Navy NUPOC Pay Calculator

On the day of your final interview in Washington, D.C. and accepting the offer, you take an oath of enlistment and are placed in an active duty status as an E-6. This means that you technically have a full-time job as a rank that many who join out of high school don't achieve for 10 years or longer. You are entitled to all pay and benefits for active duty personnel (with the exception of a uniform allowance because you will not have to wear a uniform or perform any duties until after you finish school).

Read below to see the different types of pay in the military, how they are incorporated into the pay calculator on this page, and how you can fact check this website.

In a nutshell, your total pay in college is Basic Pay + BAH + BAS + $30,000 nuclear accession bonus (bonus is for all except power school instructors per the NUPOC Program Authorization). After you commission as an officer and throughout your time in the navy, you will get more pay allowances (as applicable) such as Submarine Pay, Career Sea Pay, and others. Read more about the different pay entitlements, how you can get raises in college, and follow the steps below to calculate your pay.

As an active-duty member of the military, you are entitled to the following pay:

• Basic Pay (which you can find by googling "2025 pay tables" or going to the DFAS website.) Basic Pay is determined by your rank and time of active duty service. The pay raises available in the NUPOC program for base pay are as follows:
  • Annual Raise. Every year, the military gets a small pay raise across the board (typically its anywhere from 3 to 5 percent, and this is tied to inflation.) The finalized pay raise for the next year is passed by congress and typically released near the end of the year.
    • For the purposes of the pay calculator on this page, the 2025 basic pay is used with an assumed 3.5 percent rise per year from 2025 onward, which is relatively conservative, as the projected raise for 2026 is 3.8 percent, and the raise for 2025 was 4.5 percent for 2025.
  • Time in Service. Across all ranks, at the 2 year mark, you get your first pay raise. There is another pay raise at the 3 year mark, the 4 year mark, and then every 2 years after that. Since time in the NUPOC program counts toward active duty, if you join early enough (24 months or more before the end of college), then once you hit 2 years you will get your first pay bump from time in service. This counter begins the day you interview and accept the job offer.
    • For the purposes of the pay calculator on this page, time in service in the NUPOC program is factored in to your output. However, it is not factored in if you are prior enlisted and have previous active duty time, as in that case your pay would be higher than reflected. Also, the calculator uses months and assumes that you interview on the first day of the month, so it will not be 100% accurate, but it will be very close.
  • Paygrade Advancement. There are 2 ways to become an E-7 during school, which is a pay raise of approximately $500 per month.
    • If you recruit someone into the program and they are accepted, then on the day that they are accepted you will be administratively promoted to E-7. This is reflected in the calculator, so if you believe you will be able to refer a qualified friend to join the NUPOC program at some point then you can get a pretty substantial raise.
    • If you agree up-front to signing a Continuation Bonus contract in the future (effectively agreeing to do 2 nuclear tours instead of 1), then you will start as an E-7 (reflected in the calculator), and at about the 4 to 5 year mark you will begin getting a $50,000 annual bonus every year, which is not reflected in the calculations. 
