The average salary for a soldier varies widely based on many factors such as your rank, education level, experience, and location. For example, the average salary for a private in the United States Army starting out ranges from $18,500 to $39,500 per year. We’ll take an in depth look at how much a soldier makes and how you can increase your salary if you are enlisted in the military.
The average salary for a soldier is about $60,000 per year.
Average salary for a soldier
As noted before, in addition to pay, benefits typically play an important role in the compensation of military personnel. In fact, benefits often represent a significant portion of the total value of a military career. Some of the most common pay benefits are:
Some of the most common pay benefits are:
Some of the most common pay benefits are:
- Medical insurance
- Dental and vision insurance
- Travel insurance
- Life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment plans (AD&D)
- Child care services and support programs, including on-base daycare centers or off-base options through military branches’ Child Development Centers (CDC). Active duty service members receive 40 days per year at no cost; reserve component personnel get 20 days free per fiscal year.
Active duty members can also apply for a monthly stipend to offset the costs associated with off-base care through the Temporary Care Assistance Program (TCAP). TCAP offers eligible families up to $3,000 annually per child under age 13 to defray expenses such as daycare, babysitting services or nanny salaries. The program allows for reimbursement for up to 12 months in any 24 month period as long as you have applied within one year from when your policy starts or ended. You can also opt not use this program but instead request an additional $50 weekly allowance from your base commander if it is approved by your unit commander. Reservists may be able to receive similar assistance under their branch’s policies – contact them directly for more details
Medical insurance
You should be aware that your military medical insurance coverage is not enough for serious illness or injury. In most cases, the coverage will cover only a portion of the cost of care. You may also find yourself responsible for the remainder of the costs involved with treating your condition.
Your medical insurance benefits are subject to limitations and exclusions. For example, you may be required to pay out-of-pocket fees for hospitalization services; prescription drugs; dental care; vision care; long-term care or home health services; mental health services; substance abuse treatment (including alcohol abuse treatment); hospice care; certain physical therapy treatments such as speech pathology and occupational therapy services billed by civilian providers outside military facilities on an outpatient basis in most cases; non-essential medical equipment such as prosthetics devices other than those covered under Chapter 59 Section 1092a(2) through 1092b(3); cosmetic surgery unless determined necessary because of disease or injury (such as scar revision); cosmetic treatments such as hair replacement systems which do not impact any underlying medical condition which causes pain or discomfort when wearing normal headgear but merely replaces lost hair due to natural aging process without affecting any underlying medical condition causing said pain or discomfort when wearing normal headgear; marital counseling provided by a marriage counselor licensed under section 3349a(c)(4)(i) through (iv) who practices within their state in accordance with all applicable state laws governing marriage counselors practicing within their state.; hearing aids purchased from civilian sources except if purchased from military exchange stores on overseas installations which provide discounted prices compared with other commercial sources
Dental and vision insurance
- Dental insurance helps pay for the cost of basic dental care, such as regular cleanings, fillings and crowns.
- Vision insurance helps cover the costs of eye exams and contacts or glasses.
Other benefits may include:
- Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) – FSAs let you set aside money from your paycheck before income taxes are deducted to pay for eligible out-of-pocket medical expenses throughout the year. You need to designate a certain amount of money that will be taken out every payroll period (every two weeks or every month). Then when you have an FSA debit card issued by your employer, you can use it to pay for eligible expenses at pharmacies and other providers who accept cards from all health plans in their network. The maximum annual contribution limit is $2,600 per person ($5,000 if filing jointly). You can choose whether to contribute toward one account for both health and dependent care needs or have separate accounts if either one covers multiple family members (including spouses). A spouse’s contribution counts toward his/her spouse’s maximum total contribution amount whether they file jointly or separately on their tax returns
Travel insurance
Travel insurance is important for soldiers, as they may be required to travel in the course of their duties. The average cost of travel insurance for a soldier is $10 per month, which covers lost baggage and other incidents that could result in loss of money or property. It also covers you if you get sick while travelling, are injured while travelling or involved in a car accident while travelling.
Life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment plans
Life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment plans are two of the many benefits soldiers receive when they enlist.
Life insurance is a great benefit to have, as it guarantees that your family will be taken care of if you die while serving in the military. Accidental death and dismemberment plans also provide peace of mind that you can protect your loved ones by paying for their funeral costs, as well as disability payments or other compensation after an accident.
Child care services and support
Child care services and support are provided to soldiers who have children. Child care is provided for up to 3 years, or until the child’s 19th birthday, whichever comes first. Child care services include:
- Child development centers on military installations (for infants through pre-kindergarten)
- Early Head Start programs that meet educational and developmental needs of low-income children from birth to age 5 in their communities
Education assistance and training programs
Education assistance and training programs
Education assistance is available to the children of fallen or disabled veterans, as well as those who have served honorably for at least 10 years. The Montgomery G.I. Bill allows you to receive up to 36 months of education benefits, which can be used toward tuition, living expenses and books—the latter being really important when you’re learning a new skill set. To learn more about what’s possible with education assistance programs like these, check out our full guide here: https://www.eschoolinfo.com/guide/gibill-education-expenses/.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the armed forces but not sure where to start or what kinds of programs might be available for you once you’ve finished basic training, take a look at some options below:
Army – Army College Fund provides funding for up to 100% of tuition costs through their Yellow Ribbon Program . If your school offers military credit hours (MCIs), these are automatically applied toward your degree requirements while also reducing costs associated with attending classes on campus every semester! You’ll also get priority registration dates within each academic year so nothing interferes with getting started right away.
Good benefits, but should do more research before making a career decision
As with any job, the military has its benefits. For example, if you have children and want to spend more time with them, then joining the military is a good option for you because of their family-friendly policies. You can also travel to different countries and experience new cultures thanks to the opportunity afforded by your service.
If you’re interested in learning a skill that will be useful later in life—like managing people or fixing cars—then joining the military could be beneficial as well. However, while they offer many benefits and opportunities, they don’t pay as much as other careers do.
Conclusion
Finally, it’s important to note that the military is a job like any other. While life as a soldier may seem glamorous at times—and indeed, some soldiers do love the adventure and travel—it’s still an occupation with its own pros and cons. Our goal here has been to give you some insights into whether or not this might be the career path for you by weighing up all of those factors. If so, we wish you
