Skill Training

If you’re looking for a career that provides you with much more than a paycheck, then look to the Navy. In addition to base pay, the Navy provides:

Living accommodations or housing allowances

Free dining services or food allowances

A uniform allowance

Full health care benefits

In addition, Sailors at some duty stations are eligible for additional Cost of Living Allowances (COLA). When you add it all up, your pay in the Navy will go a lot further than the same pay in a civilian job where your basic needs aren’t already covered.

In the Navy and all branches of the U.S. Military, pay is dependent upon rank (known as rate for Enlisted personnel in the Navy) and years in service (see the chart below). Promotions depend on performance and time in service, and a Sailor has to earn an increase in rate. In general, you will be eligible for advancement from E-1 to E-2 after nine months, E-2 to E-3 after another nine months, and from E-3 to E-4 after a further six months.

Graph shows the monthly salary for each of the Enlisted ranks commonly reached in the first four years of enlistment. Check out Officer and Enlisted career payout listings.

Graph is based on the pay scale effective January 1, 2007.
Numbers shown are monthly pretax earnings and do NOT include the value of housing or other allowances or benefits.
Taxes can vary; you will be taxed at the rate of your official state of residence, and some states offer special tax rates to military personnel.

In certain circumstances, promotions up to E-3 can come faster. One way to accelerate your Navy career is to get others to join. If you refer friends or other acquaintances that join the Navy, you can be eligible for advancement up to E-3. See your recruiter for more details.

Officer salaries are also based on rank and time in service. The monthly pay for an Ensign (O-1) upon receiving commission is $2,469.30 plus allowances and benefits. Check out Officer and Enlisted career payout listings.

When calculating salary, be sure to consider the value of housing and other allowances plus benefits, which could add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to the value of a Sailor’s compensation. In addition, Congress generally authorizes a military pay raise every year to reflect cost-of-living increases.