Do All Military Members Get Paid the Same?
Getting Ahead at Work
By Tony Guerra
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Uniformed service in the U.S. military comes with many benefits, including guaranteed pay. One feature of U.S. military basic pay is that it's that same for a given rank or paygrade no matter the particular service branch. In the U.S. military, a service member's individual paygrade and years of service are the factors that determine basic pay. In other words, an Army sergeant, or E-5, earns the same basic pay as a Marine Corps sergeant, also an E-5.
Basic Pay Factors
The Department of Defense manages pay for its uniformed members according to specific pay scales. U.S. military pay scales reflect the basic pay made to enlisted personnel, chief warrant officers and commissioned officers. Enlisted paygrades in the US military run from E-1 to E-9 while chief warrant officers run from W-1 to W-4. Commissioned officer paygrades in the U.S. military run from O-1 to O-10. All service members earn the basic pay applicable to their paygrades.
Service Year Factors
In addition to a U.S. military member's paygrade, the basic pay each earns is also pegged to years of service. In other words, an E-5 with six years' service earns more than an E-5 with four. Each US military paygrade also features a years of service pay ceiling beyond which the member no longer earns longevity raises. For example, an E-5 stops earning longevity pay raises after a 12th year of service pay raise.
Other Pay Factors
U.S. service members are also paid a variety of allowances and a goodly portion also earn special duty assignment pay. The off-base housing allowance is a typical allowance paid to many service members. An example of U.S. military member special duty assignment pay is the one given to enlisted members serving in a hazardous duty area. Allowances for housing, food and such are paid in accordance with the individual service member's paygrade.
Special O-1E to O-3E basic pay for commissioned officers with more than four years of prior enlisted service exists. U.S. military service members often benefit from annual pay raises authorized by Congress. Allowances paid to US military service members are nontaxable. Some forms of special duty pay for US military service members, however, are taxable. Lastly, reserve military basic pay in all paygrades is the same as that found in each active duty paygrade, though at a prorated portion.
Military Times: 2012 Basic Pay: 20 Years of Service and Below
Military.com: Special Duty Assignment Pay
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Military Times: 2012 Insider's Guide to the Guard & Reserve
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