By Will Charpentier Updated June 27, 2018
Unlike in the civilian world, where 20 years of service to a company gets you a gold watch or wood plaque, the longer you stay in the Army and farther you advance in rank, the more you get paid. Similar to a civilian supervisor or manager, sergeants are non-commissioned officers in pay grades E-5 and above. Sergeants work right in the literal and metaphorical trenches, directly involved in the and responsible for the Army's heavy lifting. The typical pay of a sergeant in the U.S. Army after 20 years of service depends on a variety of factors.
After 20 years in the Army, your pay is $3,310 per month, or $39,726 per year as a basic, three-stripe sergeant. If you've moved up to an E-6 staff sergeant, it's $3,944 per month, or $47,328 per year. At pay grade E-7, a sergeant first class makes $4,676 per month, or $56,112 a year, while an E-8, master sergeant, you draw $5,237 per month or $62,844 annually.
At the top of the enlisted ladder, those who reach E-9 – sergeant major – garner a monthly paycheck of $6,068 or $72,816 per year.
The Army compensates its soldiers with more than just a paycheck. A sergeant's basic pay is enhanced by several types of special pay, including basic allowances for subsistence and housing. Most Army bases offer some type of on-base housing but for sergeant's who choose to live off base, they're paid a basic housing allowance. Other allowances including the annual Army clothing allowance and a cost-of-living allowance, adjusted annually by Congress. When you move because of your duty, you get a moving allowance and, if your duty means your family can’t accompany you, you receive $250 per month family-separation allowance.
All military salaries, including those for sergeants, are established by law. Don't bother asking for a raise – your salary after 20 years of service depends solely on your pay grade and how far up the enlisted ranks you’ve made it.
Enacted in 2013, Army Directive 2013-15 changed past policy, requiring all personnel to complete specific development courses to retain rank, even if they don't advance. You must remain both technically qualified and tactically adept to remain in the Army.
After you reach the 20-year mark as a sergeant of any pay grade, the pay increases discontinue. Sergeants can take retirement at any time after they fulfill their time commitment, but after 20 years, retirement benefits increase. For those who started active duty before 1980 and retire after 20 years of service, retired pay amounts equal about 75 percent of their base salary. Anyone entering after 1980 follow the 36-month rule – the base pay is the average of the highest 36 months of active duty pay received. Depending on your Army specialty, your 20 years’ experience as a sergeant in the U.S. Army may lead to another career.
References
S. Army: Army to Link Online Training to NCO Advancement Writer Bio
Will Charpentier is a writer who specializes in boating and maritime subjects. A retired ship captain, Charpentier holds a doctorate in applied ocean science and engineering. He is also a certified marine technician and the author of a popular text on writing local history.
The five states where Senior Master Sergeant jobs get higher salaries in the United States are: Alaska, California, District of Columbia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Compared with the average salary of a Senior Master Sergeant in the United States, the state of Alaska with the highest job income for this job. The second and third states are California and District of Columbia respectively. The high or low salary paid to Senior Master Sergeant by the US has a greater relationship with the demand for jobs and the cost of living.
Top 5 States with Higher Salaries For
Senior Master Sergeant in the United States:
Senior Master Sergeant in Alaska: $94,976
Senior Master Sergeant in California: $94,637
Senior Master Sergeant in District of Columbia: $94,239
Senior Master Sergeant in New Jersey: $93,671
Senior Master Sergeant in Massachusetts: $92,180
There are some different titles for Senior Master Sergeant jobs, and the job title of Senior Master Sergeant will vary in different companies. The job title has a lot to do with the department and responsibilities, and the same job title will vary in different departments. The following list is the salary of jobs similar to Senior Master Sergeant, start to view Senior Master Sergeant-related jobs you are interested in.
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Common questions about salaries for a Senior Master Sergeant
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Chief master sergeant promotions in the Air Force are made using both the WAPS points and a Central Evaluation Board that reviews the individual's promotion record.