    • The reference for these possible advancements to E-7 is the NUPOC Program Authorization (PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 100A), which can be found on the mynavyhr website. The specific reference is under paragraphs 8.a.2 and 8.c.
• Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)
  • BAH is determined by the zip code of the university you attend, your rank, and whether you have any dependents (spouse, kids, etc.). To calculate your BAH, google "BAH Calculator" and type in your zip code, your rank (E-6 or E-7 for the NUPOC Program), and check whether you have any dependents or not.
  • BAH is a portion of your income that is non-taxable. This means that your reflected income for the IRS will not include BAH, saving you thousands of dollars each year in taxes.
  • BAH typically rises each year for most areas, as it is tied to the cost of living and cost of housing in your area. So, San Francisco, CA BAH is going to be significantly higher than Tuscaloosa, AL BAH because housing in San Francisco is so much more expensive. This serves as an equalizer for the military, so that it is not some sort of huge financial disadvantage to be stationed in a HCOL area (because you will be paid more in the HCOL area)
  • BAH is factored into the calculator for both your university (for time as an active duty collegiate), your training locations (you will continue to get BAH for your university while at OCS, Charleston is used for Power School and Prototype, if you are a Sub Officer or SWO your chosen location for where you would desire to be stationed is what is used for your sea tour station and your shore tour station, Washington, D.C. is used for your time as a NRE).
    • Some duty stations, such as Yokosuka, Japan and Guam, are not listed as options because if you go there you would receive Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) and some other allowances, which work a little bit differently from BAH, but can be a great deal.
    • The pay calculator assumes a uniform 3.5 percent rise in BAH each year for all locaitons, which is conservative for many areas based on historical precedent.
• Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS)
  • BAS is an allowance for sailors that is supposed to effectively be a food stipend. It typically rises by a little bit each year, and BAS for enlisted is slightly higher than for officers (in college you will receive enlisted rate BAS, and after OCS you will begin receiving officer BAS).
  • BAS typically increases slightly each year. Go to DFAS's website to find the current BAS rates. The pay calculator assumes a 1.2% rise in BAS per year.
• Other Monthly Pay Entitlements (after commissioning):
  • Career Sea Pay: This is a monthly amount that builds up based off of how long you have been attached to a seagoing command throughout your career. This is factored into the calculator by month. The calculator does not assume that the rates for career sea pay will rise year over year.
  • Submarine Duty Pay: This is an entitlement based on rank and time of service that is available to all who volunteer for submarines, and it begins the day you check in to Nuclear Power School in Charleston. You will get increases in Submarine pay as you advance in rank and stay in longer, and will continue to receive it as long as you are a submarine officer (designator 1170 or 1120). Submarine Duty Pay is factored in to the calculator, starting at the month you check in to Nuclear Power School
  • Other entitlements that you could get, such as Diving Duty Pay (if you are a submarine officer who gets to attend dive school), are not factored in to the calculator.

