Pay in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) follows published tables: National Defence publishes a monthly basic pay table for every rank, with annual pay increments within each rank and separate scales for some occupations. This page shows the Regular Force rates in effect from April 1, 2025, their annual equivalents, and Job Bank’s wage estimates for CAF occupations. It is part of the salary by profession hub; police officer pay and pilot pay are covered on their own pages.
How CAF pay is set
All figures below come from National Defence’s Regular Force pay by rank page, which gives the monthly salary for full-time Regular Force and Reserve Class C service. Each rank has a basic rate and annual pay increments above it, so the “lowest” column is a member’s starting rate in that rank and the “highest” column the top increment. A few ranks are split further into pay levels (A and B, A to C, or A to E); for those, the columns show the lowest and highest rate across all levels. The annual columns multiply the monthly rate by 12; they are basic pay only, before allowances, deductions and tax. The page links to previous years’ rates.
Non-commissioned members
| Non-commissioned rank | Lowest monthly rate | Highest monthly rate | Lowest x 12 | Highest x 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private (basic pay, increments 1 and 2) | $4,337 | $5,994 | $52,044 | $71,928 |
| Corporal, standard | $6,858 | $7,337 | $82,296 | $88,044 |
| Master Corporal, standard | $7,118 | $7,841 | $85,416 | $94,092 |
| Sergeant, standard | $7,959 | $8,340 | $95,508 | $100,080 |
| Warrant Officer, standard | $8,694 | $8,997 | $104,328 | $107,964 |
| Master Warrant Officer, standard | $9,668 | $10,057 | $116,016 | $120,684 |
| Chief Warrant Officer (pay levels A to C) | $10,562 | $13,410 | $126,744 | $160,920 |
From Corporal to Master Warrant Officer, the pay table has five scales for each rank: standard, Specialist 1, Specialist 2, Special Forces and Search and Rescue (Chief Warrant Officers have Special Forces and Search and Rescue scales besides their pay levels). National Defence describes these as rates for different occupations, and the Special Forces and Search and Rescue scales have more increments. For a corporal:
| Corporal scale | Lowest monthly rate | Highest monthly rate | Lowest x 12 | Highest x 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $6,858 | $7,337 | $82,296 | $88,044 |
| Specialist 1 | $7,606 | $8,071 | $91,272 | $96,852 |
| Specialist 2 | $8,138 | $8,636 | $97,656 | $103,632 |
| Special Forces | $9,254 | $10,118 | $111,048 | $121,416 |
| Search and Rescue | $11,387 | $15,246 | $136,644 | $182,952 |
Officers
| Officer rank | Lowest monthly rate | Highest monthly rate | Lowest x 12 | Highest x 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Officer Cadet (pay levels A and B) | $2,913 | $5,060 | $34,956 | $60,720 |
| Second Lieutenant (pay levels A to E) | $5,096 | $9,514 | $61,152 | $114,168 |
| Lieutenant (pay levels A to E) | $5,397 | $11,057 | $64,764 | $132,684 |
| Captain | $8,861 | $11,712 | $106,332 | $140,544 |
| Major | $11,983 | $13,435 | $143,796 | $161,220 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel | $13,887 | $14,779 | $166,644 | $177,348 |
| Colonel | $15,684 | $17,541 | $188,208 | $210,492 |
| Brigadier-General | $18,565 | $20,097 | $222,780 | $241,164 |
| Major-General | $21,301 | $25,020 | $255,612 | $300,240 |
| Lieutenant-General | $27,361 | $29,619 | $328,332 | $355,428 |
Pilots, medical and dental officers
Pilots and medical and dental officers have their own tables. For a captain, the most junior rank these tables list:
| Officer scale | Lowest monthly rate | Highest monthly rate | Lowest x 12 | Highest x 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot, Captain (increments 1 to 20) | $8,861 | $17,723 | $106,332 | $212,676 |
| Medical or dental officer, Captain | $16,188 | $23,270 | $194,256 | $279,240 |
| Captain, standard officer scale (for comparison) | $8,861 | $11,712 | $106,332 | $140,544 |
National Defence notes that medical and dental officers are also entitled to special military differential pay on top of these rates. Legal officers are paid on a scale benchmarked to the public service’s law group.
