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?

I was paid 75.00 a month in april of 1948

IN 1967 I was making $40.00 a week take home I joined the Army and my base pay jumped to $90.45 a month R&B

1966 my take home pay was 72 dollars a month. Once i made e5 it was 272. Plus I was drawing pro pay. All I know is now I am 70. I get 44000 in military retirement. 22000 in social security and 12000 from my OPM pension.

When I enlisted in 1967, a Pvt/E1 made $99/mo before deductions. When I made PFC/E2, that bumped up to $103/mo. When I was in Vietnam, we also got $8/mo as overseas pay, and $65/mo combat pay. When I made LCpl/E3, my pay was $108/mo. When I was in Vietnam, I left it all on the books except for a little poker-playing money and had about $2,200 in my pocket when I rotated back to the world. Over a period of time, I bought myself a Bulova Accutron watch (wish I still had it), a gold USMC ring, and the rest I eventually spent on wine, women and song, and the rest foolishly. I don't remember what my pay as a Cpl/E4 was, but my pay as a Sgt/E5 was about $247/mo. When the all-volunteer armed forces came in (early 70s), President Nixon and Congress were gracious enough to almost double our pay to attract volunteers and make service people want to stay in. Nevertheless, as a SSgt/E6 at Camp Pendleton, CA, my pay was low enough that I qualified for food stamps had I wanted them (I didn't). I recall when the base pay for a Pvt/E1 hit the $500/mo mark, and I recalled that in 1967 the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps didn't make that much monthly. At that time we were told to wait until we were sergeants before we got married (we couldn't afford it), and most Marines I knew couldn't afford cars, either. How the times have changed!

In the Marine Corp 1959 I got $78.00 a month. As a Cpl. on Okinawa 61-63 I got $120.00 a month and in the Army as a SP/5 with Foxhole pay ($50.00) and being married I received $496.00 a Month. Civilians in Vietnam carried side arms had Vietnamese working parties built things in the Jungle and made $1,500.00 a months Tax free as we did. Semper Fi.

GROSS Pay when I want in was $124.50 per month. After Basic and AIT, I went to Noncommissioned Officer Candidate School, and went to E-4. Pay for that rank was $231.60 per month. I thought to myself, "Man. What am I going to do with all that money?".

My base pay as a 2LT in August 1964 was 222.00. Went up in Oct to 241.
Hated being the Class A agent (payroll Officer).

How about $78 a month, October, 1965

I was rolling in cash right out of high school 1960 with Mom signing for me at 16 yrs. old....wow, I was raking in $72/month and six months later it was $78 and when I made E-3 it was a whopping $108...man, I was on a roll...when I made SP-4, I was then getting $144 and then to SP-5 was $160 and when I was discharged 1963 I was making $160 + Pro Pay $60+ overseas pay and maxed out at $250. Great days and great rank and great tour! Good Ole Days!

My first pay was $75 (1947) but with haircuts (50 cents), laundry (5.00), Insurance (6.00), Cigarettes (4 cartons, 6.00), toiletries (5.00) I didn't have much left. Some guys had similar expenses and sent money home as well. Better than $21 per day once a month.