Military & Veterans

Military pay, BAH, VA disability, GI Bill, and TSP calculators for service members.

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Military Pay Calculator

Calculate total military compensation including base pay, BAH, and BAS by rank and years of service.
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VA Disability Rating Calculator (Combined)

Calculate combined VA disability rating from multiple conditions using the bilateral factor method.
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GI Bill Calculator

Estimate Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits including tuition coverage, housing allowance, and book stipend.
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BAH Calculator

Estimate Basic Allowance for Housing by pay grade, location, and dependents.
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BAS Calculator

Calculate Basic Allowance for Subsistence rates by service branch and status.
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Blended Retirement Calculator

Compare military Blended Retirement System (BRS) vs legacy High-3 pension.
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Combat Pay Calculator

Calculate military combat zone tax exclusion and imminent danger pay.
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Military Bonus Calculator

Calculate military enlistment and reenlistment bonus after taxes.
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Military Clothing Allowance Calculator

Calculate military clothing maintenance and initial clothing allowance.
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Military COLA Calculator

Calculate military Cost of Living Allowance by location and pay grade.
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Military Retirement Calculator

Calculate military retirement pay based on years of service and pay grade.
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Military TSP Match Calculator

Calculate TSP matching contributions under the Blended Retirement System.
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Survivor Benefit Plan Calculator

Calculate military Survivor Benefit Plan costs and annuity payments.
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TRICARE Cost Calculator

Compare TRICARE plan costs, premiums, and out-of-pocket maximums.

About Military & Veterans Calculators

Military service comes with pay and benefit rules that look nothing like civilian finance, and small inputs (rank, time in service, ZIP code, dependents, disability rating) swing the numbers a lot. The calculators in this category translate the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) pay tables, VA benefit rules, and DoD allowance schedules into figures you can actually plan around.

Use the Military Pay Calculator when you change rank or hit a longevity step to see how base pay shifts. The BAH Calculator matters most before a PCS move, since the housing allowance is set by duty-station ZIP and dependency status. Run the VA Disability Rating Calculator (Combined) before filing or after a new condition is added, because the VA combines ratings with its own formula rather than adding them. The GI Bill Calculator helps you compare schools and decide whether to transfer benefits to a spouse or child.

Career-decision tools sit here too. The Blended Retirement Calculator and Military Retirement Calculator show the trade-off between the legacy pension and the BRS with its Thrift Savings Plan match, while the Survivor Benefit Plan Calculator estimates the premium and the annuity your survivors would receive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't the VA add my disability ratings together?
The VA uses "combined ratings" math, not simple addition, so a 50% and a 30% rating do not equal 80%. Each rating is applied to the remaining "whole" body after the prior one, then the result is rounded to the nearest 10%. This is why two 50% conditions combine to 75% (rounded to 80%) rather than 100%, and it's set by the VA's combined ratings table in 38 CFR.
Is BAH the same everywhere, and is it taxed?
No. The Basic Allowance for Housing is set by the Department of Defense for each Military Housing Area based on local rental costs, your rank, and whether you have dependents, so the same rank can draw very different amounts in San Diego versus Fort Sill. BAH is not subject to federal income tax, which is why a service member's take-home value is higher than the base pay figure alone suggests.
Should I choose the Blended Retirement System or the legacy pension?
Service members who entered after January 1, 2018 are automatically under the Blended Retirement System (BRS), which pays a smaller pension multiplier but adds government matching in the Thrift Savings Plan. The legacy "High-3" pension pays more per month at 20 years but gives nothing if you separate earlier. The right choice depends on whether you expect to serve a full 20 years and how much you value the portable TSP balance if you don't.
Can I transfer my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to my spouse or children?
Yes, eligible service members can transfer unused Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or dependent children, but only while still serving and after meeting a service commitment set by the DoD. Transferred benefits to a child generally can't be used until the service member has completed 10 years of service, and the child must use them before turning 26. The dollar value depends on the school type, since the VA pays full public in-state tuition but caps private and foreign school tuition annually.
What does the Survivor Benefit Plan actually cost and pay?
The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) lets a retiree convert part of their pension into a lifetime annuity for a surviving spouse or child, paid for by a monthly premium deducted from retired pay. The annuity is set at up to 55% of the elected base amount, and premiums are paid with pre-tax dollars. Whether SBP is worth it depends on your survivor's other income, your health, and whether private life insurance would cover the same gap more cheaply.