Jump to content

Recommended Posts

It's going to vary significantly. COLA depends on where you live and single vs married. Base pay varies with TIS. Flight pay varies with the amount of time you've been flying. Not sure who's getting bonuses these days but you could have someone like a MTP making an extra few thousand a year. Combat Zone or imminent danger area pay (plus tax free). BAH single vs married and also where you live. I would say a minimum annual salary is around 40 grand and someone with several years TIG, 60 grand.

Edited by Velocity173
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sure it's a big gap. I mean look at the difference with TIS for a WO-1 coming in. I had over 8 yrs TIS when I went to Rucker. That's about a $1,100 monthly difference alone. Throw in marriage with that and you got another couple hundred extra a month.

 

I suppose a comfortable living would have to do with where you're coming from. WO in the Army is better than most starter helicopter jobs in civilian life. I had a few students who were previous CFIs either helo or fixed and they all said they made peanuts compared to the Army. I can tell you with my CW-3 retirement and my current job (HEMS) I make a few hundred less per month than what I did active. Of course I only work 6 months out of the year and my only job is flying so that makes up for it. So get married, go to somewhere that pays high BAH/COLA (Germany), deploy somewhere where it's safe (Kosovo) and you'll be making a pretty big chunk of change each month. In a nutshell you make a descent living flying in the Army. Oh, of course you've got the whole free medical, dental, college, etc. as well.

Edited by Velocity173
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I appreciate it. Having come from corp America. Naturally I'm taking a pay cut. And a lot of people don't like touching on the subject but its an important factor for some whom already have a life start and in the process of doing a career change.

 

Thank you for the insight!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Married W2 with 4 years TIS, 3 years flying, high BAH. I make ~$68,000 a year before taxes. I would never be able to beat that in the civilian world with my experience level and hardly any school. Not a chance.

 

I am putting my wife through school, which she has a year left, and in the mean time she works part time. It's a good life, and one I never thought I'd be living at 25.

 

If you come straight off the street as a WO1 you'll make pretty good money, especially with the cost of living down in Alabama. By the time you're out of flight school on off to somewhere else you will see quite a few pay raises. Promotion to W2, 2+ year time in service raise, small flight pay bump, etc.

Edited by SBuzzkill
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

CW2, 8 years time in service, instructor pilot (you don't get paid more for being tracked by the way). I'm an instructor at Fort Rucker so I do not get any cost of living allowance, etc., just the standard basic allowance for housing, BAH, BAS etc.

 

I take home ~$5400.00 per month, after having put ~$300.00 per month into an optional Thrift Savings Plan. That is after taxes and includes base pay, flight pay, BAH, BAS, etc.

 

When you consider free medical for you and the family, dental, 30 days of vacation per year (+ holidays), a retirement that beats anything in the civilian world, a half million in life insurance, and job security (highly unlikely you'll be laid off anytime soon), that is actually a heck of a paycheck. It's not free money - we do work for it and face a lot of hardships, such as extended periods away from home, but we are rewarded for it.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://militarypay.defense.gov/mpcalcs/calculators/rmc.aspx

 

Use this calculator to see what pay you can expect, then add flight pay. All the fringe benefits such as free health care, college, retirement (if you do 20) and other benefits make it a good paying career. The tax advantage is also helpful as many of your entitlements are not taxable income. This calculator goes into that pretty good. Start a thrift savings plan right away! Save for YOUR retirement from day one, it grows nicely over the years.

Personally I take home about 2200 every pay period when I'm on active duty orders, after a sizable contribution to my retirement. W2, 10 years, single.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

http://militarypay.defense.gov/mpcalcs/calculators/rmc.aspx

 

 

 

Use this calculator to see what pay you can expect, then add flight pay. All the fringe benefits such as free health care, college, retirement (if you do 20) and other benefits make it a good paying career. The tax advantage is also helpful as many of your entitlements are not taxable income. This calculator goes into that pretty good. Start a thrift savings plan right away! Save for YOUR retirement from day one, it grows nicely over the years.

Personally I take home about 2200 every pay period when I'm on active duty orders, after a sizable contribution to my retirement. W2, 10 years, single.

What is the rate of growth on the TSP. If I was reading right it is only around 5%.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is the rate of growth on the TSP. If I was reading right it is only around 5%.

 

There are several funds to choose from. Let's take the L2030 fund for example (it's a mix of investments, adjusted reguarly, based upon a forecast retirement date of 2030).

 

As of today, last 12 month rate of return is 20.07%, last 3 year average return has been 11.52%.

