{
  "id": "national-guard-pay",
  "version": "40bb05b763a3",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "National Guard Pay Calculator",
  "question": "How much is National Guard pay?",
  "summary": "Works out 2026 National Guard and Reserve drill pay for any pay grade and years of service: pay per drill, per drill weekend and per year with annual training.",
  "category": "finance",
  "subcategory": "tax-and-pay",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/national-guard-pay-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/national-guard-pay-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Pay per drill = 2026 monthly basic pay for your grade and years of service ÷ 30, to the cent; weekend = 4 drills; year = (drills + annual training days) × pay per drill.",
  "assumptions": [
    "DFAS 2026 pay tables, effective January 1, 2026.",
    "Basic pay only: no housing allowance, food allowance, special or incentive pay, and before taxes.",
    "Each annual training day pays one day of basic pay (1/30 of the monthly rate).",
    "O-8 to O-10 are not listed on the drill pay tables."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "grade": {
        "title": "Pay grade",
        "description": "Your pay grade. O-1E to O-3E are officers with over 4 years of prior enlisted or warrant service.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "E-9",
          "E-8",
          "E-7",
          "E-6",
          "E-5",
          "E-4",
          "E-3",
          "E-2",
          "E-1",
          "W-5",
          "W-4",
          "W-3",
          "W-2",
          "W-1",
          "O-3E",
          "O-2E",
          "O-1E",
          "O-7",
          "O-6",
          "O-5",
          "O-4",
          "O-3",
          "O-2",
          "O-1"
        ]
      },
      "yos": {
        "title": "Years of service",
        "description": "Your cumulative years of service for pay, including Guard and Reserve time.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "0",
          "1",
          "2",
          "3",
          "4",
          "5",
          "6",
          "7",
          "8",
          "9",
          "10",
          "11",
          "12",
          "13",
          "14",
          "15",
          "16",
          "17",
          "18",
          "19",
          "20",
          "21"
        ]
      },
      "drills": {
        "title": "Drills a year",
        "description": "Paid drill periods in a year: 48 for one weekend (4 drills) a month.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 200
      },
      "at": {
        "title": "Annual training days",
        "description": "Days of annual training, usually 15 (paid at one day of basic pay each).",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 366
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "perDrill": {
      "label": "Pay per drill",
      "description": "Monthly basic pay ÷ 30, to the cent.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "weekend": {
      "label": "Pay per drill weekend",
      "description": "Four drills.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "yearly": {
      "label": "Basic pay for the year",
      "description": "Drills a year plus annual training days, each at the pay per drill.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "monthlyBasic": {
      "label": "Full-time monthly basic pay",
      "description": "The 2026 monthly basic pay for the grade and years of service, the base of drill pay.",
      "format": "money"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "grade": "E-4",
      "yos": "3",
      "drills": 48,
      "at": 15
    },
    "outputs": {
      "perDrill": 121.95,
      "weekend": 487.8,
      "yearly": 7682.85,
      "monthlyBasic": 3658.5
    },
    "text": "In 2026, pay grade E-4 earns $121.95 a drill and $487.80 a drill weekend."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "grade": "E-4",
        "yos": "1",
        "drills": 48,
        "at": 15
      },
      "expect": {
        "monthlyBasic": 3303,
        "perDrill": 110.1,
        "weekend": 440.4,
        "yearly": 6936.3
      },
      "source": "DFAS Reserve Component Drill Pay – Enlisted, effective January 1, 2026 (https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Drill-Pay/Drill-Pay_E/): E-4 over 2 years, $3,303.00 a month, 1 drill $110.10, 4 drills $440.40; year = 63 × 110.10"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "grade": "E-7",
        "yos": "11",
        "drills": 48,
        "at": 15
      },
      "expect": {
        "monthlyBasic": 6245.7,
        "perDrill": 208.19,
        "weekend": 832.76,
        "yearly": 13115.97
      },
      "source": "DFAS Reserve Component Drill Pay – Enlisted, effective January 1, 2026 (https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Drill-Pay/Drill-Pay_E/): E-7 over 20 years, $6,245.70, 1 drill $208.19, 4 drills $832.76"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "grade": "E-8",
        "yos": "15",
        "drills": 48,
        "at": 15
      },
      "expect": {
        "monthlyBasic": 7908.9,
        "perDrill": 263.63
      },
      "source": "DFAS Reserve Component Drill Pay – Enlisted, effective January 1, 2026 (https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Drill-Pay/Drill-Pay_E/): E-8 over 26 through over 28 years, $7,908.90, 1 drill $263.63"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "grade": "O-3",
        "yos": "0",
        "drills": 48,
        "at": 0
      },
      "expect": {
        "monthlyBasic": 5534.1,
        "perDrill": 184.47,
        "yearly": 8854.56
      },
      "source": "DFAS RC Drill Pay – Commissioned Officers (https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Drill-Pay/Drill-Pay-CO/): O-3, 2 or less, $5,534.10; 5,534.10 ÷ 30 = $184.47"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "grade": "O-1E",
        "yos": "3",
        "drills": 48,
        "at": 15
      },
      "expect": {
        "monthlyBasic": 5222.4,
        "perDrill": 174.08,
        "weekend": 696.32
      },
      "source": "DFAS Reserve Component Drill Pay – Officers with more than 4 years of creditable service (https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Drill-Pay/Drill-Pay-CO_FE/): O-1E over 4, $5,222.40, 1 drill $174.08"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Reserve Component Drill Pay – Enlisted, effective January 1, 2026: https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Drill-Pay/Drill-Pay_E/ (retrieved 2026-10-05)",
    "Defense Finance and Accounting Service, RC Drill Pay – Commissioned Officers: https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Drill-Pay/Drill-Pay-CO/ (retrieved 2026-10-05)",
    "Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Reserve Component Drill Pay – Warrant Officer: https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Drill-Pay/Drill-Pay_WO/ (retrieved 2026-10-05)",
    "Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Reserve Component Drill Pay – Officers with more than 4 years of creditable service: https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/Drill-Pay/Drill-Pay-CO_FE/ (retrieved 2026-10-05)"
  ],
  "related": [
    "military-retirement",
    "gi-bill",
    "va-disability"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}