How Often Do You Get Paid in the Army?
Get a clear understanding of the U.S. Army's pay system, covering payment schedules, earning components, and how to manage your military finances.
The U.S. Army provides regular compensation to its soldiers, recognizing their service and commitment. This compensation package offers financial stability, encompassing various components beyond a basic salary. Understanding how and when Army personnel are paid helps individuals manage their finances effectively. The pay system is consistent, ensuring soldiers receive their earnings predictably.
Your Regular Pay Schedule
Army personnel receive their pay on a bi-weekly schedule, ensuring consistent financial disbursements. Payments are made on the 1st and 15th of each month. If either date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, payment is advanced to the preceding business day. This provides soldiers with two paychecks each month, covering different halves of the pay period.
For instance, the payment on the 15th covers the first half of the month, while the payment on the 1st of the following month covers the second half. This schedule is uniform across all U.S. military branches, offering predictability for financial planning.
Breaking Down Your Army Pay
A soldier’s gross pay comprises several components designed to cover various aspects of their financial needs. Base Pay is the foundational element, determined by an individual’s rank (pay grade) and total years of service. As a soldier progresses in rank and accumulates more time in service, their Base Pay increases. This component is subject to federal and state income taxes.
Beyond Base Pay, soldiers often receive various allowances, generally not subject to federal income tax. The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is provided to help service members cover housing costs when government housing is unavailable. BAH is calculated based on the soldier’s pay grade, dependents, and the cost of living in their duty station’s geographic area.
Another significant allowance is the Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), intended to offset the cost of a soldier’s meals. Unlike BAH, BAS is a flat-rate monthly payment that does not vary by geographic location or number of dependents. Its rate is adjusted annually based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food cost index to account for inflation. Both BAH and BAS are allowances and are not taxed, which can enhance a soldier’s overall take-home compensation.
Understanding Your Leave and Earnings Statement
The Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) serves as the official monthly record detailing a soldier’s pay and leave information. This comprehensive document provides a breakdown of all entitlements (gross pay components) and deductions (amounts withheld from pay). The LES also displays the soldier’s net pay, the amount deposited into their bank account.
Common deductions visible on the LES include federal and state income taxes, Social Security, and Medicare taxes. Other deductions may include Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) premiums and contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), a government-sponsored retirement savings plan similar to a 401(k). The LES also tracks leave balances, showing earned, used, and remaining leave days. Soldiers access their LES electronically through the MyPay system, an online platform managed by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS). Reviewing the LES regularly is important for verifying financial accuracy and understanding how pay is structured.
Your First Army Paycheck
New recruits often have questions about their initial pay. While pay technically begins on the first day of service, the first paycheck may experience administrative delays. This can be due to the time required for establishing pay records and processing financial paperwork during initial entry training, such as Basic Combat Training. It is common for the first payment to arrive within 30 to 45 days after joining.
During basic training, soldiers receive Base Pay, but allowances like BAH and BAS may be limited or adjusted since housing and meals are typically provided. The initial payment might reflect a partial period, depending on the exact date a soldier enters service relative to the bi-weekly pay cycle. Full participation in the regular bi-weekly pay schedule and receipt of all applicable allowances usually commences once administrative processing is complete and the soldier transitions out of initial training.