Corporal pay 2026/27 (OR4)
The government accepted the AFPRB's 2026 Armed Forces pay award recommendations in full.
- Tax year: 2026/27. Tax code: 1257L. Income tax nation: England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Pension: No Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 member contribution is taken from salary. Student loan: none unless selected in the calculator.
- Full-time basic pay, for a full tax year. Money is rounded to the nearest penny.
A corporal or Leading Rate at OR4 is paid £40,989 to £48,497 in 2026/27, depending on level and trade supplement. After income tax and National Insurance that is roughly £2,752.79 to £3,203.27 a month.
| Pay level | Trade supplement | Salary | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR4-01 | Trade Supplement 1 | £40,989 | £33,033.48 | £2,752.79 |
| OR4-01 | Trade Supplement 2 | £42,149 | £33,868.68 | £2,822.39 |
| OR4-01 | Trade Supplement 3 | £43,276 | £34,680.12 | £2,890.01 |
| OR4-01 | Trade Supplement 4 | £44,322 | £35,433.24 | £2,952.77 |
| OR4-02 | Trade Supplement 1 | £40,989 | £33,033.48 | £2,752.79 |
| OR4-02 | Trade Supplement 2 | £42,149 | £33,868.68 | £2,822.39 |
| OR4-02 | Trade Supplement 3 | £43,276 | £34,680.12 | £2,890.01 |
| OR4-02 | Trade Supplement 4 | £44,322 | £35,433.24 | £2,952.77 |
| OR4-03 | Trade Supplement 1 | £42,054 | £33,800.28 | £2,816.69 |
| OR4-03 | Trade Supplement 2 | £43,238 | £34,652.76 | £2,887.73 |
| OR4-03 | Trade Supplement 3 | £44,399 | £35,488.68 | £2,957.39 |
| OR4-03 | Trade Supplement 4 | £45,443 | £36,240.36 | £3,020.03 |
| OR4-04 | Trade Supplement 1 | £42,660 | £34,236.60 | £2,853.05 |
| OR4-04 | Trade Supplement 2 | £44,075 | £35,255.40 | £2,937.95 |
| OR4-04 | Trade Supplement 3 | £45,372 | £36,189.24 | £3,015.77 |
| OR4-04 | Trade Supplement 4 | £46,481 | £36,987.72 | £3,082.31 |
| OR4-05 | Trade Supplement 1 | £43,227 | £34,644.84 | £2,887.07 |
| OR4-05 | Trade Supplement 2 | £44,662 | £35,678.04 | £2,973.17 |
| OR4-05 | Trade Supplement 3 | £46,303 | £36,859.56 | £3,071.63 |
| OR4-05 | Trade Supplement 4 | £47,568 | £37,770.36 | £3,147.53 |
| OR4-06 | Trade Supplement 1 | £43,826 | £35,076.12 | £2,923.01 |
| OR4-06 | Trade Supplement 2 | £45,260 | £36,108.60 | £3,009.05 |
| OR4-06 | Trade Supplement 3 | £47,122 | £37,449.24 | £3,120.77 |
| OR4-06 | Trade Supplement 4 | £48,497 | £38,439.24 | £3,203.27 |
Pay scale: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a27f8383b15d05a7ce31f52/AFPRB_55th_Report_2026.pdf
OR4 across the three services
OR4 is Corporal in the Army, the Royal Marines and the RAF, and Leading Rate in the Royal Navy. The Ministry of Defence rank glossary has no OR5 grade, so the next step up is OR6.
The six levels
The OR4 scale has 6 levels. The first two pay the same, so the first increment brings no rise. Promotion from the top of OR3 to the first OR4 level is a larger jump than any single step inside the corporal scale.
The gap between trade supplements is wider at OR4 than at OR2. At the top level, the highest supplement pays several thousand pounds a year more than the lowest.
Tax on a corporal's pay
For a taxpayer in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, every OR4 salary stays in the basic rate band. Scottish taxpayers on OR4 pay the Scottish higher rate on a small slice at many levels, depending on the supplement, so their take-home is lower. The income tax rates page sets out both sets of bands, and the take-home pay calculator applies either set to a salary.
Questions
Does a corporal pay higher rate tax?
Not outside Scotland. For a Scottish taxpayer, many OR4 levels have a small part of pay in the Scottish higher rate band.
Why is there no OR5?
The Ministry of Defence rank glossary lists no OR5 rank in any service, so the scale goes from OR4 to OR6.
What is a corporal's monthly take-home?
Between about £2,752.79 and £3,203.27 in 2026/27, before any student loan.