The Salary of an Air Transportation Apprentice Job
Air transportation apprentices or specialists are enlisted personnel in the Air Force who process passengers and cargo for air transportation. They plan and schedule movement, load and unload passengers and cargo, clean the aircraft and deliver supplies such as meals to the airplane. Their salaries come from standard 2011 military pay tables, which are current at the time of publication.
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Enlisting
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To join the Air Force, applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents from 18 to 27 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent. They must then take the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery to measure their potential. Finally, they need to pass physical and mental tests and head to basic training for eight-and-a-half weeks. Helpful skills and interests for air transportation apprentices are aviation, logistics, electronics and business operations. Recruits develop these skills and more during 29 days of air transportation technical training at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas.
Pay
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Air transportation apprentices enter the Air Force at E-1, or airman basic, with monthly pay of $1,467 as of 2011. After technical training, they typically go up to the E-2, or airman rank, where pay runs $1,644 per month. Wages then increase by rank and experience. For example, at E-5, or staff sergeant, pay ranges from $1,926 per month for under two years of service to $2,800 per month at eight years. At E-7, or master sergeant, wages go from $2,637 monthly for under two years to $3,554 per month at 10 years. And at the highest enlisted rank of E-9, or chief master sergeant, pay starts at $4,634 per month for 10 years, and goes to $5,436 at 20 years.
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Housing
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As part of their pay, air transportation apprentices receive free room and board if they choose to live on an Air Force base. If they prefer to live off base, they get a monthly housing allowance that depends on rank, location and family status. For example, An airman (E-2) living in Auburn, Alabama, with no dependents gets a monthly housing allowance of $693. If he moves to Los Angeles, that allowance jumps to $1,470 per month. A chief master sergeant (E-9) would get a monthly allowance of $1,131 in Auburn and $2,235 in Los Angeles. With dependents, the master sergeant receives $1,506 per month in Auburn and $2,898 per month in Los Angeles. The subsistence allowance for food off base is $325 per month regardless of rank.
Retirement
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Air transportation apprentices can retire at any age after 20 years of service and then receive income. One source of funds is Social Security, which requires the same contributions and faces the same restrictions for any retired U.S. worker. A second source is the Air Force retirement plan, which requires no contributions. A third source is the Thrift Savings Plan, which is similar to a 401(k). Contributions here are tax-deferred until withdrawn. They can also be rolled over into an IRA or another retirement account if the airman leaves the service before retiring.
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References
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