Army Private Salary 2026/27: OR-2 Take-Home
Private is the entry rank for a British Army soldier, OR-2 on the NATO scale, and the equivalent of an RAF Aircraftman or a Royal Navy Able Rating. Pay in 2026/27 starts at £27,282 and reaches £41,164 at the top increment on the highest trade supplement. Those figures already include X-Factor, and carry the 3.6% award the Government accepted in full on 9 June 2026.
Typical pay & take-home
- OR2-07, supplement 1
- £33,823
- Typical range
- £27,282–£41,164
- Take-home at median
- £27,872 England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn 13% below the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you in the bottom 37% of UK earners.
See exact take-home for £33,823 →
The AFPRB scales after the 3.6% award, with the four trade supplements for Other Ranks and take-home on a non-contributory pension: Armed forces pay scales 2026/27, every rank →
What influences army private (or-2) pay
Progression is by increment level and there are ten of them at OR-2, which is the main driver of pay early on: £27,282 at the start, £31,245 by increment 5 and £38,553 at the top of the range on supplement 1.
Trade supplement is the other half of the answer, and it is set by trade rather than earned. At the top increment the same rank pays £38,553 on supplement 1 and £41,164 on supplement 4. At the bottom three increments the supplements pay identically, so the spread only opens up with service.
X-Factor is already inside these figures. It is the addition recognising the conditions of Service life against civilian employment, and quoting it again on top would double-count it.
The Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 is non-contributory. Unlike the NHS, teachers, police, fire and the Civil Service, nothing is deducted from pay for it, so take-home is simply gross less Income Tax and National Insurance.
Accommodation and food charges are deducted separately and are not tax; they are set annually by the same review body report that sets the pay.
Career progression
- Private (OR-2): £27,282 to £41,164.
- Lance Corporal (OR-3): £35,310 to £41,164.
- Corporal (OR-4): £40,989 to £48,497.
- Sergeant (OR-6): £46,022 to £56,611.
- Staff Sergeant (OR-7): £51,615 to £65,249.
- Warrant Officer Class 1 (OR-9): £64,704 to £68,982.
Frequently asked questions
- What does an Army Private take home 2026/27?
- On the £27,282 starting rate, take-home is about £23,163 a year or £1,930 a month, after Income Tax and National Insurance. There is no pension deduction because the Armed Forces scheme is non-contributory. At the £41,164 top of the range it is about £33,158.
- Why do two Privates on the same increment earn different amounts?
- Trade supplement. The MOD assigns each trade to one of four supplements, and at the top increment the gap is £2,611 a year between supplement 1 and supplement 4. It is not a performance award and it does not change with rank alone.
- Is anything taken off for the Armed Forces pension?
- No. The Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 is non-contributory, so unlike every other public service scheme there is no member contribution to deduct. Accommodation and food charges are separate deductions and are not pension or tax.