All areas / SAN DIEGO, CA
Military housing area CA038SAN DIEGO, CA BAH rates
An E-5 with dependents stationed here draws $3,975 a month, tax free. That's $47,700 a year, and it ranks 12 of 338 areas at that grade.
Installations paid at this rate
Orders to any of these draw the SAN DIEGO, CA rate. The DoD sets one rate per housing area, so an assignment anywhere inside it pays the same.
- Amphibious Base Coronado East
- Camp Michael Monsoor
- Camp Morena
- Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
- Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
- Mount Laguna Air Force Station
- Naval Air Station North Island
- Naval Air Station San Diego
- Naval Base Coronado
- Naval Base Point Loma
- Naval Base Point Loma Old Town Site 1
- Naval Base San Diego
- Naval Base San Diego Dryside
- Naval Base San Diego National City
- Naval Medical Center San Diego
- Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach
- Naval Station San Diego
- Naval Submarine Base San Diego
Every pay grade
| Grade | With dependents | Without | Difference | A year, with deps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $3,666 | $2,763 | $903 | $43,992 |
| E-2 | $3,666 | $2,763 | $903 | $43,992 |
| E-3 | $3,666 | $2,763 | $903 | $43,992 |
| E-4 | $3,666 | $2,763 | $903 | $43,992 |
| E-5 | $3,975 | $3,147 | $828 | $47,700 |
| E-6 | $4,404 | $3,387 | $1,017 | $52,848 |
| E-7 | $4,446 | $3,678 | $768 | $53,352 |
| E-8 | $4,488 | $4,065 | $423 | $53,856 |
| E-9 | $4,671 | $4,188 | $483 | $56,052 |
| W-1 | $4,425 | $3,564 | $861 | $53,100 |
| W-2 | $4,464 | $4,062 | $402 | $53,568 |
| W-3 | $4,521 | $4,206 | $315 | $54,252 |
| W-4 | $4,731 | $4,410 | $321 | $56,772 |
| W-5 | $4,992 | $4,455 | $537 | $59,904 |
| O-1E | $4,449 | $3,972 | $477 | $53,388 |
| O-2E | $4,506 | $4,161 | $345 | $54,072 |
| O-3E | $4,770 | $4,398 | $372 | $57,240 |
| O-1 | $4,032 | $3,351 | $681 | $48,384 |
| O-2 | $4,401 | $3,873 | $528 | $52,812 |
| O-3 | $4,518 | $4,248 | $270 | $54,216 |
| O-4 | $5,082 | $4,440 | $642 | $60,984 |
| O-5 | $5,493 | $4,458 | $1,035 | $65,916 |
| O-6 | $5,541 | $4,494 | $1,047 | $66,492 |
| O-7 | $5,586 | $4,575 | $1,011 | $67,032 |
| O-8 | $5,586 | $4,575 | $1,011 | $67,032 |
| O-9 | $5,586 | $4,575 | $1,011 | $67,032 |
| O-10 | $5,586 | $4,575 | $1,011 | $67,032 |
All 27 grades for SAN DIEGO, CA, monthly, rate year 2026. Grades ending in E are officers with prior enlisted service. BAH-ASCII-2026.zip
How the dependency difference works
Every grade here pays more with dependents than without, by $270 to $1,047 a month. Having dependents is a yes or no question for BAH: a service member with four children draws the same as one with a spouse and none. Nothing else about the family changes the figure.
It also doesn't depend on what you actually pay for housing. If your rent comes in under the allowance you keep the difference, and if it runs over, the difference is yours to cover.
Compare against another station
If you're moving here or away from here, the comparison on the front page puts this area against any other and shows what changes.
SAN DIEGO, CA is military housing area CA038, covering 161 ZIP codes.