Salary and Compensation

Compensation looks different in the Military. Active Duty service members earn basic pay and additional allowances for housing and subsistence. And, depending on your role, you may be eligible for additional types of pay. Compensation Estimator.

Active Duty Basic Pay

This is your base salary as an active-duty service member. While you’re on active duty, you will receive your salary biweekly.

Active Duty Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)

This is a monthly allowance given to a service member to help them cover the cost of housing. A service member’s BAH is based on an area’s cost of living, as well as a service member’s pay grade and the number of people who live in their household.

Active Duty Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS)

This is a monthly allowance to help provide for meals. As a service member, you have options for dining on the military installation, as well as the opportunity to take advantage of discounted grocery prices at your duty station’s commissary and post exchange (PX). Keep in mind this is just an estimate. Your actual salary will be determined by a multitude of factors, including your rate/rank, time in service and even the location of your duty station. 

Reserve & Guard Compensation

Unlike their active-duty counterparts, members of the Reserve and National Guard serve part time. Therefore, they are compensated differently. 

After you complete Basic Training, where you are paid as an active-duty service member, you will join your Reserve or National Guard unit. From this point on, you will receive drill pay. Drills are monthly training periods that typically last two to four days. The amount you’re paid during a drill will be determined by the length of the training period, your rank and your job. 

As a member of the Reserve or National Guard, you might also be placed on active duty for training or deployment. If you’re a Reserve or National Guard member serving on active duty, you will be compensated as such.

ROTC

ROTC scholarships can provide financial assistance for college, including tuition, room and board, and monthly stipends. The benefits vary by branch and scholarship, but can include: 

• Tuition: Full or partial tuition coverage for high school students and college students

• Room and board: Full or partial coverage for room and board

• Books: A book allowance for textbooks and other required materials

• Uniforms: Uniforms provided by the branch

• Stipend: A monthly stipend for personal expenses

• Travel: Opportunities for language immersion and travel

• Internships: Opportunities for voluntary summer internships and training

Examples of ROTC scholarships

• Air Force ROTC: Offers full-tuition scholarships for high school students, and up to $18,000 per year for non-technical college majors 

• Army ROTC: Offers full-tuition or room and board scholarships, plus a monthly stipend and book allowance 

• Naval ROTC: Offers full-tuition scholarships, plus room and board coverage 

Military Academies

The U.S. military’s investment in developing well-rounded leaders at the Academies pays untold dividends to our nation. You get a free, world-class education, free room and board, free medical and dental benefits and the opportunity for a rewarding career in your chosen field upon graduation.