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Military Pay Scale

The Military pay scale of the United States military depends on various entitlements. The Military pay of the personnel includes basic pay, housing allowance, food allowance, special pays, military pay charts, military medical care, combat zone pay, enlistment and reenlistment bonus information and other pay and benefit entitlements. The Military pay scale is on a gradual increase.

Some factors, which affect the Military pay, are as follows:-
1. An annual increase due to increase in cost of living,
2. Longevity raises are for every two years,
3. Increases in the Basic Allowance for Housing (based on location) – BAH,
4. Increases in the Basic Allowance for Subsistence – BAS,
5. Increases in the Cost of Living Allowance(based on location) – COLA
6. Special pay (s) based on occupations such as Combat, Flight, and Hazardous Duty.
7. BAH and COLA change with transfers.

The Military pay scales and the resultant Military pay are as per two yearly acts of legislation. They are-
(a) The Defense Appropriations Act, which allocates the military funds and
(b) The Defense Authorization Act instructs the military for spending the allocated funds.

Every soldier receives a basic Military pay as a compensation for the work done. This basic pay accounts for 70% of the annual cash compensation and varies with the Military pay scale and the soldier’s period in service. This pay table is also an incentive to the soldier to perform still better and take up more responsibilities. Experience increases with increased responsibility and leadership and the reward thereof is the increase in pay. There are currently over 70 types of pay and allowances such as basic pay, allowances, retired pay and so on.

Another factor for consideration is that a part of the Military pay consisting of housing and food allowances are not subject to federal income tax. Therefore, the tax advantage of the Military pay scale is that the total net income remains the same to the soldier.