I'm thinking about joining the military after high school and I'm trying to understand the financial aspects. Can anyone explain how the drill pay chart looks for enlisted members in 2024?
The drill pay for enlisted members in 2024 is calculated on a monthly basis based on rank and years of service. The pay for enlisted members usually starts from E-1 (the lowest rank), all the way up to E-9. I don't have the exact figures for 2024, but I can give you a general idea.
For an enlisted member ranked E-1 with less than 4 months of service, they can expect to earn somewhere around $1,800 per month. Once you exceed 4 months of service, or get promoted to E-2, your pay increases. Additionally, each time you advance in rank, you typically receive a pay raise. Also important to realize, with each year of continued service, your pay gradually increases according to pre-determined scale.
Drill pay is given for training. For reservists, they get 1/30th of the monthly active duty base pay for each drill period. A weekend drill typically consists of 4 drill periods. So, if you conduct a month’s worth of drill over one weekend, you would expect to earn 4 days of the active duty monthly base pay as your drill pay.
Lastly, it’s important to remember that the military also provides allowances for housing and subsistence, special duty assignments, and cost of living allowances if you're stationed in high-cost areas, in addition to the base pay. These allowances are tax-free.
Definitely consult the latest resources or a military recruitment officer to stay updated with the most accurate figures relevant to the time you plan on joining.
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