Posted on Sep 5, 2015
How Much Did You Get Paid When You Joined The Military? My Take Home Pay Was $457 a Month as a (Army) Private in 1990?
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How much did you make when you joined the military? Back then I got paid on FRIDAY AND BROKE ON MONDAY!! (was not making too much-no family but me, myself and I). Times have changed since the days of your era. Who remembers the Green JUMPs Statement?(DA 3681-6) and getting once a month pay out the finance cage. Yes you had to salute the payroll officer. I remember in Basic Training getting American Travels checks and the Senior Drill Sergeant/1SG keeping it in a safe. Getting once a month pay(cold hard cash), this was before surepay, it was known as casual pay before direct deposit kicked in before the internet. I am referring to 1989-1990. Much respect to all the Army Veterans (Private Pay) who got $75 dollars a month in 1949. The Private in 2015 makes about $1430 a month(under 4 months). Use the link below if you served in the DOD since 1949.
http://www.militarypay.com/MilitaryPayCharts.php
http://www.militarypay.com/MilitaryPayCharts.php
Posted in these groups: 
Money
Military Pay
Money Military Pay
Edited 5 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 282
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when i joined back in 1989, i earned $501 per month for Basic Training, and $500 per month for AIT
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I remember filing my taxes in 1986. E4, married with 2 kids. After deductions my "net taxable income" for the year was a negative $500.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
LTC (Join to see) thanks for the response, that was some good pay back then. The dollar went a long way!
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I made the same as you SFC. I even remember having to report to the pay officer to get it in training phase too!
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The pay chart is interesting. Things really were as dismal as I remembered. I made $96.90 as a private and never went over about $300.00. It is also interesting to see that a private today makes as much as a major general did when I was in. I actually made more money doing side jobs. In fact I didn't even cash my checks for about six months. As a result I got chewed out by finance who claimed that I was screwing up their accounting. In those days just about everyone E7 and below was doing something on the side if they were stationed anywhere that it was possible.
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I made a whopping $109.50 a month in June 1968. The money lasts when you do not have the opportunity to spend it.
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My take home pay in 1974 as an E-1 was $262.80 SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL.
You could buy a lot more in 1974 than today in so many ways. Gas was about 35 cents, cigarettes were less than 50 cents, sodas were about 20 cents I think, etc.
You could buy a lot more in 1974 than today in so many ways. Gas was about 35 cents, cigarettes were less than 50 cents, sodas were about 20 cents I think, etc.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
LTC Stephen C. thanks for the blast from the past, all I can say is times, were different back then I say.
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LTC Stephen F.
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL - I think you meant to tag me instead of our mutual friend LTC Stephen C.
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$288.44, before taxes and other stuff the the US Navy said I needed to pay for!
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