Posted on Nov 9, 2021
Would you take a temporary pay cut (and potential future earnings cut) to go from civilian job + National Guard to full-time Army (AGR)?
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There's a potential AGR job opening up in the next year or so that I could be a good candidate for. I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of staying M-day or going to AGR. From my current job it would be a temporary pay cut, but within a few years the base salary (assuming a fairly quick promotion to E-5 which I believe the job requires) + BAH + savings from Tricare premiums would start to overcome my current salary.
That being said, I am using tuition assistance to get a master's in computer science and was looking to transition to computer science, where the earning potential is quite high. I am still early in the program, though, and I haven't yet put out my resume and tested the waters, so to speak, to see how job prospects are at the moment so it's not a guarantee (although from my understanding it's generally a hot market).
I know this is a personal decision, but I wanted to know if there are some benefits (all benefits, including the non-financial ones) to being AGR that M-day doesn't get-- in addition to BAH and $0 Tricare premiums-- that I may not be thinking about that could influence my decision, or that might make AGR worth considering. Am I being crazy for even considering it?
That being said, I am using tuition assistance to get a master's in computer science and was looking to transition to computer science, where the earning potential is quite high. I am still early in the program, though, and I haven't yet put out my resume and tested the waters, so to speak, to see how job prospects are at the moment so it's not a guarantee (although from my understanding it's generally a hot market).
I know this is a personal decision, but I wanted to know if there are some benefits (all benefits, including the non-financial ones) to being AGR that M-day doesn't get-- in addition to BAH and $0 Tricare premiums-- that I may not be thinking about that could influence my decision, or that might make AGR worth considering. Am I being crazy for even considering it?
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Posted >1 y ago
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I think that the Active Duty military retirement is pretty exceptional, especially the younger you are. I can retire at 42, receive $2500 taxed in retirement pay, and with all my ailments receive up to $3500 tax free every month for 20+ years before I draw a regular retirement.
That's the kind of money I can be a stay at home dad, or a painter, or an entrepreneur, with. It's the kind of money that let's you have a "do what you want to" job, not a "do what you need to" job.
I'm not saying that your civilian job won't provide a similar level of compensation, but you have to add in the several job changes that will come, time between jobs, etc. Will that compensation over 20 years equal enough to equal your pay and then your pension?
Last, you need consider the promotion potential of the position you are taking. If you can't retire its probably not worth it. But, if you're AGR you have the same RCP rules as Active Duty. E4 = 8 years, E4P =10 years, E5 =14 years, Active Service. If your job doesn't provide a path to SGT before 10 years and SSG before 14 years, then it's not a path to AD retirement for you.
That's the kind of money I can be a stay at home dad, or a painter, or an entrepreneur, with. It's the kind of money that let's you have a "do what you want to" job, not a "do what you need to" job.
I'm not saying that your civilian job won't provide a similar level of compensation, but you have to add in the several job changes that will come, time between jobs, etc. Will that compensation over 20 years equal enough to equal your pay and then your pension?
Last, you need consider the promotion potential of the position you are taking. If you can't retire its probably not worth it. But, if you're AGR you have the same RCP rules as Active Duty. E4 = 8 years, E4P =10 years, E5 =14 years, Active Service. If your job doesn't provide a path to SGT before 10 years and SSG before 14 years, then it's not a path to AD retirement for you.
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SPC (Join to see)
Thanks for the response. For a bit more context, I joined the NG at a fairly old age (29 years old), so 20 years would put me at 49 years old. I joined at the end of 2017 and thus was given the option for the old retirement system or BRS. Having just joined I figured BRS was the safer option in case I didn't make 20 years for some reason (and even at 20 years, as long as I put at least 5% of my pay and all the continuation pay into the TSP the total retirement pay wouldn't be that much less than in the old system). Even then, the pension from retiring at 20 years at 49 years old as an E-6 would put me at about $1700 a month, which is nice but not nearly what you would have.
I think the job requires at least E-5, and would consider me at E-4 then promote me shortly after to E-5. I don't know too much about those details yet, I just heard about the potential for the job not too long ago. I do plan to ask for more details, but I have reason to believe that E-6 is certainly doable.
I think the job requires at least E-5, and would consider me at E-4 then promote me shortly after to E-5. I don't know too much about those details yet, I just heard about the potential for the job not too long ago. I do plan to ask for more details, but I have reason to believe that E-6 is certainly doable.
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SSG Roger Ayscue
SPC (Join to see) - Listen to SFC (Join to see) I retired at 42 with 24 years total service. My retirement plus what I qualified for from the VA paid from day one allowed me to retire again and return to college full time with no student loans to change my career again. It is a good way to go.
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SPC (Join to see) Yes, I would take a pay cut. When I was discharged, my goal was to work for the Space Program. I moved to the Houston area and found a well paying job as a shift working Operator at a chemical plant while I worked on my degree. Five years later, I had my degree and started working on the Space Shuttle Program at a much lower salary. Money is not the most important criteria when picking a career. Good luck.
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