2026 Warrant Officer Pay Chart (W-1 to W-5)
Monthly basic pay for warrant officers effective January 1, 2026, with annual salary and Army rank titles.
Last reviewed on October 1, 2026| Grade | ≤2 | >2 | >3 | >4 | >6 | >8 | >10 | >12 | >14 | >16 | >18 | >20 | >22 | >24 | >26 | >30 | >34 | >38 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | $10,169.70 | $10,685.70 | $11,070.30 | $11,495.10 | $12,070.80 | $12,673.50 | $13,308.30 |
| W-4 | $5,719.80 | $6,152.10 | $6,328.50 | $6,502.20 | $6,801.90 | $7,098.00 | $7,398.00 | $7,848.30 | $8,243.70 | $8,619.90 | $8,928.60 | $9,228.90 | $9,669.60 | $10,032.00 | $10,445.40 | $10,653.60 | $10,653.60 | $10,653.60 |
| W-3 | $5,223.30 | $5,440.50 | $5,664.30 | $5,736.90 | $5,970.90 | $6,431.10 | $6,910.50 | $7,136.40 | $7,397.70 | $7,665.90 | $8,150.40 | $8,476.50 | $8,671.80 | $8,879.70 | $9,162.60 | $9,162.60 | $9,162.60 | $9,162.60 |
| W-2 | $4,621.80 | $5,058.90 | $5,193.30 | $5,286.00 | $5,585.40 | $6,051.00 | $6,282.60 | $6,509.40 | $6,787.50 | $7,005.00 | $7,201.50 | $7,437.00 | $7,591.50 | $7,714.20 | $7,714.20 | $7,714.20 | $7,714.20 | $7,714.20 |
| W-1 | $4,056.60 | $4,493.70 | $4,611.00 | $4,859.10 | $5,152.20 | $5,584.20 | $5,786.10 | $6,069.30 | $6,346.50 | $6,564.90 | $6,766.20 | $7,010.10 | $7,010.10 | $7,010.10 | $7,010.10 | $7,010.10 | $7,010.10 | $7,010.10 |
Notes: W-5 pay begins at over 20 years of service. Rates for over 28, 32, 36 and 40 years equal the preceding column.
Source: 2026 Executive Order pay schedule, Schedule 8 — Pay of the Uniformed Services (PDF), effective January 1, 2026, as published by DFAS. Every cell on this page was checked against that schedule.
Annual Warrant Officer Salary (2026)
| Grade | ≤2 yrs | >4 yrs | >10 yrs | >20 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-5 | — | — | — | $122,036.40 |
| W-4 | $68,637.60 | $78,026.40 | $88,776.00 | $110,746.80 |
| W-3 | $62,679.60 | $68,842.80 | $82,926.00 | $101,718.00 |
| W-2 | $55,461.60 | $63,432.00 | $75,391.20 | $89,244.00 |
| W-1 | $48,679.20 | $58,309.20 | $69,433.20 | $84,121.20 |
Army Warrant Officer Ranks
| Grade | Army rank | Starting monthly | Maximum monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| W-1 | Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) | $4,056.60 | $7,010.10 |
| W-2 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2) | $4,621.80 | $7,714.20 |
| W-3 | Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3) | $5,223.30 | $9,162.60 |
| W-4 | Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) | $5,719.80 | $10,653.60 |
| W-5 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5) | $10,169.70 | $13,308.30 |
About Warrant Officer Pay
Warrant officers are technical and tactical specialists — aviators, intelligence technicians, maintenance experts and more. The Army has the largest warrant officer corps of any service, and Army aviation accounts for a large share of it. Pay uses its own W-1 to W-5 table, positioned between senior enlisted and commissioned officer rates.
Because most Army warrant officers are selected from the NCO corps, new WO1s often carry 6–10 years of prior service. Their pay is based on cumulative years of service, so a former Staff Sergeant becoming a WO1 starts well above the "2 or less" column. Aviation warrant officers also receive Aviation Incentive Pay.
Warrant Officer Pay FAQ
A Warrant Officer 1 (W-1) earns $4,056.60 per month with 2 years of service or less. Because many warrant officers are appointed from the enlisted ranks with years of prior service, a typical new WO1 is paid further right on the table — $5,584.20 at over 8 years, for example.
A Chief Warrant Officer 2 (W-2) earns between $4,621.80 and $7,714.20 per month depending on years of service.
Warrant officers receive the officer BAS rate: $328.48 per month in 2026.