Armed forces sergeant pay 2026/27

Take-home pay a month

£3,054.77

£36,657.24 a year from a salary of £46,022.00

Your details

Where you pay income tax EnglandWalesNorthern IrelandScotland

Pay level OR6-01 — Trade Supplement 1OR6-01 — Trade Supplement 2OR6-01 — Trade Supplement 3OR6-01 — Trade Supplement 4OR6-02 — Trade Supplement 1OR6-02 — Trade Supplement 2OR6-02 — Trade Supplement 3OR6-02 — Trade Supplement 4OR6-03 — Trade Supplement 1OR6-03 — Trade Supplement 2OR6-03 — Trade Supplement 3OR6-03 — Trade Supplement 4OR6-04 — Trade Supplement 1OR6-04 — Trade Supplement 2OR6-04 — Trade Supplement 3OR6-04 — Trade Supplement 4OR6-05 — Trade Supplement 1OR6-05 — Trade Supplement 2OR6-05 — Trade Supplement 3OR6-05 — Trade Supplement 4OR6-06 — Trade Supplement 1OR6-06 — Trade Supplement 2OR6-06 — Trade Supplement 3OR6-06 — Trade Supplement 4

Share of full time %

Percent of a full-time post

Student loan NonePlan 1Plan 2Plan 4 (Scotland)Plan 5 Postgraduate loan as well

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Where your salary goes

	A year
Salary	£46,022.00
Income tax	£6,688.60
National Insurance	£2,676.16
Take-home pay	£36,657.24

How this was worked out

1. Salary: £46,022
2. Personal allowance: £12,570. Payroll applies it as tax code 1257L, which gives £12,579 of tax-free pay.
3. Taxable income: £46,022 − £12,579 = £33,443
4. Basic rate: £33,443 × 20% = £6,688.60
5. Income tax: £6,688.60
6. National Insurance: (£46,022 − £12,570) × 8% = £2,676.16
7. Take-home pay: £46,022 − £6,688.60 − £2,676.16 = £36,657.24

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.

Sergeants and Petty Officers at OR6 earn £46,022 to £56,611 in 2026/27. Monthly take-home after income tax and National Insurance runs from about £3,054.77 to £3,616.28.

Pay scale: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a27f8383b15d05a7ce31f52/AFPRB_55th_Report_2026.pdf

Who is paid at OR6

OR6 is Sergeant in the Army, the Royal Marines and the RAF, and Petty Officer in the Royal Navy. The scale has 6 levels, and as with other ranks the first two levels pay the same.

Where the higher rate starts

Outside Scotland, OR6 is the first rank where some base pay reaches the higher rate of income tax. On the lowest trade supplement only the top level goes over the threshold, and only by a small amount. On the highest supplement every level does.

The same salary also crosses the upper earnings limit for National Insurance, above which the rate drops. The two changes partly offset each other on the slice above the threshold.

Comparing with a civilian salary

Because no pension contribution comes out of Service pay, an OR6 salary leaves more take-home than the same salary in a job with a contributory pension. To compare a civilian offer fairly, enter it in the take-home pay calculator with its pension contribution included.

Questions

Does a sergeant pay higher rate tax?

It depends on the trade supplement and the level. The top level crosses the threshold on every supplement, and on the highest supplement every level does.

How much does a sergeant take home?

A full-time sergeant keeps roughly £3,054.77 to £3,616.28 a month in 2026/27, depending on level and supplement.

Is a Petty Officer paid the same as a sergeant?

Yes, both are OR6, and the three services share the base pay tables, so the same trade supplement and level give the same salary.