Officer Pay and Benefits
Many students or prospects are interested in knowing where they will stand in the job market after graduating college and commissioning into military service. Junior officers fill the roles of entry level supervisors or managers, progressing through mid-level and senior management as field-grade officers.
Military service comes with many benefits that keep it competitive with the civilian job market:
- Base pay commensurate with years of service. Military pay jumps occur every 2 years for "Years of Service" increases, annual Congressional percentage increases to keep up with inflation, and when promoted. Reserve Component and National Guard years of service also count towards pay after commissioning, so our Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP) cadets enjoy the pay jump immediately.
- Non-taxed Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) based on rank and duty location zip code. Adjusted every couple years to keep up with location housing markets.
- Non-taxed Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) based on rank.
- Free full-coverage medical coverage that includes vision and pharmacy for service members and dependents, while on active duty and competitive family-rate plans for Reservists/National Guardsmen and their dependents, while not on active duty.
- Competitive Dental rates for dependents through United Concordia (less than $35 per month for family plans; free for service members) and competitive life insurance rates for Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI is $31 per month).
- Base Pay and BAS are easy and constant pay and benefits, but duty location BAH varies. However, a newly commissioned 2LT without dependents in Tempe in 2024 can expect to make $5,994 per month or $71,930 per year.