The Average Salary of a U.S. Soldier

by Aurelio Locsin, studioD

The term “soldier” refers to the enlisted men and women and officers who are members of the U.S. Army. They defend the country not just by going into combat, but by specializing in repairing vehicles, driving tanks, loading artillery or programming computers. Their salaries depend on their experience and rank, and include perks not ordinarily available to civilian workers.


As of 2010, a Congressional Budget Office report estimated that the average active duty soldier receives an average $99,000 per year in compensation that includes pay and benefits, with 60 percent of the total being non-cash compensation. As an example, the Army website broke down the annual $29,380 compensation of a military police sergeant into $29,380 for salary, $16,164 for housing, $3,900 for food allowances, $1,800 for special pay, and tax advantages of $2,716. An example of tax savings are the allowances for food and housing, which are typically exempt from both federal and states taxes.


All members of the Armed Forces, including those in the Army, receive salaries from the monthly basic pay table. For enlisted staff, this table is divided into nine pay grades starting from the lowest of E-1 to the highest of E-9, with each grade representing rank. The wages in each pay grade increase with experience. For example, as of 2012, the E-1 grade, or private, earned a maximum $17,892 annually, not including bonuses, allowances or other benefits. At E-4, or corporal, soldiers earned $23,360 annually for less than two years of experience, $27,198 yearly for four years of experience and $28.357 per year at six years of experience. At E-6, or staff sergeant, annual salaries jumped to $27,814 for less than two years, $33,268 for four years, or $34,636 for six years.


Officer pay is divided into 10 grades, starting from the lowest O-1 and continuing to O-10. For example, as of 2012, the O-1 grade, or second lieutenant, earned $33,941 per year for less than two years of experience, $42,703 annually for four years and $42,703 yearly for six years. The O-3 grade of captain granted yearly wages of $45.256 for less than two years, $60,372 for four years and $63,263 for six years. At O-4, or major, officers made $51,473 annually for less than two years, $64,447 yearly for four years and $68,317 per year for six years.


Bonuses are one-time additions to pay for soldiers who have a specific skill, complete additional training or take on additional responsibilities. In 2012, simply enlisting in the service granted up to $20,000 in bonuses. Those with a bachelor’s degree could receive an education bonus of $2,000, while those with a high school diploma and 30 to 59 college semester hours made $1,000. Enlisted soldiers who completed Officer Candidate School and received a commission earned up to $10,000. And, staff who spoke critical Middle-Eastern languages could make $35,000 in bonuses as translators.

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