About Military Pay
Military base pay is commensurate to rank. Additional military pay is earned in the forms of Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) and through special skill and hardship duty pay. The military pays service members on the 1st and 15th day of each month, except when those dates are federally-recognized holidays; in those cases, service members are paid the Friday before the normal payday. Military pay is regulated by Army Regulation (AR) 37-104-4, "Military Pay and Allowances Policy."
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Base Pay
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Military pay is handled through the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS). DFAS publishes revised military pay charts each year. 2010 entry-level base pay in the military begins at $1,447.20/month. The highest pay earned in the military in 2010 is that of an active duty four-star general with over 40 years in military service at $18,675.30/month.
BAH
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Service members with dependents or those who do not live in military barracks are entitled to BAH. BAH is dependent on rank, number of dependents and geographic location. The average cost of housing is the main determinant in yearly revisions of BAH scales.
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BAS
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Service members are given additional pay to cover the costs of food and household supplies in the form of BAS. BAS in 2010 for enlisted service members is $323.87/month and $223.04/month for officers. BAS is intended to pay only for the food and household supplies of a service member, not dependent family members and is taken away if the service member chooses to eat his meals in a government or military dining facility.
COLA
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The COLA is given to service members serving outside the continental United States (OCONUS) or continental (CONUS) duty stations with high living expenses. COLA varies based on location, number of dependents and rank.
Special Skills/Hardship Duty Pay
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Military service members are paid amounts ranging from $50/month to $643/month for special skills. Special skills include foreign language proficiency, parachute instructor certification, dive certification and pilot licensure. Hardship duty pay is given to military members serving in a location where living conditions are considered sub-standard as compared to the continental U.S. and ranges from $50/month to $450/month.
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