What’s the highest paying Army officer job including base pay incentives special pay and allowances?

SPC Benjamin Norman — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 01:21:38 -0500

What’s the most in demand Army officer job right now ? What’s the highest paying officer job including base pay incentives special pay and allowances?

Prior service looking to serve again. Thank you for your service and help.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 28 at 2018 1:42 AM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 01:42:47 -0500

General with over 20 years $15,583.20 / mo and all Army officers receive a monthly allowance for food and drink of $253.63. A General may receive hazard pay of $150.00 / mo while serving in an active combat zone or subject to hostile fire or other hazards. Officers with a paygrade above O-7 don't receive standard BAH payments. Total Estimated Compensation general with forty years service is $190,042 per year.

https://www.military-ranks.org/army/general-pay

O-10 General Salary - Army Pay 2018

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 28 at 2018 9:52 AM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 09:52:42 -0500

SPC Benjamin Norman, Aviation. That's it for the basic entry level. There aren't any bonuses for joining as an officer. That's an enlisted thing. Aviation officers are provided flight pay. If you're in the 82nd, you'll get jump pay, but that's not branch specific. Aviation is the only basic branch that provides any form of incentive pay. Everyone has already mentioned doctors and lawyers.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Jan 28 at 2018 6:43 PM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 18:43:44 -0500

That guy...

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 28 at 2018 7:31 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 19:31:27 -0500

You're not going to qualify for the highest paid ones. Because the highest-paid ones are all for doctors and lawyers.

Especially if you're prior service, you should know better. Closest you'll get will be Aviation, which you likely won't qualify for as prior service.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jan 29 at 2018 1:44 AM

CAPT Kevin B. — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 01:44:42 -0500

Now I really feel like a fossil. I had two promotion papers in my hand. Sign E-5 for $543/month or O-1E for $888/month. That's when cigarettes were a buck a carton. Don't only look at the pay but the working locations, promotion percentages, etc. We used to have mandatory billets for petroleum engineers. They threw money at O-3s to hang around and more to keep them O-4 until 20 years if they didn't make O-5. Now they don't particularly care as the Petroleum Reserves went civilian long ago. Moral of the story is: incentives are based on whatever the body count pucker factor du jour is. They come and go.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made Jan 29 at 2018 10:13 AM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 10:13:05 -0500

Outside of Doctors, who have a number of allowances and incentives specific for retaining them in the Military, the only other Officer that gets an additional special allowance is flight officers that receive an Aviation Continuous Incentive Pay as well as regular Flight Pay. Most in Demand Officers as far as quantity is Infantry and since after Captain you need to have a slot as well as the qualifications, probably easier to promote than most Branches outside of Aviation.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 29 at 2018 10:25 AM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 10:25:43 -0500

Navy Nuclear Engineer (if you are looking at cross-service). The pay is pretty sweet- signing bonus plus $35K/year bonus once you are fully qualified (about 5 years in). Lot of other bonuses if you go surface option, and sub-pay if you go submarine option. (Pretty sure surface makes more at the end of the day, and it sucks less than being on submarines). Not going to lie-- it sucks, but the extra $$ makes it suck less.

You don't have to be Einstein or have an engineering degree to make it through. If you have any math/engineering inclination at all and are good at rout memorization, they teach you everything you need to know.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 29 at 2018 11:21 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 11:21:01 -0500

SPC Benjamin Norman any 4 star general billet is the highest paying job. If you are asking as coming in as an officer as a 2LT if you have an airborne billet and are on jump status and deployed unless you can somehow get pilot job. The rest all get the same pay/incentives until you start going to specialty schools such as diver (but that only lasts until CPT) or go into Special Forces which you cannot until later on in your career.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Apr 7 at 2018 11:12 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 11:12:42 -0400

All pay is based on rank, incentives/special pay allows varies with what the Army needs ( jump pay/foreign language/EOD, etc.) only differences in allowances- would be something like special clothing, etc.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 8 at 2018 9:44 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 08 Sep 2018 21:44:43 -0400

I would say either an Anesthesiologist, Orthopedic Surgeon or an Oral Maxiofacial Surgeon at the grade of COL with 20 plus years. Physicians make excellent money. That was your question right? A piece of advice, don’t become an officer because of money and don’t seek the highest paying job, more than likely it won’t match you talents and you’ll be miserable. Serve because you love Soldiers and only become an officer because you want to make a positive impact for your unit and it’s Soldiers.