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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Pay Chart shows I got $ 143.70, but after taxes, etc. I walked out with about $ 86 bucks.
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SFC (Join to see)
Joe, that was 1971 and yes it was rough, however; gas was only 30 cent a gallon. I drove a VW, and I pawned items every month til payday. Then the process started all over....LOL
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I joined in 1983 as an E3, got paid $668 a month before taxes. I also remember "Pay Day Activities" Standing in line, reporting for pay, getting paid in green backs, then being ushered to the next table where we had to put most of our pay in money orders. In basic we were allowed to only keep $40 in our pocket (Ft Knox).
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SGM Mikel Dawson thanks for sharing your memories of your first take home pay. Well said and elequently expressed.
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Hopping into the "way back" machine: Sept 65...$78.00 gross..about $66.00 and change...enough for toilet articles and a pitcher of 3.2 beer at the PX. :-)
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
CPT (Join to see) FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU FOR YOUR DUTY. I am at awe, what a detailed response. Was you SF back then?
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SCPO (Join to see) profoundly stated and well agreed upon there! Was you in Vietnam back then?
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SCPO (Join to see)
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL - Yes, sir. Did a WestPac aboard the MIDWAY in 1971. Got halfway across the Pacific in 1970, when the DON recalled my first ship, TAUSSIG, to return to San Diego for decommissioning.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SCPO (Join to see) thanks for sharing! I am humbled by all the Vietnam VETS whom I have the privileged to talk too. Simply thank you for your Duty Honor Country brother.
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I think I received about a little over$300 minus taxes. It's been 40 years since I saw my LES from then.
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Wow, pay didn't change much through the 80's did it? Your LES shows $669.60 as an E-1 in 1990. Mine was $642.40 in 1983. $27 doesn't account for much inflation over a period of 7 years!
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SGT Richard H. well said, its hard to believe $27 dollars in a 7 year period. Wow, I can't believe that! It is, what it is!
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I was getting a whopping $501 as a Pvt, Was thankful for the pay raise to $568 as a PFC. But was still able to lend money to a Master Guns when he needed a hand. Now, I can't imagine living on 500 a month.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
Sgt Edward Allen thanks for sharing, big bucks goes along way back then, your right. It seem times have changed forevermore.
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
Capt Jeff S. thanks for sharing, was that back in the 1970s or early 1980s.
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I hope the L.E.S. below will resize appropriately. Net was $210 for 01-30 June. Gross was $327 and I took a $60 advance to leave basic for the weekend and fly home for my first wedding anniversary. This was my very first paycheck in the ARMY and I have every L.E.S. in my military briefcase.
Rick
Rick
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SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
SGT Rick Ash Sweet, thank you so kindly for sharing. I must say that's ole school-LES. I still have my James Bond suit case, that I kept my LES and clearing papers. Those were the days. The Soldiers of Today just don't realize, we kept our LES and our proud of it.
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SGT Rick Ash
SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL - I have my clearing papers too. Must have been 50 places we had to clear, it ran me all over Ft. Bliss! I looked them over the other day when I got out my L.E.S. to scan for posting here. May have taken 2 days!
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