 

There are much more conservate funds, that return less right now, and a couple that are more risky, returning more right now. They will fluctuate but any of the mixed funds beat any of the standards (NASDAQ, DOW, S&P), pretty much every year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

There are several funds to choose from. Let's take the L2030 fund for example (it's a mix of investments, adjusted reguarly, based upon a forecast retirement date of 2030).

 

As of today, last 12 month rate of return is 20.07%, last 3 year average return has been 11.52%.

 

There are much more conservate funds, that return less right now, and a couple that are more risky, returning more right now. They will fluctuate but any of the mixed funds beat any of the standards (NASDAQ, DOW, S&P), pretty much every year.

For a retirement fund I don't care about the 12 month or really even the three year, as that is looking at the gains since the bottom fell out. Most funds looking at such a short period of time especially last three years look great right now. The gains recently are in my opinion, skewed. For long term I would think the ten year is a better way to judge a retirement investment. As you are gonna be invested for 30+ years. Maybe I need to read more. I would think 8-10 percent on long term investment should be achievable.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

flxag76

If you're still there, here are a range of Warrant Officer salaries if stationed at Ft Rucker for years without moving. That of course is impossible. I assume you served no time in the military. Includes Basic Pay, Aviation Career Incentive Pay (ACIP), Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), and Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) when applicable. (All figures approximate in today's dollars, I had 6 beers)

WO-1 under 2 years
On Base (Free Rent) $38,148 (Only $35,244 is taxable)
Off Base No Dependents $49,272 ($35,244 taxable)
Off Base with Dep $52,944 ($35,244 taxable)

CW2 over 2 years
On Base $46,848 ($43,944 taxable)
Off Base No Dep $59,880 ($43,944 taxable)
Off Base with Dep $63,480 ($43,944 taxable)

CW2 over 3 years
On Base $48,348 ($45,444 taxable)
Off Base No Dep $61,380 ($45,444 taxable)
Off Base with Dep $64,980 ($45,444 taxable)

CW2 over 4 years
On Base $49,332 ($46,428 taxable)
Off Base No Dep $62,364 ($46,428 taxable)
Off Base with Dep $65,964 ($46,428 taxable)

CW2 over 6 years
On Base $57,156 ($54,252 taxable)
Off Base No Dep $70,188 ($54,252 taxable)
Off Base with Dep $73,788 ($54,252 taxable)

Between your 7-8th year you should be coming up for promotion to CW3 and finishing your initial pilot commitment of 6 years after receiving your pilot wings.

For a comparison with your RLO of over 4 years with the rank of Capt on flight status, the pay differential would be quite more than a CW2 annually. But the Capt would fly less for the most part as we all know.

On Base $17,436
Off Base No Dep $18,912
Off Base with Dep $19,044

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the 160th SOAR as a warrant officer, after 6 years of aviation experience, you get an additional $25,000/yr. Flight pay goes up significantly if you spend enough time in aviation; wouldn't be impossible to make six figures as a warrant officer.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

zVo

 

What are the irritates in flying with the 160th since they pay a $25K yearly bonus? I know the Army doesn't just give away bonus money because the Chief Warrant Officer aviators are wearing a cute 160th patch.

They give bonuses just like any other MOS. They're short of people. Just like when 60 MTPs were getting a bonus. For awhile 47 IPs were getting bonuses. For those who were in in 2002 they had a bonus (48 grand) for all pilots regardless of track with 6-14 yrs experience. Bunch of guys I knew got that bonus tax free in Kosovo. Right place, right timing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You don't start seeing substantial pay raises (paychecks) until you get beyond your initial 6 years when your flight goes up, you're a CW3, etc. The Army isn't dumb, its very carefully scheduled to offer bigger financial carrots precisely at the same decision points when you're trying to choose whether to get out or stay.

 

The next bench mark is 20 years. Your pay goes up exponentially after 20. A CW4 with 24 years (at least at the 160th) is grossing about 140K tax free. Of course that good deal isn't forever, the war ends, bonuses come and go based on need, economic trends, etc.

 

Mike-

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Without the incentive/bonuses that the SOAR guys get, what are some of the other additional pays aviators get over at the Regiment? I've heard there's some sort of availability pay, among others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Without the incentive/bonuses that the SOAR guys get, what are some of the other additional pays aviators get over at the Regiment? I've heard there's some sort of availability pay, among others.

You get 10k for graduating green platoon.

 

You do not get the 25k special ops bonus until after 4 years out of green platoon, and your 6 year initial commitment with the Army is complete.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...