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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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL I don't have an LES back from 1975, but I can tell yo my starting pay as a private was $102.00 a month and some cents, it went up to $112.67 or something like that when I got promoted to E-2 and then just kept going up along with promotions and the annual raises each January. It was pretty nice when I retired after 37 years as an O-6 though!
Wanted to clarify that the $102 and $112 were the net amount. Can't remember what the gross amount was. All I can remember is I was broke before the 15th of the month for a long time! Thatnk goodnees for the barracks and mess hall, and the day room to watch TV!
Wanted to clarify that the $102 and $112 were the net amount. Can't remember what the gross amount was. All I can remember is I was broke before the 15th of the month for a long time! Thatnk goodnees for the barracks and mess hall, and the day room to watch TV!
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SFC James Tihanyi
April 1962, Fort Jackson, S.C. If I remember correctly I received some $80 in the first months!
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CPT Mark Choiniere
Base pay for a PV-1 when I joined in Sep 1975 (last chance for GI Bill month) was $360. When I made PV-2 Jan 19 1976 (which was as long as you can go as a PV-1 without being discharged) it went up to $402....Did not make more than 10K a year until SSG-although you have to look at tax free BAS and BAQ to get a true picture. Now OCS-that was a pay raise!
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In 1965 I made $67 a month which works out to be $2.23 a day, which works out for an 8 hour day to be 28 cents an hour. I'm being lenient on the 8 hours. It was usually more like ten hours a day. We couldn't go anywhere so I sent mine home. I sent nearly all of my pay in Vietnam home and by the time I got home I had enough to pay cash for a 1967 Camero SS. I bought the first one sold from a neighboring city, La Porte, Texas.
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SSgt (Join to see)
This guy is the forefather of the "E-1s through E-3s buying Dodge Chargers and Mustangs movement"!! LOL
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1SG Patrick Sims
In the beginning of 1967 I was an E-2. I believe I was making $88. a month. In 1968 as an E-3 in Vietnam It was around $120 a month, $8 dollars sea pay, and about 30 bucks for combat pay. I'm not sure about that combat pay number, its been over 50 years.
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SPC James Seigars
In 1985 my $695.40 translated into $173.85 per week and $0.15 shy of $4.35 an hour (which was a whole $1 per hour over minimum wage back then). I bought a (1983/84, can’t remember) Pontiac Ventura in cash as well when I got back from Basic/AIT. These kids now don’t know how lucky they are to make what they do for the quality of work most of them perform and to have a lot of the stuff we got on our own given to them for nothing aside from being born.
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I made "gross" $78.00 per month in June 1963. Then there was laundry, haircuts, and personal items. When all was said and done you were expected and did live on less than $50.00 per month and you were paid ones per month not twice. During my 25 years career I watched our young troops make more and more and you know what ? They were worth it !
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
1SG Bill Schrier first and foremost thank you for your service. I am at awe that you made $78.00 take home pay. Thanks for the support for our Military. Your right they are worth every penny and more. I am at peace in my home because of our Military.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
When I enlisted in Nov 1974 basic pay was $344 and change and take home was about $265 after laundry, Soldier's Home, SGLI, and Federal tax and Social Security. Since my home sate was Pennsylvania which didn't take state tax for military personnel stationed outside the state I kept a little more than my company mates.
FYI LTC Wayne Brandon Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown 1stSgt Eugene Harless SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx TSgt Joe C. SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Robert Ruck SP5 Mark Kuzinski SPC (Join to see) MSG Andrew White
SPC Douglas Bolton msgt-robert-c-aldi LTC Orlando Illi sfc-stephen-lucas Sgt John H. Sgt Albert Castro
When I enlisted in Nov 1974 basic pay was $344 and change and take home was about $265 after laundry, Soldier's Home, SGLI, and Federal tax and Social Security. Since my home sate was Pennsylvania which didn't take state tax for military personnel stationed outside the state I kept a little more than my company mates.
FYI LTC Wayne Brandon Maj William W. 'Bill' Price Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown 1stSgt Eugene Harless SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx TSgt Joe C. SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Robert Ruck SP5 Mark Kuzinski SPC (Join to see) MSG Andrew White
SPC Douglas Bolton msgt-robert-c-aldi LTC Orlando Illi sfc-stephen-lucas Sgt John H. Sgt Albert Castro
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you, my friend for making us aware of your starting salary as a soldier SGT (Join to see) . When did you enlist?
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SGT (Join to see)
LTC Stephen F. - August 1964 after being asked to leave college. They were not prepared for me. Volunteered rather than be drafted.
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you for confirming SGT (Join to see) I submitted my draft card when I enlisted in November 1974 but they were not drafting anybody at that point.
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I shall never forget it.....$111.00..............................That was take home, before the red cross, AER, Chaplain etc....
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SFC Everett Oliver incredible, but that's what I say as I look at 2015 Private Pay.
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PFC Kevin Chadwick
from the late 60s: Gasoline: For the price of 0.31 cents a gallon, a driver would have an attendant check the air in the tires, wash the windshield and pump the gas. Gas stations competed for customers by offering commemorative glasses, plates and other products with each fill up.
