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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$78 bucks a month in 1962 as an E-1. Pretty sure Pvts in 1949 didn't make over $60....
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I enlisted in Jun 1973 as a Airman Basic (E-1)..... living in the barracks/dorm and eating in the chow hall my pay was $125.00 on the 15th and the 1st of the month...... when I put my first stripe on in Nov 1973 my pay increased to $154.00! Reenlisted in the Air Force June 1976 and received reenlistment bonus of 8k....... I was God gift to the earth
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I think in 1969 an E1 got about $80, anyway it was very much more the a E1 got in WW2. Now it is, well amazing.
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Being a married Pvt, straight out of boot camp in 87 I received $440 a payday. That was BEQ, Comrats, base pay!
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Somewhere, I’ve got a copy of one of my dad’s pay statements from 1975 when he was a WO1 or CW2. His pay after taxes was $900 for the month. I marveled at it because when he died in 2009, his retirement pay was well over $2500/month.
It’s funny how you don’t think about COLA (cost of living adjustments) much when you’re in your 20s, but when you’re a retiree, you wait with baited breath for the COLA to be announced to find out if you’re getting a raise next year.
It’s funny how you don’t think about COLA (cost of living adjustments) much when you’re in your 20s, but when you’re a retiree, you wait with baited breath for the COLA to be announced to find out if you’re getting a raise next year.
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I bought my ‘67 Camaro in that yr in Lubbock and drove it to my first duty station - Ft Benning. Put 12,000 mi on it and left it with my mother to sell and went to VN for two yrs. bought a ‘69 SuperBee when I came home.
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