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Check the below career pages for detailed pay ranges for similar professions to Senior Master Sergeant:
Master Sergeant
Chief Master Sergeant
Senior Sergeant
Senior Scrum Master
Senior Master Technician
Senior Master Scheduler
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Senior Agile Scrum Master
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The salary of the military is not so bad, but not so good either . For a high school recruit with no work experience, it's hard to find the best starting salary. However, for an adult male with many years of work experience trained in an important technical profession, this is not so great compared to the salary for a similar civilian job.
This is a list of typical military rank pay, from entry-level Army enlisted men who make $20,172 a year to Air Force generals who bring home $189600.
The base salary of an enlisted man for the first six months of service is less than $20,000 per year. But as you advance in rank and gain experience , the military earns a variety of increases .
The average salary in the US Army ranges from about $25,432 a year for a corporal to $90,590 a year for a chief medical officer.
The average monthly salary in the US Army ranges from approximately $1,800 per month for a supply sergeant to 9$572 per month for a medical officer.
The highest-ranking enlisted Marine, Marine Corps Sergeant Major Ronald Green, earns over $90,000 a year on his base salary alone.
The salary of a military officer is much higher. Young officers receive about $38,250 a year.
The base salary is only part of their compensation. Most military personnel also receive allowances for housing, meals, uniforms, and work allowances, many of which are tax-free.
Base pay is taxable ( As of 2015 military personnel pay a tax of 6.2% on income up to $118,500 ) unless you are serving in a designated tax free combat zone.
You will pay federal income tax, Social Security, health insurance (Medicare tax rate of 1.45% of all wages), local and state taxes on your base salary.
Some states do not tax military pay, while some others will not tax it if you are not in the state. The state in which you file taxes as your "official residence" will determine the state tax rules to which you are subject.
Each year, Congress passes the Defense Appropriations Act and the Defense Authorization Act, which provide pay increases for military personnel. It is geared to keep military wages from falling too far behind civilians, but that depends on policy.
U.S. Army - Military Salaries in the United States The answer to this question depends on their rank, time of service, place of service, family members and military specialty, etc. earnings slightly longer than their civilian counterparts.
To give you an idea, we have broken down their monthly salary, or base salary, for each rank. We estimated their salary based on how many years they have typically served by the time they reach that rank. Many military personnel spend more time in each rank than we calculated, while some military personnel spend less time and advance faster.
We also did not include factors such as housing allowance as they vary widely, but they often make up a large part of their compensation. We also did not include ensigns, whose length of service can vary greatly.
Each military branch sets rules for promotion and implements an "up or down" policy that dictates how long a member of the military can stay in the military without being promoted.
Combat instructor showing Marine recruits techniques. Martial arts training at a Marine Corps recruiting camp in San Diego, California.
While they are in the boot camp, the fighters are paid minimally - but their salaries will increase gradually as they gain experience. CPL. Christian Garcia/US Marine Corps.
E-1 is the lowest military rank in the US Army : Airman Basic (Air Force), Enlisted (Army/Marines), Recruit Sailor (Navy). Enlisted personnel usually complete this rank through basic training and are automatically promoted to the next rank after six months of service.
Base salary (salary) starts at $1,554 per month at this rank. After four months of service, the salary will increase to $1681 per month.
As a punishment for misconduct, superior commanders may demote a soldier back to that rank.
Servicemen are automatically promoted to the level of e-2 - Pilot (Air Force), Private (Army), Private 1st Class (Marines), Junior Sailor (Navy) - after 6 months of service.
Their salary increases to $1,884 per month.
Promotion to E-3 is automatic after 12 months of service. Pilot 1st class (Air Force), Private 1st class (Army), Lance Corporal (Marines), Sailor (Navy).
Base salary is $1,981 at this rank, adding up to a $427 monthly salary increase after one year of employment.
