- Civilians who decide to take on the challenge of working for the Army will receive competitive salaries. Salaries will vary by job and location. The Army provides annual pay increases to its civilian employees. Certain localities may also be eligible for increased pay if the cost of living in the area is higher than the national average, or it is deemed necessary by the government for other reasons.
- Federal employees who are working for the Army will receive various periods of paid time off. These periods include paid holidays, paid vacations and paid sick leave. In the first year of your civilian Army career you will enjoy 13 days of paid vacation time. This amount will increase to 19 1/2 days after your third year of service. There are 10 paid holidays in each calendar year.
- The Army offers its civilian employees both health and life insurance coverage. There is a variety of HMO and fee for service health plans to choose from. They also offer long-term care insurance that will reimburse costs of care when you are unable to perform activities associated with daily living for a minimum of 90 days. The various insurances will have varying costs depending on the plan and amounts you select. The Army contributes 33 percent of the premium cost for your life insurance coverage.
- Most new civilian employees are eligible for coverage under FERS. The tiered retirement plan consists of a defined benefit plan, a contribution plan similar to a 401(k), and Social Security benefits. The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) will provide federal civilian employees the same type of savings offered by many private corporations under 401(k) plans. The TSP is qualified for up to a 5 percent match by the Army and many of the retirement plans are tax deferred.
- The Army offers some new civilian employees a sign on bonus of up to $2,000. They offer flexible schedules with most positions and some that are eligible for job sharing. Some locations have on site childcare for parents as well as on site fitness centers. Upon approval, and considering your job title and function, you may be eligible to telecommute on certain days of the week or for specific tasks and projects.
