Army Pay Rates and Take-Home Pay Calculator
Choose your Army rank and where you sit in its pay range to see your fortnightly take-home pay, Defence super and what the 3% rise from 5 November 2026 adds.
Your Army take-home pay
Private: take-home pay a fortnight
$2,505.66
$65,147.20 a year on a salary of $79,096 (rates from 6 November 2025)
- Salary
- $79,096.00
- Income tax
- $13,948.80
- Medicare levy
- Not payable
- Take-home pay a year
- $65,147.20
- Defence super (16.4% of salary)
- $12,971.74
- Salary plus super
- $92,067.74
- After the 3% rise on 5 November 2026
- +$63.89 a fortnight
Australian resident, Permanent Forces, 2026–27 tax rates. Members are paid fortnightly and generally don’t pay the Medicare levy. Super assumes you joined on or after 1 July 2016.
Rates checked 12 October 2026 against the ATO · How we calculate · Calculated in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Where your fortnightly pay goes
Your salary and allowances each fortnight, split into take-home pay, tax and HECS-HELP, with Defence super paid on top.
- Take-home pay $2,505.66 a fortnight
- Income tax $536.49 a fortnight
- Defence super (on top) $498.91 a fortnight
Where your salary sits among Army ranks
Each bar runs from the lowest to the highest salary for the rank. The line is your salary. Hover or tab to a bar for its range.
- Your salary, $79,096
- Colonel$186,934 – $248,376
- Lieutenant Colonel$159,440 – $220,780
- Major$130,007 – $193,476
- Captain$106,257 – $179,912
- Lieutenant$91,778 – $156,316
- Second Lieutenant$87,091 – $145,493
- Service Warrant Officer$169,795
- Warrant Officer Class 1$117,408 – $169,795
- Warrant Officer Class 2$109,733 – $158,815
- Staff Sergeant$106,734 – $153,925
- Sergeant$97,575 – $148,091
- Corporal$86,966 – $137,047
- Lance Corporal$81,612 – $128,802
- Private Proficient$80,341 – $127,530
- Private$79,096 – $126,292
Take-home pay a fortnight at each Army rank
Every rank at the same point in its pay range as you, so you can see what a promotion is worth after tax.
- Colonel$5,271.86
- Lieutenant Colonel$4,605.66
- Major$3,876.34
- Captain$3,236.92
- Lieutenant$2,847.10
- Second Lieutenant$2,720.91
- Service Warrant Officer$4,856.57
- Warrant Officer Class 1$3,537.14
- Warrant Officer Class 2$3,330.50
- Staff Sergeant$3,249.76
- Sergeant$3,003.17
- Corporal$2,717.55
- Lance Corporal$2,573.40
- Private Proficient$2,539.18
- Private$2,505.66
How Army pay is set
Army salaries are set by rank, pay grade and increment. Soldiers start as a Private, move to Private Proficient after training and experience, then Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant and the two Warrant Officer ranks. Officers run from Second Lieutenant to Colonel on this scale; generals have their own arrangements.
Within each rank there are 10 pay grades set by your employment category and skill grade, so an infantry Corporal and a technician Corporal can be paid differently. You move up one increment for each year at the rank until you reach the top, and promotion restarts the cycle on the next rank’s scale.
