Not enough pay. Never has been. Never will be.

[FLTENNHUNTER1]

Your 2023 Military Times Pay and Benefits Guide

Service members should know how their pay and benefits have changed in 2023, whether its for health care, retirement, education, housing or something else.

www.marinecorpstimes.com

The most junior enlisted service members make around $25,000 a year in basic pay (not including allowances, special pays and other benefits), while enlisted troops nearing retirement typically earn about $70,000 annually.

 

[WTM]

yeah but that recruiter sure talks it up though. i knew an 11b that was shot in the leg and they reclassed him to an admin job. cutoff scores never dropped below 999. he spent 14 years in the army as a e-4 when they chaptered him out of the service.

meanwhile a janitor at the VA makes about $30/hr with benefits.

 

[Wiley]

Truly sad and disgusting at how low the military pay is.

 

[PossumSlayer]

+ figure it out as hourly pay, unless you’re on leave ,you’re on duty 24/7.

 

[Chiflyguy]

A young guy goin in, hopefully with out kids and a wife really don’t worry about the money.
I didn’t.
My son doesn’t.
He does it for love of country.
Embarrassingly, I make $18.00 hr.
I work with many who make the same with mortgage, car payment, family.
All I got is a car payment.
I don’t know how they do it.
I’ve seen factory jobs down here starting at $11.00 an hour.
An E-2 with six months in is doing better.

 

[BMan]

I'll be the outlier here. E-1 pay is just shy of 4 times what it was when I went in back in 1980.

Doesn't look too bad to me.

 

[Omega]

Yes, but when you and I came in, 83' for me, that went much further. But think about it, for that amount you give up many rights a civilian doesn't, and there is always that blank check up to and including your life that you give uncle Sam when you join. And, as has already been mentioned, your private time isn't always guaranteed, 24/7/365.

 

[PossumSlayer]

I'll be the outlier here. E-1 pay is just shy of 4 times what it was when I went in back in 1980.

Doesn't look too bad to me.

But housing was free, no utilities, free meals and insurance

 

[Chiflyguy]

I'll be the outlier here. E-1 pay is just shy of 4 times what it was when I went in back in 1980.

Doesn't look too bad to me.

I started at $753 a month in 93.
Great incentive to rank up.
By the time I got out in 97 as a Electricians Mate 3rd class with 3 years sea duty, I was making more than I do now.

 

[Forvols]

573.60 basepay in 1985 as E-1. About 200 more a mth when I made E-4. But then I was also getting subpay and seapay in addition to the E-4 bump.

When I retired in 2005 E-8 over 20yrs, 3949.20 basepay.

 

[Chiflyguy]

573.60 basepay in 1985 as E-1. About 200 more a mth when I made E-4. But then I was also getting subpay and seapay in addition to the E-4 bump.

When I retired in 2005 E-8 over 20yrs, 3949.20 basepay.

Senior Chief!
Wanted to go subs but they closed it to non nuke EMs and I’m not smart enough to be a nuke

 

[PossumSlayer]

I should have written off my court marshal on my taxes, I think I lost 2 months pay

 

[KPH]

in the day just out of school, housing paid, meals paid, medical paid. Some coins in the pocked it felt good.

 

[PossumSlayer]

And had to paint the motor pool after work for 4 hours every day but Sunday after work.

 

[DaveTN]

My military years were great years. (71-75) I was an E-4 with a date for E-5 the same as my discharge date. I was going to reenlist, but got in a car wreck that changed all that. I wish I would have stayed. Not a lot of money, but we got by and had a good life.

 

[BMan]

But housing was free, no utilities, free meals and insurance

Don't know if that was your intention, but your post supports mine.

 

[BMan]

Yes, but when you and I came in, 83' for me, that went much further. But think about it, for that amount you give up many rights a civilian doesn't, and there is always that blank check up to and including your life that you give uncle Sam when you join. And, as has already been mentioned, your private time isn't always guaranteed, 24/7/365.

I have yet to meet anyone who enlisted for the money; when I went in, I took a 40% pay cut but joined to see the world on someone else's dime.

It's not a zero sum game. Think of E-1 basic pay as minimum wage, and as another user noted it is motivation to go up in rank, and the "bennies" such as housing and food increases the actual value. I won't include medical, because IMO military medicine is as much a threat to the patient as a benefit.

 

[DaveB]

I was drafted, Feb 68. I kept my mouth shut and my head down, always trying to do my best. Made E-6 SSG in 23 months.

My Wife has a niece. The Niece has identical twin boys. She signed up for immimgration, we sponsored, and began taking english classes as did her children as they aged. 7 or 8 years later she legally immigrates. Never took a dime of public money. Kids grew up, did good in school and college. One son joined the US Army.

He joined because he felt he owed the USA for allowing his family to leave the hellhole of Nicaragua and live in a free land. He is still serving.

Not everyone does it for the money.

 

[WTM]

Don't know if that was your intention, but your post supports mine.

yeah depends on which branch of service and your mos.

 

[backyardtndeer]

In 92, I would have gone in as an e3, I don't recall the exact pay I was told, but it wasn't much. The education opportunities on the other hand sounded very good from the recruiter.