Commissioned Officer With Over 4 Years of Active Service as an Enlisted Member or Warrant Officer | |||||
| O-3E | 1753.20 | 1847.40 | 1939.20 | 2016.90 | 2016.90 |
| O-2E | 1521.00 | 1599.90 | 1661.40 | 1707.00 | 1707.00 |
| O-1E | 1288.20 | 1334.70 | 1381.20 | 1444.20 | 1444.20 |
| Warrant Officers | |||||
| Over 8 | Over 10 | Over 12 | Over 14 | Over 16 | |
| W-4 | 1490.40 | 1552.80 | 1661.40 | 1738.20 | 1799.70 |
| W-3 | 1348.80 | 1427.40 | 1474.20 | 1521.00 | 1566.60 |
| W-2 | 1226.70 | 1272.90 | 1319.70 | 1365.30 | 1413.00 |
| W-1 | 1117.50 | 1163.10 | 1211.10 | 1257.00 | 1303.20 |
| Pay Grade | Years of Service | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 18 | Over 20 | Over 22 | Over 26 | |
| O-10 See Note 2 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 |
| O-9 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 |
| O-8 | 4081.50 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 | 4176.00 |
| O-7 | 3832.50 | 3832.50 | 3832.50 | 3832.50 |
| O-6 | 2872.50 | 2934.60 | 3105.00 | 3367.50 |
| O-5 | 2577.00 | 2654.70 | 2747.40 | 2747.40 |
| O-4 | 2297.70 | 2297.70 | 2297.70 | 2297.70 |
| O-3 | 1986.90 | 1986.90 | 1986.90 | 1986.90 |
| O-2 | 1474.20 | 1474.20 | 1474.20 | 1474.20 |
| O-1 | 1163.10 | 1163.10 | 1163.10 | 1163.10 |
| Commissioned Officer With Over 4 Years of Active Service as an Enlisted Member or Warrant Officer | ||||
| O-3E | 2016.90 | 2016.90 | 2016.90 | 2016.90 |
| O-2E | 1707.00 | 1707.00 | 1707.00 | 1707.00 |
| O-1E | 1444.20 | 1444.20 | 1444.20 | 1444.20 |
| Warrant Officers | ||||
| Over 18 | Over 20 | Over 22 | Over 26 | |
| W-4 | 1847.40 | 1907.70 | 1971.60 | 2124.90 |
| W-3 | 1614.90 | 1677.30 | 1738.20 | 1799.70 |
| W-2 | 1459.50 | 1505.70 | 1566.60 | 1566.60 |
| W-1 | 1348.80 | 1397.10 | 1397.10 | 1397.10 |
NOTE 1. The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy's basic pay is $2212.80 regardless of cumulative years of service.
NOTE 2. The Chief of Naval Operations pay remains $4176.00, regardless of time in service. Basic pay is limited to $4176.00 by the Level V of the Executive Schedule.
E pay scale is Enlisted, W scale is Warrant Officer, O scale is Commissioned Officer. Effective October 1, 1980 through September 30, 1981.