How Job Bank estimates CAF pay
Job Bank sorts CAF members into four occupation groups: commissioned officers, specialized members, operations members and primary combat members. Its figures for them are hourly equivalents of salaries.
| Occupation (NOC) | Low (per hour) | Median (per hour) | High (per hour) | Period and data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commissioned officers (40042) | $34.62 | $55.03 | $74.83 | 2024, Small Area Estimation |
| Specialized members (42102) | $25.15 | $35.43 | $45.45 | 2024, Small Area Estimation |
| Operations members (43204) | $25.95 | $34.35 | $44.57 | 2024, Small Area Estimation |
| Primary combat members (44200) | $22.00 | $36.69 | $47.80 | 2023-2024, Employment Insurance Survey Data |
Source: Job Bank wages (Employment and Social Development Canada). Low is the 10th percentile and high the 90th percentile of wages.
Commissioned officers’ median of $55.03 an hour is about $107,309 over 1,950 hours, but since the CAF pays a monthly salary rather than an hourly wage, the pay tables earlier on this page are the direct measure. Officers’ provincial medians run from $40.76 in Prince Edward Island to $55.12 in Ontario:
| Region | Low (per hour) | Median (per hour) | High (per hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $34.62 | $55.03 | $74.83 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $37.78 | $54.13 | $72.54 |
| Prince Edward Island | $26.61 | $40.76 | $58.36 |
| Nova Scotia | $37.19 | $53.37 | $73.77 |
| New Brunswick | $34.87 | $50.27 | $69.66 |
| Quebec | $31.43 | $50.43 | $71.46 |
| Ontario | $35.51 | $55.12 | $77.90 |
| Manitoba | $35.26 | $52.50 | $73.09 |
| Saskatchewan | $32.86 | $52.07 | $74.99 |
| Alberta | $34.28 | $52.58 | $72.71 |
| British Columbia | $35.40 | $52.86 | $74.51 |
| Northwest Territories | $41.89 | $59.78 | $79.72 |
Source: Job Bank wages (Employment and Social Development Canada), NOC 40042, 2024, Small Area Estimation. Low is the 10th percentile and high the 90th percentile of wages.
Allowances, pension and benefits
Basic pay is not the whole of CAF compensation. National Defence’s military pay, pension and benefits page covers the Regular Force and Reserve Force pension plans and benefits including leave, medical, dental, injury, relocation and disability benefits, temporary duty travel and a children’s education allowance, each with its own eligibility rules. The same page notes that on August 8, 2025, the Government of Canada announced improvements to compensation and benefits for CAF members, rolled out in stages. How a workplace pension compares with saving on your own is covered in defined benefit vs defined contribution pensions.
How military pay compares
Public-sector jobs with their own pay scales are covered across the hub: government worker pay shows the federal public service’s Treasury Board rates, and teacher pay the provincial teacher grids. Job Bank’s national figures for CAF officers next to police officers and firefighters:
| Occupation (NOC) | Low (per hour) | Median (per hour) | High (per hour) | Period and data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAF commissioned officers (40042) | $34.62 | $55.03 | $74.83 | 2024, Small Area Estimation |
| CAF operations members (43204) | $25.95 | $34.35 | $44.57 | 2024, Small Area Estimation |
| Police officers (42100) | $32.00 | $50.00 | $64.10 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Firefighters (42101) | $29.00 | $45.79 | $61.40 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
Source: Job Bank wages (Employment and Social Development Canada). Low is the 10th percentile and high the 90th percentile of wages.
Related reading
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between October 3, 2026 and October 4, 2026. How we check facts.
- Government of Canada: Regular Force pay by rank
- Government of Canada: Wages - Open Government Portal