ADF Tri-Service Equivalence Pay Scales (2025–2026)
Convert an Army, Navy, or Air Force rank before you read a salary table. Equivalent titles share one Military Salary cell. This page does not add Service Allowance.
Last updated September 2026.
Key takeaways
- Match the title first. Army Corporal, Navy Leading Seaman, and RAAF Corporal share one Military Salary cell.
- Navy Lieutenant is an Army Captain, not an Army Lieutenant.
- The $111,517 checksum is Army Lieutenant / Navy Sub Lieutenant / RAAF Flying Officer only at pay grade 4, increment 1.
- Salary dollars live on the ADF pay scales directory, not on this converter.
- Service Allowance is not added after you match the rank.
1. Other ranks — Army, Navy, Air Force
Same Other Ranks schedule once the title is converted. Pay grade and increment still move the cell.
| Army | Navy | Air Force |
|---|---|---|
| Recruit | Recruit | Aircraftman / Aircraftwoman (trainee) |
| Private | Seaman | Aircraftman / Aircraftwoman |
| Lance Corporal | Able Seaman | Leading Aircraftman / Leading Aircraftwoman |
| Corporal | Leading Seaman | Corporal |
| Sergeant | Petty Officer | Sergeant |
| Warrant Officer Class 2 | Chief Petty Officer | Flight Sergeant |
| Warrant Officer Class 1 | Warrant Officer | Warrant Officer |
2. Officers — do not treat “Lieutenant” as one rank
Navy Lieutenant is not Army Lieutenant. That mismatch is how salary pages mis-quote the $111,517 checksum.
| Army | Navy | Air Force |
|---|---|---|
| Officer Cadet | Midshipman | Officer Cadet |
| Lieutenant | Sub Lieutenant | Flying Officer |
| Captain | Lieutenant | Flight Lieutenant |
| Major | Lieutenant Commander | Squadron Leader |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Commander | Wing Commander |
| Colonel | Captain | Group Captain |
3. Australian army ranks and pay — convert, then read one cell
Australian army ranks and pay is a two-step question. First match the title in the tables above. Then open the Army salary page or PACMAN and read rank × increment × pay grade. A Corporal and a Leading Seaman at the same pay grade and increment are on one Military Salary. They are not on three different spines, and they do not each receive $15,411 on top.
PACMAN’s published checksum stays the orientation number for the officer row in section 2: Permanent Forces Army Lieutenant, pay grade 4, increment 1 = $111,517. The Navy and Air Force equivalents of that rank — Sub Lieutenant and Flying Officer — use that same cell only when pay grade and increment match. A Navy Lieutenant is the next officer row (Army Captain / Flight Lieutenant).
4. This page is not the ADF pay scales hub
Queries for ADF pay scales, ADF pay scales 2026, and ADF pay rates are answered on the ADF pay directory: how to read the salary PDF, the 13 May 2021 Service Allowance roll-in, and links to each service. This URL exists so a Navy title is not looked up in the Army column. If you already know the service, skip ahead:
- Australian Army pay
- Royal Australian Navy pay — sailor titles and the Lieutenant versus Sub Lieutenant trap
- Air Force pay
5. What does not change when the uniform changes
Military Salary, ADF Super (typically 16.4%), and the rule that environment allowances sit outside the salary grid are tri-service. DVA records that Service Allowance was rolled into salary from 13 May 2021. Field allowance does not become maritime disability because you changed columns. Reserves and SERCAT 6 reductions are separate PACMAN rules. Estimate tax on the cell you actually read with the take-home pay calculator.
Primary source for the salary method: Defence salary tables (“ranks are listed by service — look for your equivalent rank”). Salary determinations: DFRT Determination 2 of 2017.
Sources
- Defence Pay and Conditions — salary tables
- DFRT Determination 2 of 2017 (Salaries)
- DVA CLIK — Service Allowance rolled into Military Salary
Navy ranks and pay
Seaman to Captain on the Military Salary spine, without a Service Allowance column.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official Australian tax, superannuation, and take-home pay guidance grounded in current ATO rulings.
Are Australian Army, Navy, and Air Force ranks paid the same?
Equivalent ranks on the same increment and pay grade read the same Military Salary cell. The title changes by service. Army Corporal, Navy Leading Seaman, and RAAF Corporal are equivalents. Army Lieutenant, Navy Sub Lieutenant, and RAAF Flying Officer are equivalents. Navy Lieutenant is an Army Captain, not an Army Lieutenant.
Where are ADF pay scales 2026 published?
Military Salary tables are on the Defence Pay and Conditions site (PACMAN), rates effective 6 November 2025. This page only maps rank titles. Open the ADF pay directory, then the Army, Navy, or Air Force page, after you know the equivalent title.
What is the Australian Army ranks and pay equivalent of a Petty Officer?
A Navy Petty Officer lines up with an Army Sergeant and a RAAF Sergeant. Pay still depends on increment and pay grade. Convert the title here, then read the salary cell on the service page or in PACMAN.
Is Service Allowance added after you match the rank?
No. From 13 May 2021 Service Allowance was rolled into Military Salary. Matching Corporal to Leading Seaman does not create a second $15,411 payment.
Which page should rank for “ADF pay scales”?
The ADF pay scales directory. This ranks page is the converter. Salary dollars for a known service live on the Army, Navy, and Air Force pages.