How Does the Army Reserve's Pay Work?
The U.S. Army Reserve is part of the reserve component of the United States Army. The other two components include the National Guard, which serves under the command of state governors unless the President mobilizes them in the event of a national emergency, and the Individual Ready Reserve, which is a pool of trained personnel who are not assigned to any unit, but subject to call-up. Reserve pay is based on a prorated fraction of active duty pay.
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Base Pay
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Drilling reserve members receive pay for each Mission Unit Training Assembly, or MUTA, satisfactorily performed. A MUTA is a training assembly at least four hours long. Typically, reservists earn two MUTAs per drill day, and four MUTAs for a typical two-day drill weekend. Pay varies based on the soldier's rank and time in service. See Resources for the current military pay chart, as of 2011.
Annual Training
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In addition to their drill pay, Army Reserve soldiers get paid for attending annual training for each year. Annual Training is at least 14 days long, though some annual training events can be longer. Soldiers receive the same daily pay as an active duty soldier of the same rank and time in service.
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Housing Allowance
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Soldiers in the Army Reserves who are members of a drilling unit do not typically receive basic allowance for housing, as do their active duty counterparts. However, they do receive basic allowance for housing while on active duty assignments.
Special Pay and Allowances
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U.S. Army Reserve members qualify for all special pay and incentives as do their active duty counterparts, including parachutist duty pay, foreign language proficiency pay, hostile fire pay, flight pay and family separation pay.
Retirement
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Army reserve soldiers accumulate retirement points for every drill attended, every duty day performed, every annual training attended, and for every year in which they have accumulated a satisfactory number of points. After 20 or more qualifying years of service, Army reservists qualify for a military pension, starting at age 60.
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