Career Milestone Planner

Enlisted-first

Build a planning scenario for active-duty promotions, GI Bill, ETS, retirement, and pay milestones. This is strongest for enlisted career planning; officer mode uses broad commissioned-service timing and should be treated as a rough sketch.

Planning estimates only — not an official DoD, DFAS, VA, or branch promotion tool. Actual dates depend on branch policy, career field, eligibility, PME, TIG/TIS, waivers, manning, boards, performance, and policy changes.

Scenario details

Best fit: enlisted active-duty planning. Junior grade dates are usually the most predictable; NCO/SNCO dates are competitive estimates.

BranchTrackStarting grade (at entry)Date entered serviceCurrent obligation / contract length (years)Duty ZIP (optional, for BAH)With dependents

Scenario path: E-1 → E-9 (Army, Enlisted planning, 4-yr obligation)

The final grade shown is the long-range 20-year scenario path, not a promise for the current obligation.

Export:

Projected compensation

Planning estimate for current-obligation and 20-year scenarios, split into taxable (base pay) and non-taxable (BAH + BAS).

2026 rates

Add a duty ZIP (and dependent status) above to fold BAH into the non-taxable totals. Showing base pay + BAS only for now.

Through current obligation (4 yr)

$172,511

Total projected compensation (4 yr)

Taxable (base)

$149,618

Non-taxable

$22,894

13% of this total is generally non-taxable.

If you serve to 20-yr retirement

$1,270,991

Total projected compensation (20 yr)

Taxable (base)

$1,156,523

Non-taxable

$114,468

9% of this total is generally non-taxable.

Grade	Time held	Monthly base	Monthly BAS	Monthly BAH	Phase total
E-1	6 mo	$2,407	$477	—	$17,305
E-2	6 mo	$2,698	$477	—	$19,049
E-3	1 yr	$2,837	$477	—	$39,765
E-4	1 yr	$3,303	$477	—	$45,359
E-5	4 yr	$3,776	$477	—	$212,246
E-6	5 yr	$4,236	$477	—	$304,381
E-7	5 yr	$5,592	$477	—	$374,869
E-8	3 yr	$6,448	$477	—	$258,017

Phase totals span the 20-year scenario and include DFAS longevity (over-N-years) base-pay raises. Monthly figures are shown at entry to each grade. BAS uses the 2026 enlisted rate. BAH, if entered, is held at current rates by grade and does not model future PCS moves.

Retirement value at 20 years

A 20-year career may earn a lifetime pension. This section shows a simplified, today-dollar comparison of the two retirement systems.

High-3 basis: $6,690/mo

Illustrative 20-year value (service pay + 30-yr pension)

$2,351,612 – $2,475,227

$1,270,991 in estimated pay over 20 years, plus an illustrative 30-year pension. Uses current pay tables and simplified assumptions.

Legacy (High-3)

$3,345/mo

50% of High-3 · $40,141/yr

30-yr pension: $1,204,236
Illustrative total: $1,204,236

Blended Retirement (BRS)

Your system

$2,676/mo

40% of High-3 · $32,113/yr

30-yr pension: $963,389
Gov TSP match (with growth): $103,253
Continuation pay (est.): $13,979
Illustrative total: $1,080,621

The trade-off

Legacy High-3 pays a larger pension for life (50% vs 40% of your High-3 base at 20 years) but has no government TSP match. BRS trades a smaller pension for a portable, invested TSP match you keep even if you separate before 20 years, plus continuation pay around the 12-year mark. Over a full 20-year career the Legacy pension usually leads on guaranteed pension income; BRS can catch up when TSP returns are strong and portability matters. Members who entered on or after Jan 1, 2018 are generally under BRS; Legacy generally applies to those who entered before 2018.

Estimates assume reaching 20 years at the projected grade, a 30-year pension with no COLA, current 2026 pay rates, no future pay raises, and about 7% average annual growth on the government TSP match. Pensions use High-3 base pay. Continuation pay varies by branch and year (2.5×–13× monthly base). Verify with DFAS, the TSP, and your branch.

Plan the raise before it hits

If a promotion comes, decide where the raise goes before lifestyle creep does.

50%

Save & invest

TSP, Roth IRA, or emergency fund first.

30%

Pay down debt

High-interest balances, if any.

20%

Guilt-free

Lifestyle upgrades you actually want.

Pay Calculator →Budget Planner →TSP & Retirement →

PromotionEarly promotionGI BillService milestoneRetirementToday

2026-06-150 mo
Enter service as E-1
$2,407/mo base
Army - estimated path from this point forward.
2026-06-150 mo
TodayToday
2026-09-132 mo
Post-9/11 GI Bill: initial eligibilityGI Billestimate
About 90 days of active service reaches the 50% benefit tier.
2026-12-156 mo
Promote to E-2
$2,698/mo base+$291
Automatic at 6 months TIS.
2027-06-151 yr 0 mo
Promote to E-3
$2,837/mo base+$139
Automatic at 12 months TIS, 4 months TIG.
2027-12-151 yr 6 mo
Earliest E-4 (early / secondary-zone)Earlyestimate
$3,142/mo base
Top performers may pin E-4 ~6 months early.
2028-06-152 yr 0 mo
Promote to E-4
$3,303/mo base+$466
Automatic at 24 months TIS, 6 months TIG; waiverable earlier.
2028-06-152 yr 0 mo
TSP automatic 1% vested
Government automatic 1% contribution vests at 2 years of service.
2029-06-153 yr 0 mo
Promote to E-5estimate
$3,776/mo base+$473
Semi-centralized board + promotion points. Earliest typical eligibility.
2029-06-153 yr 0 mo
Post-9/11 GI Bill: 100% tierGI Billestimate
36 months of aggregate active service reaches the full benefit.
2029-06-153 yr 0 mo
Reenlistment window (typical)estimate
Reenlistment commonly opens ~12 months before contract end.
2030-06-154 yr 0 mo
Contract end (ETS / EAOS)
End of the 4-year service commitment.
2033-06-157 yr 0 mo
Promote to E-6estimate
$4,236/mo base+$460
Semi-centralized board + promotion points. Earliest typical eligibility.
2038-06-1512 yr 0 mo
Promote to E-7estimate
$5,592/mo base+$1,356
Centralized (HQDA) board. Earliest typical eligibility.
2038-06-1512 yr 0 mo
BRS continuation pay decision (~12 yr)estimate
Blended Retirement System continuation pay is offered around 12 years.
2043-06-1517 yr 0 mo
Promote to E-8estimate
$6,448/mo base+$857
Centralized (HQDA) board. Earliest typical eligibility.
2046-06-1520 yr 0 mo
Active-duty retirement eligibility (20 yr)Retirement
20 years of active service reaches retirement eligibility.
2047-06-1521 yr 0 mo
Promote to E-9estimate
$8,105/mo base+$1,657
Centralized (HQDA) board. Earliest typical eligibility.

Sources & accuracy

Promotion timing references are broad planning anchors: Army HRC Promotions. GI Bill tiers follow VA Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility tiers. Pay uses the 2026 DFAS base-pay tables (grade × years of service). This tool is best for enlisted planning; officer paths, competitive promotions, special career fields, and prior-service cases need branch-specific review.