Armed Forces personnel will receive an above-inflation pay rise of 3.6%, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to those that serve as demands on defence and Armed Forces personnel increase.
UK service personnel make extraordinary sacrifices and work tirelessly to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad. This Government and the nation are proud of their professionalism and dedication and have accepted the independent Armed Forces Pay Review Body’s recommendations in full.
This is the third consecutive year that Armed Forces personnel have received an above-inflation pay rise, following the 4.5% award in 2025 and 6% award in 2024, and means most personnel have received a cumulative pay award of 14.1% since July 2024. The award will be backdated to 1 April 2026; personnel will now have an average salary of around £45,710, up £1,650 from last year.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said
Our people are the heart of our defence. I am deeply grateful to our Armed Forces, who make extraordinary sacrifices along with their families to keep our nation safe 24/7.
As demands on defence rise, we ask more of our personnel. This third inflation-busting pay award recognises their dedication and skill, and demonstrates this Government’s commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve.
We inherited a deep recruitment and retention crisis, with targets set and missed every year for 14 years, but we are turning that around. Through our record defence investment, we are delivering better pay, better housing and better conditions. This is a government getting on with the job – delivering for our forces.
Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said
This pay award is an important part of how we recognise the important role and the valuable service the people of our armed forces play in keeping our country safe.
Our people serve with great professionalism, dedication and courage. Pay, accommodation, family support and welfare are all part of the support that helps ensure that our people are ready for whatever we ask of them. We will continue to work to make sure that this meets the needs of our people.
Starting salaries for non-commissioned ranks will increase by nearly £1,000 a year to £27,282 benefiting around 14,250 of our most junior personnel. Starting pay for junior officers will rise £1,250 to £35,926. This ensures that our most junior sailors, soldiers and aviators who choose a full-time career in the Armed Forces continue to receive the National Living Wage.
The package includes a 3.6% rise in targeted payments for specialist skills and roles, and a retention payment for Royal Navy submariners, addressing critical retention challenges in this specialist area. Nursing specialists will benefit from the introduction of a Nursing Professionals’ pay spine and an increased Golden Hello to attract direct entrants into specialisms with workforce capability gaps.
This year’s pay award is all part of the action ministers are taking to fix the recruitment and retention crisis this Government inherited.
The award builds on landmark action to buy back and renew 36,000 military family homes, a new childcare scheme saving eligible forces families in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland up to £6,000 per year per child by reimbursing early years childcare costs, and the establishment of the first ever independent Armed Forces Commissioner with powers to investigate issues raised directly by personnel and their families.
Latest personnel figures show early signs that these measures are starting to make a real difference. The total strength of the UK Armed Forces now stands at 183,410, up by 1,510 over the past year. More people are now joining than leaving, meaning numbers are now increasing for the first time in several years, while in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, fewer personnel are choosing to leave. Together, this points to clear progress in strengthening both recruitment and retention across the Armed Forces.
This Government is backing UK Armed Forces with the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War – hitting 2.6% of GDP from 2027.