Union Army
Union Army
US Army, The Benefits of Joining
Given all the benefits, is army pay better than civilian pay? This is a very difficult question to answer. It will depend on education, experience, part of the country you live in, and the risks you are willing to take.
If you are a non-union, unskilled, blue collar worker who dropped out of high school, but has good native intelligence (passes a very challenging aptitude test) and a good work ethic, the military pay and benefits are better than you can get on the outside. If you are a highly educated, technically skilled worker with some experience, the military doesn't even come close to paying what you are worth on the outside.
Most people do not fall in either extreme. There are also many other reasons to serve besides pay and benefits. And pay and benefits cannot make-up for the potential of major injury or loss of life, if you do not wish to give up some of your freedoms and offer your life for your country.
Every year the Army Times publishes a putative pay and benefits comparison for various jobs in the military, and their assumed civilian job equivalent. This might be a good article to look at for some insight to your question. Benefits are assumed at a high level, even if the military member never uses that benefit. Thus I am assumed to have a benefit advantage of being able to use military health care, the commissary, and the Post Exchange, to the tune of about $10,000 in savings a year (which the Army Times would add to my annual salary to inflate that number). However, I live too far away from a post to take advantage of these "benefits." The cost of gas to get to post would far outweigh any reduced price savings I would get. So my actual pay and benefits is lower than the "typical" pay an benefits the Army Times claims.
When I lived in DC my salary did not go nearly as far as it does when I live in the middle of nowhere Alabama. A young PFC working in the Pentagon will find it hard to make ends meet, but the civilian secretary doing a similar job, with locality pay, will make far more. That same PFC at Fort Benning Georgia can live very well. It is probably better than the local business secretaries.
However, I have to admit that when you are in the military, you do not get to choose where you will serve, or when you will go to war. You cannot leave the job just because you do not like the current boss's policies, like you can in a civilian job. There are significant intangible concerns that make the military the right job for some people and a very poor job for others, all pay and benefits consideration aside.
This was a rather general answer on this question. It will vary with a specific specialty and rank. If you go to http://www.dfas.mil/money/milpay/index.html you can click on current pay rates and see exactly how much each rank gets paid.
About the Author
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for http://www.WarGear.info/. WarGear.info carries the best selection of military clothing, war gear, and combat accessories on the market.
 |
 Authentic 1864 Union Army Broad Axe Hammond Philadelphia RARE RARE RARE  US $3,750.00
|
 GENERAL DAVID MCKIBBIN UNION ARMY ORIGINAL MINIATURE PORTRAIT US $2,250.00
|
 Civil War Badge 15th Corps 2nd Division RARE Union Army US 40 Rounds Tennessee US $500.00
|
 ames CIVIL WAR union army musicians sword scabbard US $425.00
|
 1864 Female Spy Sarah Emma Edmonds Union Army Civil War US $350.00
|
 CW Union Army General John A Logan Autograph Engraving US $314.10
|
 1891 GENERAL SHERMAN MEMOIRS US Civil War UNION ARMY Confederate Campaigns CSA US $300.00
|
 ESTONIA RARE PRE WW II MILITARY BADGE ARMY ECONOMICAL UNION SILVER US $299.99
|
 IDED OFFICERS UNION ARMY BOOK PRANG 35TH MASS ANTIETAM US $225.00
|
 Book Civil War Prisoner Sparks Campfire 1st CSA Union Battle Army Cavalry Maps US $211.89
|
 Bayonet Union Army Post Civil War US $200.00
|
 1865 Confederate Civil War newspaper Union Army captures CHARLESTON So Carolina US $175.00
|
 SLAVE ESCAPED SLAVE IN THE UNION ARMY CIVIL WAR NEGRO US $165.00
|
 Book Civil War CSA Union Battle Bull Run Army Cavalry Maps Report First Edition US $161.62
|
 Army Navy Union of the US badge officer s9197 US $158.00
|
 EAST GERMAN DDR ARMY SPORT UNION DTSB MEDAL US $143.00
|
 Civil War Navy Army Union CSA Sea Ship Port Battle USS US $136.87
|
 1864 Confederate Civil War newspaper with SIEGE of ATLANTA Georgia by Union Army US $130.00
|
 CIVIL WAR CDV UNION ARMY INFANTRYMAN WEARING A CARTIRDGE BOX US $125.00
|
 VINTAGE CZECH MEDAL SVAZARM UNION COOPERATION ARMY US $105.00
|
 Badge pin Czechoslovak Svazarm Union Cooperation Army US $100.00
|
 25 UNION ARMY SOLDIER CIVIL WAR SERVICE RECORD Fill In CERTIFICATE NEW PRINTS P9 US $99.99
|
 SOVIET UNION RUSSIAN ARMY ISSUE BAYONET w BLACK SCABBARD MATCHING NUMBERS US $99.99
|
 1 6 Plate Tintype of Union Army Colonel US $99.95
|
 VERY OLD CIVIL WAR REPLICA CONFEDERATE union army CAST IRON CANNON VGC US $225.00
|
 1944 MODEL RUSSIAN WW II ADJUSTING FIRING DEVICE USSR SOVIET UNION RED ARMY US $99.00
|
