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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I put down E-4 on my work applications. The employers look at me as if I wasabi alien!
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Sgt William Biggs
I was looking at my grandfather's discharge paperwork from WWII and he received around $44.00 a month as a Corporal. I received 625 a paycheck or 1250 a month as a PFC in 2004.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
CDR Brian Rinaldi thanks for the amount from a Navy perspective. Were you Officer/Enlisted at the time?
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CDR Brian Rinaldi
I joined as an E1, made E6 then I went to OCS for my commission and major pay raise in 1983.
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Thought Some of you may find this enlightening, shows US Military Pay Rates for all grades from 1949-present. Makes me very happy to be serving in this era.
Edit: Whoops, I missed where CW5 Montgomery already posted this.
Edit: Whoops, I missed where CW5 Montgomery already posted this.
The Defense Finance Accounting and Service (DFAS) maintains an archive of historical pay charts dating back to 1949. You may find it interesting to see how the current military pay compares to what servicemembers made in the past.
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$463.00 per month as a PV1. Once I got my Airborne Wings I made an extra $83.00 per month.
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$374.40 as a Pvt in 1976. Interesting that the military pay raise at the time was 5%. What has Uncle given the military over the past decade, less than 2% each year?
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
Sgt Spencer Sikder profoundly said with emphasis on pay raises. It is horrible nowadays, the Duty is so much more dangerous with the GWOT (Global War on Terror) lurking.
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Sgt Tom Cunnally
My pay was $85.00 per month as a Pvt, $90.00 per month as a Pfc, $120.00 per month as a Cpl & $140.00 per month as a Sgt .. And I had a US Treasury Bond taken out of my pay each month which was $18.00.. And if you shipped over you may get a shipping over bonus depending on your performance and proficiency cutting scores.. Also we got a state bonus from MA when we were discharged and mustering out pay that totaled @$300.00..
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SGT Eric Dziekan great pay back then in 1989. The economy was just right gas around 85 cents a gallon.
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