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United States Military Pay and Allowances

United States Military Basic Pay

Basic Pay: For the U. S. military, basic pay is established by grade and years of service. Longevity pay raises are based on your creditable cumulative service in any and all branches of the armed forces* (there are statutory periods when service in a particular component may not be counted). Pay grade or rank is computed from the official date of advancement - you will not receive the pay of an advanced rank when you are in a "frocked" status.

For most members who enter and serve on active duty, without a break in service, the basic pay date is the date they enter active or inactive service. If, however, there is a break in service, the time between periods of service usually is not included. Your personnel office is responsible for providing the basic pay date, total active federal military service date, total commissioned federal military service date, and a variety of other dates, depending on the nature of the individual member's service.

So, just how much does a Servicemember get paid? Start with the Basic Pay, and then add to it the various pays and allowances the member may be entitled. Military pay amounts are monthly, and they are distributed on the 1st and 15th day of the month. If the 1st or 15th fall on a weekend or national holiday payment will be made the working day prior. The charts are good for active and reserve components of the Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Space Force, and National Guard.

Basic Pay Charts

2024 Special Navy Pay

Navy/Marine Career Sea Pay - Career sea pay is special pay for recognition of the greater than normal rigors of assignment to sea duty. Sea Pay Chart

Navy Submarine Duty Pay - Submarine Duty Pay Chart

Aviator and Aircrew Member Pay - Flight and Aircrew Pay Chart

Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP) - (SD-1 through SD-7; Billet specific, Enlisted Members Only). A duty assignment characterized by extremely demanding duties or duties demanding an unusual degree of responsibility. Current Navy SDAP levels.

Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay (Non-Crew Member) - All pay grades, $150.00. Hazardous duty includes duty involving; parachute jumping as an essential part of military duty, frequent and regular participation in flight operation on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier or ship other than aircraft carrier from which aircraft are launched, the demolition of explosives as a primary duty, including training for such duty - duty inside a high or low-pressure chamber - duty as a human acceleration or deceleration experimental subject, duty as a human test subject in thermal stress experiments, duty involving the servicing of aircraft or missiles with highly toxic fuels or propellants, fumigation tasks utilizing highly toxic pesticides, laboratory work utilizing live dangerous viruses or bacteria, handling of chemical munitions, maritime visit, board, search and seizure operations and duty involving use of ski-equipped aircraft on the ground in Antarctica or on the Arctic ice-pack.

Imminent Danger Pay/Hostile Fire Pay (Combat Pay) - All pay grades, $275.00. For Imminent Danger Pay (IDP), Sailors will receive $9.17 for each day on duty in an IDP-eligible area up to the maximum monthly rate of $275. For Hostile Fire Pay (HFP), Sailors who are exposed to hostile fire or a hostile mine explosion event are eligible to receive non-prorated HFP at the full monthly amount of $275. Members may not receive both IDP and HFP in the same month.

Diving Pay (Dive Pay) - Officers, $240.00(Max). Enlisted, $340.00(Max)

Hardship Duty Pay- Location (HDP-L) - All pay grades, payable in increments of $50, $100, or $150 a month based on the level of Quality of Life (QoL) hardship in a given area. HDP-L is compensation paid to members assigned outside the continental United States in QoL Hardship locations -- Locations where QoL living conditions are substantially below the standard most members in the continental United States would generally experience.

Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) $30,000; $45,000; $60,000; $75,000; $90,000; or $100,000 cap depending on rating/classification and time in service. SRB is calculated by multiplying your basic pay (times) number of SRB eligible months reenlisting for (divided by 12) then multiplied by the SRB award level for your zone. Zone A is 2 to 6 years, Zone B is 6 to 10 years and Zone C is 10 to 14 years of active service. For the latest eligible SRB Zone award levels and caps - (Current Navy SRB Information).

2024 Military Allowances

Allowances make up a good bulk of one's military pay. There are a wide range of allowances, most of which are non-taxable. Various allowances exist and they have a wide range of requirements (i.e. pay grade held, location, marital status, etc.)

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) - BAH is paid to uniformed service members to provide housing compensation based on pay grade, zip code, and dependency status. BAH is not taxed. Housing allowance is payable when government quarters are not provided or when temporarily residing in barracks. (view current continental United States BAH rate calculator [here] and current Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) rate calculator [here])

Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) - BAS is a rate based on the service member only and is not intended to cover spouses and/or family members' food/subsistence costs. Changes in food prices as measured by the U.S. Department of Agriculture dictate any changes to BAS. BAS is not taxed. Effective January 1, 2024, all enlisted military members in a proper status draw a full BAS monthly rate of $460.25 and $316.98 for Officers. Service members who draw BAS are required to pay for their own meals, even if provided by the government.

Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) - COLA is a cash allowance intended to compensate for high cost of living areas. COLA is not assigned to areas where the cost of living is less than of meets the average of that in the United Sates. COLA is not taxed. A service member must be permanently assigned to the area to receive COLA.

Clothing Allowance - A clothing allowance is given to Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, Marines, Sailors and Soldiers to help pay for uniforms and other clothing costs. Note: For SELRES personnel clothing rates, check with your local Navy Operational Support Center.

Family Separation Allowance (FSA) - All pay grades, $250.00 (pro-rated to $8.33 per day for periods less than a month). FSA provides compensation for added expenses incurred because of an enforced family separation. FSA is payable to qualified members serving inside or outside the United States.

Page written and maintained by NCCM Thomas Goering USN(RET).

The United States Armed Forces historical, current, and proposed pay and allowance data for officer and enlisted personnel. The U.S. Armed Forces include the active and reserve components of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, National Guard, Navy, and Space Force. The list of military pays and allowances are not all inclusive.

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