Army pay by rank
| Rank | From 6 November 2025 | From 5 November 2026 | Take-home a fortnight (new rates) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Officers | |||
| Colonel | $186,934 – $248,376 | $192,542 – $255,827 | $5,403.00 – $6,741.73 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | $159,440 – $220,780 | $164,223 – $227,403 | $4,721.56 – $6,140.45 |
| Major | $130,007 – $193,476 | $133,907 – $199,280 | $3,981.34 – $5,545.54 |
| Captain | $106,257 – $179,912 | $109,445 – $185,309 | $3,322.75 – $5,232.49 |
| Lieutenant | $91,778 – $156,316 | $94,531 – $161,005 | $2,921.22 – $4,643.58 |
| Second Lieutenant | $87,091 – $145,493 | $89,704 – $149,858 | $2,791.26 – $4,373.48 |
| Warrant officers | |||
| Service Warrant Officer | $169,795 | $174,889 | $4,980.00 |
| Warrant Officer Class 1 | $117,408 – $169,795 | $120,930 – $174,889 | $3,631.96 – $4,980.00 |
| Other ranks | |||
| Warrant Officer Class 2 | $109,733 – $158,815 | $113,025 – $163,579 | $3,419.13 – $4,705.95 |
| Staff Sergeant | $106,734 – $153,925 | $109,936 – $158,543 | $3,335.97 – $4,583.93 |
| Sergeant | $97,575 – $148,091 | $100,502 – $152,534 | $3,081.98 – $4,438.32 |
| Corporal | $86,966 – $137,047 | $89,575 – $141,158 | $2,787.79 – $4,162.67 |
| Lance Corporal | $81,612 – $128,802 | $84,060 – $132,666 | $2,639.31 – $3,947.93 |
| Private Proficient | $80,341 – $127,530 | $82,751 – $131,356 | $2,604.07 – $3,912.66 |
| Private | $79,096 – $126,292 | $81,469 – $130,081 | $2,569.55 – $3,878.33 |
Take-home pay is salary after 2026–27 income tax for an Australian resident, without the Medicare levy, over 26 fortnights. Sources: Defence Pay and Conditions Manual Schedule B.3, Schedule B.10 and Schedule B.12, rates as at 6 November 2025, and Defence’s pay rates starting November 2026, checked 13 October 2026.
Army ranks and their equivalents
| Army | Navy | Air Force |
|---|---|---|
| Colonel | Captain | Group Captain |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Commander | Wing Commander |
| Major | Lieutenant Commander | Squadron Leader |
| Captain | Lieutenant | Flight Lieutenant |
| Lieutenant | Sub-Lieutenant | Flying Officer |
| Second Lieutenant | Acting Sub-Lieutenant | Pilot Officer |
| Service Warrant Officer | Service Warrant Officer | Service Warrant Officer |
| Warrant Officer Class 1 | Warrant Officer Class 1 equivalent | Warrant Officer Class 1 equivalent |
| Warrant Officer Class 2 | Chief Petty Officer | Flight Sergeant |
| Staff Sergeant | — | — |
| Sergeant | Petty Officer | Sergeant |
| Corporal | Leading Seaman | Corporal |
| Lance Corporal | — | — |
| Private Proficient | Able Seaman | Leading Aircraftman |
| Private | Seaman | Aircraftman |
On top of salary
- Super: 16.4% of salary for members who joined on or after 1 July 2016. Members who joined earlier may be in an older scheme with different contributions.
- Leave: 25 days of recreation leave a year.
- Health: free medical and dental care, which is why the Medicare levy generally isn’t payable.
- Allowances: depending on posting, duties and family circumstances; enter yours in the calculator if they are taxable.
Source: Pay and financial benefits in the Permanent Forces, Department of Defence, checked 13 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Private earn in the Army?
$79,096 – $126,292 a year at the rates from 6 November 2025, rising to $81,469 – $130,081 from 5 November 2026. At the bottom of the new range that is about $2,569.55 a fortnight after tax. Recruits in training are paid from a separate trainee scale.
What does a Lieutenant earn in the Army?
$94,531 – $161,005 a year from 5 November 2026, depending on pay grade and increment. That is $2,921.22 to $4,643.58 a fortnight after income tax, with no Medicare levy.
How much is a Sergeant paid?
$100,502 – $152,534 a year from 5 November 2026. Defence adds 16.4% of salary in super for members who joined on or after 1 July 2016.
Is Army pay the same as the other services?
Yes. Equivalent ranks in the Army, Navy and Air Force are on the same salary scale, so an Army Sergeant is paid the same as the Navy Petty Officer and the Air Force Sergeant. Allowances differ with posting and role.