What was your expectations of salary when you transitioned out of the service? What was your initial response to your first offers?

MCPO Dean Phelps — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 17:26:49 -0500

I talk to transitioning veterans everyday and find that as a group they are not aware of what our civilian counterparts make. More importantly they have not set themselves financially for transitioning into a civilian job that the total compensation will most likely be less initially than what they make in the service.

Response by SSgt Gregory Guina made Feb 18 at 2014 5:38 PM

SSgt Gregory Guina — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 17:38:59 -0500

Master Chief

I am closing in on retirement soon. I have just started looking at jobs and trying to determine what my starting salary will look like. I am currently working on my BS and hope that by the time I retire I will be competitive to make a salary close to what I am making now. It will be difficult but I know it can be done.

Response by CW2 Joseph Evans made Feb 18 at 2014 5:54 PM

CW2 Joseph Evans — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 17:54:37 -0500

If I make more on the GI Bill than I do working, I probably don't need the job until I'm done with school.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 18 at 2014 6:42 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 18:42:43 -0500

MCPO Phelps,

There are a plenty of websites that can help a transitioning service member to determine how much civilians make in a particular career field. The websites that I currently use to determine those salary ranges are:
Glassdoor.com
Salary.com
Careerbliss.com

Unfortunately, I did not have access to these websites back in 1996. ACAP also left out the part about negotiating salary. Therefore, I had learned the hard way when I landed my first job after the military.

Response by CMC Robert Young made Feb 18 at 2014 6:57 PM

CMC Robert Young — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 18:57:12 -0500

I don't think many junior members recognize what is gained by serving. The biggest thing people overlook is the entitlements they received while active duty. Those things are not subject to tax so they have a disproportional impact on quality of life. Once the member leaves the service, and all of their income is taxed, even if they are lucky enough to find a job that offers salary parity their purchasing power is still substantially reduced.

A quick spin around the internet will provide a ton of good information about how the

military world compares to the civilian market. Everybody owns themselves the opportunity to research the world as they know it in service to the world outside once they leave the military. It makes transition much easier.

As SNCOs, it's probably one of the places we don't spend enough time educating our juniors; or worse yet, it's a place where we don't educate ourselves.

Response by SGT Jeremy Seiley made Feb 23 at 2014 10:24 AM

SGT Jeremy Seiley — Sun, 23 Feb 2014 10:24:53 -0500

SSgt Gregory,

The MS is a great move. I know that the major oil companies seek veterans, and it really helps to have education to go along with the military experience. I've been at ExxonMobil for less than 5 years and can say that the pay is very good and so are the benefits.

Response by CMSgt Charles Elliott made Feb 28 at 2014 8:38 AM

CMSgt Charles Elliott — Fri, 28 Feb 2014 08:38:51 -0500

My salary expectation was at the bottom end $50,000 per year and that' what I was offered by my first civilian employer. For me it was a good place to start and since have held several different positions with other companies and have been lucky in that my pay has increased with each new position.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 19 at 2015 10:56 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 19 May 2015 10:56:58 -0400

I got off of active duty as an E-5 with 7 years in. I went to PA school. When I graduated, my first job offer was for double what I was making on active duty, with great benefits. I was also offered a direct commission as a 65D at O-2E, with 6 months constructive credit in the NG. It was nice to start reaping the fruits of 6 years worth of college. There were a lot of times at 3 or 4 years into college while on active duty that I wondered if it was worth it to wake up at 0420 to start work at the Aid Station, and walk out of my last class at 2130, daily. At this point, I can say that beating the hell out of myself professionally and academically for a few years was worth it.

Response by Capt Vickie Adams made May 21 at 2015 3:04 PM

Capt Vickie Adams — Thu, 21 May 2015 15:04:31 -0400

After twenty years in the Air Force I had NOT A CLUE as to what to expect, or even how to negotiate salary. My first job was working as a Personnel Manager for Wal-Mart. I know, yikes! i was the HIGHEST paid hourly in the store. That's right. I was a Personnel MANAGER but I was hourly. This was 1992. $10 an hour! I think it took me ten years to get BACK to where I was salary-wise when I left the military.

Response by PO2 John Riley made May 23 at 2015 9:03 AM

PO2 John Riley — Sat, 23 May 2015 09:03:10 -0400

sounds like it hasn't changed since I got out in 1961