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.