Although service requirements vary by service, military personnel who are promoted to E-4 are typically have at least two years of service. Senior Airman (Air Force), Specialist/Corporal (Army), Corporal (Marines), Petty Officer III Class (Navy)
If E-3 doesn't raise their pay in two years, their pay will still go up up to $2195.
For those who reach E-4 in two years, the salary will increase to $2,307 per month. Some fighters will be able to advance to the next rank in just one year. Those who remain at the E-4 level will see a pay increase to $2,432 per month after only three years of service.
Promotion is no longer automatic , but military personnel will be able to advance to E-5 in as little as three years of service. These ranks are Staff Sergeant (Air Force), Sergeant (Army/Marines), Petty Officer Class II (Navy).
For these soldiers, their new salary will be $2,678 per month.
Soldiers typically spend at least three years on this salary. Although they do not advance in rank during this time, their salary will still increase along with their length of service.
Four years after enlistment, the E-5 will cost $2,804 per month. After six years of service, their salary will rise again - even if they don't get promoted - to $3,001 per month.
It is almost impossible for a soldier to achieve the rank of E-6-Technical Sgt. Technician Sergeant (Air Force), Staff Sergeant (Army/Marines), Petty Officer Class I (Navy) - with less than six years of service.
"E-6 with six" . The E-6 with six brings home $3,254 a month.
After two more years of service, this will increase to $3,543 per month, which is 90,003 approximately $42,500 per year.
Achieving the next higher pay level, E-7, before 10 years of service is not to an unheard-of miracle, but it is not guaranteed either.
Their next pay raise is 12 years after the date of enrollment, at which point their monthly salary will be $3875.
Are the Russian military better than the American ones? An unexpected answer from a private from the USA.
Achievement of the coveted rank E-7 summer service is not a common but it can be done.
To those who reach this milestone ( E-7 ), will be paid $3945 per month, increasing to $4072 per month after reaches their 10th anniversary of enlistment.
When they reach 20 years of service, will be paid $4,798 a month or $57,576 a year.
The military places a limit on how long each member of the military can spend at each rank. Commonly referred to as "up or down", this means that if a soldier does not advance to the next rank, they will not be able to re-enlist. While they vary between branches of service, in the Navy this restriction occurs at 24 for senior midshipmen.
Executive with 24 years of experience earns $5,069 per month.
Enlisted personnel may be promoted to E-8 - Senior Master Sergeant or 1st Sergeant (Air Force), 1st Sergeant or Master Sergeant (Army), Master Sergeant or 1st Sergeant (Marine Corps), Chief Petty Officer (Navy) - 12 years of service in total.
At this stage, they will receive $4,657 per month.
Military personnel, retired as E-8s after 20 years of service, will receive a monthly payment of $90,003 $5,374 - or $64,488 per year.
If they remain in service, they will receive a raise every two years.
An E-8 with 28 years of service earns $6,076 per month.
Army "up or down" policy does not allow more than 29 years of service for 1st sergeant or sergeant major.
E-9 have 15 to 30 years of service, although few who are elected to certain positions may have more than 30 years of service. Their titles are Chief Master Sergeant (Air Force), Sergeant Major (Army), Senior Gunnery Sergeant or Sergeant Major (Marines), Master Chief Petty Officer (Navy).
Military personnel who achieve this rank with 15 years of service will receive $5,580 per month.
They will receive their next raise at 16 years of service and earn $5,758 per month.
In 20 years they will receive $6,227 - that's $74,724 a year when they reach retirement age.
Some branches of the military allow E-9s to remain in the military until age 32, at which point they will earn $7,475 - or $89700 per year.
Compared to ordinary military personnel with the same seniority, military officers earn significantly more money.
New O-1 Officer - 2nd Lieutenant (Army/Marines/Air Force), Ensign (Navy) - Earns $3,188 per month on base pay alone.
Officers are automatically promoted to O-2 after two years of service. This is a highly anticipated promotion as it marks one of the biggest individual pay raises officers will see during their careers.