On the day of your final interview in Washington, D.C. and accepting the offer, you take an oath of enlistment and are placed in an active duty status as an E-6. This means that you technically have a full-time job as a rank that many who join out of high school don't achieve for 10 years or longer. You are entitled to all pay and benefits for active duty personnel (with the exception of a uniform allowance because you will not have to wear a uniform or perform any duties until after you finish school).

Read below to see the different types of pay in the military, how they are incorporated into the pay calculator on this page, and how you can fact check this website.

In a nutshell, your total pay in college is Basic Pay + BAH + BAS + $30,000 nuclear accession bonus (bonus is for all except power school instructors per the NUPOC Program Authorization). After you commission as an officer and throughout your time in the navy, you will get more pay allowances (as applicable) such as Submarine Pay, Career Sea Pay, and others. Read more about the different pay entitlements, how you can get raises in college, and follow the steps below to calculate your pay.

As an active-duty member of the military, you are entitled to the following pay:

• Basic Pay (which you can find by googling "2025 pay tables" or going to the DFAS website.) Basic Pay is determined by your rank and time of active duty service. The pay raises available in the NUPOC program for base pay are as follows:
  • Annual Raise. Every year, the military gets a small pay raise across the board (typically its anywhere from 3 to 5 percent, and this is tied to inflation.) The finalized pay raise for the next year is passed by congress and typically released near the end of the year.
    • For the purposes of the pay calculator on this page, the 2025 basic pay is used with an assumed 3.5 percent rise per year from 2025 onward, which is relatively conservative, as the projected raise for 2026 is 3.8 percent, and the raise for 2025 was 4.5 percent for 2025.
  • Time in Service. Across all ranks, at the 2 year mark, you get your first pay raise. There is another pay raise at the 3 year mark, the 4 year mark, and then every 2 years after that. Since time in the NUPOC program counts toward active duty, if you join early enough (24 months or more before the end of college), then once you hit 2 years you will get your first pay bump from time in service. This counter begins the day you interview and accept the job offer.
    • For the purposes of the pay calculator on this page, time in service in the NUPOC program is factored in to your output. However, it is not factored in if you are prior enlisted and have previous active duty time, as in that case your pay would be higher than reflected. Also, the calculator uses months and assumes that you interview on the first day of the month, so it will not be 100% accurate, but it will be very close.
  • Paygrade Advancement. There are 2 ways to become an E-7 during school, which is a pay raise of approximately $500 per month.
    • If you recruit someone into the program and they are accepted, then on the day that they are accepted you will be administratively promoted to E-7. This is reflected in the calculator, so if you believe you will be able to refer a qualified friend to join the NUPOC program at some point then you can get a pretty substantial raise.
    • If you agree up-front to signing a Continuation Bonus contract in the future (effectively agreeing to do 2 nuclear tours instead of 1), then you will start as an E-7 (reflected in the calculator), and at about the 4 to 5 year mark you will begin getting a $50,000 annual bonus every year, which is not reflected in the calculations. 
    • The reference for these possible advancements to E-7 is the NUPOC Program Authorization (PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION 100A), which can be found on the mynavyhr website. The specific reference is under paragraphs 8.a.2 and 8.c.
• Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)
  • BAH is determined by the zip code of the university you attend, your rank, and whether you have any dependents (spouse, kids, etc.). To calculate your BAH, google "BAH Calculator" and type in your zip code, your rank (E-6 or E-7 for the NUPOC Program), and check whether you have any dependents or not.
  • BAH is a portion of your income that is non-taxable. This means that your reflected income for the IRS will not include BAH, saving you thousands of dollars each year in taxes.
  • BAH typically rises each year for most areas, as it is tied to the cost of living and cost of housing in your area. So, San Francisco, CA BAH is going to be significantly higher than Tuscaloosa, AL BAH because housing in San Francisco is so much more expensive. This serves as an equalizer for the military, so that it is not some sort of huge financial disadvantage to be stationed in a HCOL area (because you will be paid more in the HCOL area)
  • BAH is factored into the calculator for both your university (for time as an active duty collegiate), your training locations (you will continue to get BAH for your university while at OCS, Charleston is used for Power School and Prototype, if you are a Sub Officer or SWO your chosen location for where you would desire to be stationed is what is used for your sea tour station and your shore tour station, Washington, D.C. is used for your time as a NRE).
    • Some duty stations, such as Yokosuka, Japan and Guam, are not listed as options because if you go there you would receive Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) and some other allowances, which work a little bit differently from BAH, but can be a great deal.
    • The pay calculator assumes a uniform 3.5 percent rise in BAH each year for all locaitons, which is conservative for many areas based on historical precedent.
• Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS)
  • BAS is an allowance for sailors that is supposed to effectively be a food stipend. It typically rises by a little bit each year, and BAS for enlisted is slightly higher than for officers (in college you will receive enlisted rate BAS, and after OCS you will begin receiving officer BAS).
  • BAS typically increases slightly each year. Go to DFAS's website to find the current BAS rates. The pay calculator assumes a 1.2% rise in BAS per year.
• Other Monthly Pay Entitlements (after commissioning):
  • Career Sea Pay: This is a monthly amount that builds up based off of how long you have been attached to a seagoing command throughout your career. This is factored into the calculator by month. The calculator does not assume that the rates for career sea pay will rise year over year.
  • Submarine Duty Pay: This is an entitlement based on rank and time of service that is available to all who volunteer for submarines, and it begins the day you check in to Nuclear Power School in Charleston. You will get increases in Submarine pay as you advance in rank and stay in longer, and will continue to receive it as long as you are a submarine officer (designator 1170 or 1120). Submarine Duty Pay is factored in to the calculator, starting at the month you check in to Nuclear Power School
  • Other entitlements that you could get, such as Diving Duty Pay (if you are a submarine officer who gets to attend dive school), are not factored in to the calculator.