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SGT Jim Perry
We were paid in cash except in Korea it was MPC (Military Payment Certificate) . Always had armed paymaster and guards present. The 1st SGT collected $10 for the Soldiers Home and we even had to pay for the Korean KP's. We paid the Houseboys ourselves $10 per month and pulled Guard Duty 6 nights a week and still made work call as many day as we were needed (at least 5 days a week).
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Capt (Join to see)
Sgt Kelli Mays - Wasn't really all that bad. It did limit the off base social life a bit. I could afford to buy a car or drive a car not both.
We had to have permission to have a car anyway. Life was pretty much school and on base activities.
We had to have permission to have a car anyway. Life was pretty much school and on base activities.
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LTC Stephen C.
Sgt Tom Cunnally, a brand new E-1 made $75 per month in 1950-1951. In 1952-1953, a brand new E-1 made $83.20 per month. In 1960, a brand new E-1 made $83.20 per month and an E-2 made $85.80 per month.
Capt (Join to see) SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
Capt (Join to see) SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
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Sgt Tom Cunnally
LTC Stephen C. - Ok thank you Col ..I think I included a clothing allowance when I posted what I remembered my pay from 1953 - 1961..& the increase with years of service...
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SFC Kenneth Hunnell
has any considered the pay during the civil war,Soldier's Pay In The American Civil War
Union privates were paid $13 per month until after the final raise of 20 June '64, when they got $16. In the infantry and artillery, officer was as follows at the start of the war: colonels, $212; lieutenant colonels, $181; majors, $169; captains, $115.50; first lieutenants, $105.50; and second lieutenants, $105.50. Other line and staff officers drew an average of about $15 per month more. Pay for one, two, and three star generals was $315, $457, and $758, respectively.
The Confederate pay structure was modeled after that of the US Army. Privates continued to be paid at the prewar rate of $11 per month until June '64, when the pay of all enlisted men was raised $7 per month. Confederate officer's pay was a few dollars lower than that of the their Union counterparts. A Southern B.G for example, drew $301 instead of $315 per month; Confederate colonels of the infantry received $195, and those of artillery, engineers, and cavalry go $210. While the inflation of Confederate Money reduced the actual value of a Southerner's military pay, this was somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that promotion policies in the South were more liberal.
As for the pay of noncommissioned officers, when Southern privates were making $11 per month, corporals were making $13, "buck" sergeants $17, first sergeants $20, and engineer sergeants were drawing $34. About the same ratio existed in the Northern army between the pay of privates and noncommissioned officers.
Soldiers were supposed to be paid every two months in the field, but they were fortunate if they got their pay at four-month intervals (in the Union Army) and authentic instances are recorded where they went six and eight months. Payment in the Confederate Army was even slower and less regular
Union privates were paid $13 per month until after the final raise of 20 June '64, when they got $16. In the infantry and artillery, officer was as follows at the start of the war: colonels, $212; lieutenant colonels, $181; majors, $169; captains, $115.50; first lieutenants, $105.50; and second lieutenants, $105.50. Other line and staff officers drew an average of about $15 per month more. Pay for one, two, and three star generals was $315, $457, and $758, respectively.
The Confederate pay structure was modeled after that of the US Army. Privates continued to be paid at the prewar rate of $11 per month until June '64, when the pay of all enlisted men was raised $7 per month. Confederate officer's pay was a few dollars lower than that of the their Union counterparts. A Southern B.G for example, drew $301 instead of $315 per month; Confederate colonels of the infantry received $195, and those of artillery, engineers, and cavalry go $210. While the inflation of Confederate Money reduced the actual value of a Southerner's military pay, this was somewhat counterbalanced by the fact that promotion policies in the South were more liberal.
As for the pay of noncommissioned officers, when Southern privates were making $11 per month, corporals were making $13, "buck" sergeants $17, first sergeants $20, and engineer sergeants were drawing $34. About the same ratio existed in the Northern army between the pay of privates and noncommissioned officers.
Soldiers were supposed to be paid every two months in the field, but they were fortunate if they got their pay at four-month intervals (in the Union Army) and authentic instances are recorded where they went six and eight months. Payment in the Confederate Army was even slower and less regular
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Wao! I just calculated how much I got paid back in 1983... For 39 days (23 Jun-31 July 1983), I was paid $515 (net pay)... Which came out to about $13 a day or a glorious $.55 an hour (considering that we really worked 24 hours a day in basic training under the watchful eagle eye of our Vietnam Vets Drill Sergeants!). I will tell you what... I felt like a rich man with that kind of money... After I got paid by the pay officer (who made me do the "body twist" for taking my eyes off of him while I was counting my hard earned cash), I bought a black and white TV for $150 (with rabbit ears for reception... color TVs were just out of my reach then...), Paid the barber for my haircuts, and sent money to my mother and still had enough left for a coca-cola and a bag of M&Ms... :-P
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
CSM Jesus Febo-Colon thank you for the introspective lifestyle how it was in your era. This really humbles me. I appreciate your response. heartfelt and eloquently expressed.
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SSG Daniel Brewster
Lol, that was the same month/year I enlisted too. Don’t have a LES statement handy, but was thinking gross was about $550. Pretty sure I cleared about $200 month after GIBill, deductions my etc.
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