These ranks are 1st Lieutenant (Air Force/Army/Marines), Second Lieutenant (Navy).
O-2 earns $4,184 per month, which is $50,208 per year.
Officers will receive a pay raise upon reaching three years of service.
Using the Army's average promotion schedule, officers are automatically promoted to the next rank after four years of service.
New Captains and Lieutenants (Navy) with four years of service earn $5671 per month. At this rank, officers will receive a salary increase every two years.
By the time they reach rank O-4 , military officers will have spent an average of 10 years in service. Major (Air Force / Army / Marine Corps), Lieutenant Commander (Navy)
A major or lieutenant commander with ten years of service earns $7,236 a month, or just under $86,832 a year. Officers' pay continues to increase every two years of additional service.
The O-4 salary is capped at $8,074 a month, so if an officer wants to bring home a six-figure paycheck - extra pay, bonuses, and allowances - he'll have to upgrade to an O-5.
Officers typically spend at least 17 years in the military before moving to O-5.
They will earn $8,751 per month until their 18th anniversary of service, after which they will be raised to $8,998 per month. These ranks are Lieutenant Colonel (Air Force/Army/Marines), Commander ( Commander Navy).
After 18 years in the military, officers receive an annual stipend of nearly $108,000 per year.
"Full bird". "Fat birds" Navy colonels and captains, with an average of 22 years of service, receive $10,841 per month.
Officers who are not promoted to General or Admiral must retire after 30 years of service.
At this point, they will be earning $90,003 $11,668 per month, or approximately $140,000 per year.
Promotion to brigadier general and rear admiral depends on a wide range of variables, including job availability.
Each of these ranks has its own mandatory requirement; similar to the "up or down" policy, officers must advance to the next higher rank or retire.
Officers who have served less than five years in the lowest flag rank must retire after 30 years of service. The latest salary increase increased their monthly salary to $12,985.
Two-star generals and admirals - Major General (Air Force/Army/Marines), Rear Admiral (Navy) - must retire after the 35th years of military service.
At this stage they will earn $15,381 per month, or $184,572 per year.
It takes the corporal, pictured, about half a year to earn the same amount that Martin takes home each month. Military officer pay is regulated and limited by the U.S. Code
Both three- and four-star admirals and generals who remain in service long enough will receive the maximum compensation permitted by the code. These ranks are vice admiral of the fleet and lieutenant general of other branches of service.
Excluding additional benefits, cost-of-living adjustments and allowances, these employees are paid up to $15,800. This is approximately 189$600 per year.
Regardless of length of service, once a military officer reaches the four-star rank of general or admiral, he no longer receives an increase in salary and is limited to $15,800 per month.
Additional payments and allowances help to slightly increase their salary.
The base salary can seem stingy, especially among the lower ranks, where recruits earn about $20,000 a year.
But military personnel receive a number of benefits and may qualify for additional allowances.
TRICARE Prime, Military Primary Care Package, is free for active duty military personnel. It allows them to save $6,896 a year for single payers.
When military personnel are eligible to live off base, they receive basic housing allowance (BAH), which increases with every pay increase; the exact amount is determined depending on the place of residence and whether the person has children. Members of the armed forces also receive allowances to cover the cost of food, and in expensive duty stations receive a living wage allowance (COLA). Enlisted personnel also receive a supplement to help pay for their uniforms.
Any portion of an employee's pay marked as "surcharge" is not taxed by the government, so military personnel will only pay taxes on approximately two-thirds of their income.
In addition to their base salary, each member of the US military also receives:
The military also works in resorts and upscale hotels. For example, you can stay at the Hale Koa Hotel right on the beach in Waikiki, Hawaii for super cheap. what do you see on the base salary scale.
US military pay scales are public and you can easily google them. If any prospective military man claims that he is not being paid enough and asks you for money, especially if he claims to be abroad and cannot return to marry you without sending him money, he is a liar and a fraud. Don't reply to his emails anymore.
