Don't Think Enlisted Pay is Comparable to Officer Pay?

I think the pay scale is fine.  I do believe however that there should be a road to commissioning that doesn't include a degree.  I think years of demonstrated performance and leadership should weigh more than completing an arbitrary degree in whatever field.

Job compensation (pay), whether in the public or private sector, is based upon several factors. Pay level can be defined as "the relative position or an organization's pay incentives in comparison with those of other organizations in the same industry employing similar kinds of workers". Meanwhile, organizations arrange jobs into categories reflecting their relative importance to the organization and its goals, level of skill required, and other characteristics. Using these two definitions, let's look at the characteristic differences between officers and enlisted including but not limited to: education, responsibility, authority. Officers are required to have higher degrees, enlisted are not. Officers have command responsibilities, most enlisted do not but for some seniors NCOs in command positions such as NCOA Commandants. Officers have authorities granted by UCMJ, law and regulation that enlisted do not. These differences are reflected in the respective pay scales. My main argument is that military compensation follows the same protocols that are used in the private sector. If a person wants more pay then generally they need to seek out more education, more responsibility, and more authority.