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The US military is considered the most powerful in the world. The constant maintenance of combat capability requires considerable financial costs: the salary in the US Army exceeds the salary in most other countries. So how much do the military in America earn? In any case, they are paid more than in the CIS countries. The exact numbers, including by rank, are given below.
The US military is huge in size and composition. The elements of the US Army organizational chart span the scale from the individual soldier to the largest building block in common use, the corps. Between them are the intermediate elements of the organization of the army, including squad, platoon, company, battalion, brigade and division.
As you move up the organizational hierarchy, the elements get larger and also include more combat support units. As a rule, a company is the smallest army unit, which must be given a designation and connection with a higher headquarters at the battalion and brigade level.
Here is a summary of the various controls in the US Army:
A battalion is usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel, with a senior sergeant major serving as the non-commissioned officer's chief assistant. The battalion can conduct independent operations, if they are limited in scope and duration, and has its own command. A unit of aircraft of equivalent size is known as a squadron. 
Divisions are numbered and receive assignments depending on their structure. Divisions carry out basic tactical operations for a corps and can fight long engagements and engagements.
As of July 2021, the average military salary in the United States is about $43,400 per year. This is equivalent to $835 per week, or $3,616 per month, or about $20.86 per hour.
Please note that the amounts shown are, in American tradition, before taxes.
The job and income website ZipRecruiter.com reports that the US military pays between $17,500 and $100,000. At the same time, most US military salaries currently range from $24,000 to $50,000. The top 10% of the highest paid military personnel in the US have a salary of $75,000 annually.
And here is a list of 10 American cities in America where military salaries are the highest (data for 2021):
| per year | Per month | per week | per hour | |
| Richmond | $53,098 | $4,425 | $1,021 | $25.53 |
| Stamford | $51,705 | $4,309 | $994 | $24.86 |
| Bellevue | $51,588 | $4,299 | $992 | $24. 80 |
| Lakes | $49,778 | $4,148 | $957 | $23.93 |
| San Francisco | $49,767 | $4,147 | $957 | $23.93 |
| Palmdale | $49,231 | $4,103 | $947 | $23.67 |
| Santa Clara | $49,044 | $4,087 | $943 | $23.58 |
| Hertford | $48,947 | $4,079 | $941 | $23.53 |
| Pasadena | $48,768 | $4,064 | $938 | $23.45 |
| Glendale | $48,483 | $4,040 | $932 | $23.31 |
Often, the lower cost of living can be a determining factor in choosing a location.
The average salary of an employee under the contract of an ordinary soldier or sergeant is approximately 51160 per year.
However, service with contractors is sometimes more dangerous.
As of May 2021, the monthly salary of a military officer in America is approximately $5,000 per year (before taxes). This is approximately 28.9$0 an hour, $1,158 a week, or over $60,000 a year.
Annual salaries vary greatly depending on rank, years of service, and other factors: American officers receive between $19,500 and $118,500 a year. At the same time, the highest paid employees (10%) earn an average of $83,500 per year.
As a rule, officers, as well as in general, the US military receive different income, depending on the state in which they live and serve. Here is a list of the states with the highest earnings in the US military:
| State | per year | Per month | per week | per hour |
| Washington | $67,012 | $5,584 | $1,289 | $32. 22 |
| Maryland | $66,159 | $5,513 | $1,272 | $31.81 |
| Nebraska | $64,779 | $5,398 | $1,246 | $31.14 |
| Virginia | $63,930 | $5,327 | $1,229 | $30.74 |
| New York | $63,855 | $5,321 | $1,228 | $30.70 |
| Delaware | $61,934 | $5,161 | $1,191 | $29.78 |
| New Hampshire | $61,774 | $5,148 | $1,188 | $29.70 |
| Oklahoma | $60,207 | $5,017 | $1,158 | $28.95 |
| California | $59,986 | $4,999 | $1,154 | $28.84 |
| Massachusetts | $59,175 | $4,931 | $1,138 | $28.45 |
