All service members receive an annual clothing allowance to buy and maintain their required military uniforms.
Imminent danger pay is a flat monthly payment of $225 to troops on duty outside the U.S. and subject to physical harm or imminent danger due to wartime conditions, terrorism, civil insurrection or civil war. In some locations, IDP is paid only to land-based troops; in others, both land and the airspace above qualify. Certain bodies of water also qualify.
Hardship duty pay-location compensates service members assigned to areas with extraordinarily arduous quality-of-life conditions.
Sea pay is offered by all the services, even the Army and Air Force. Monthly rates are based on paygrade and the cumulative number of years attached (stationed) at a creditable "sea" command during a career. Sea pay is taxed unless serving in a designated tax-free zone.
Submarine pay is a monthly premium for service members who meet the minimum standard for time aboard a submarine, while they are actually serving on the vessel.
All branches pay cash bonuses to attract recruits to military service and to keep them re-enlisting. The amounts vary based on a member's military skill.
Military aviators qualify for a variety of special pays and bonuses tied to their unique duties, to include incentives to keep them serving in the aviation field as well as for flight duty that is considered hazardous.
2016 Bonuses
Each service offers a bonus for enlistment and reenlistment. These are the maximum bonuses offered by each service this year.
View the 2016 Bonuses Chart
2016 Clothing Allowances
Military clothing allowance rates for fiscal 2016, which began Oct. 1, and the changes from fiscal 2015:
View the 2016 Clothing Allowances Chart
2016 Hardship Duty Pay
Hardship duty pay-location, or HDP-L, compensates service members assigned to areas with extraordinarily arduous quality-of-life conditions. Below are the monthly rates in effect for all locations that qualify for the pay. If no specific cities within a country are listed, all locations in that country qualify for the pay. Locations with an asterisk (*) also qualify for combat-zone tax relief benefits. Areas that currently qualify for HDP-L, and the monthly rates:
View the 2016 Hardship Duty Pay Chart
2016 Imminent Danger Pay
Service members qualify for imminent danger pay, or IDP, of $225 per month if they are on duty outside the U.S. and subject to physical harm or imminent danger due to wartime conditions, terrorism, civil insurrection or civil war. In some locations, IDP is paid only to land-based service members; in others, both land and the airspace above qualify. Certain bodies of water also qualify. In some locations, IDP is paid in addition to Hardship Duty Pay-Location (HDP-L). Ares that currenly qualify for IDP:
View the 2016 Imminent Danger Pay Chart
2016 Sea Pay
AIR FORCE SEA PAY – Air Force personnel serving in paygrades E-4 and above assigned to sea duty are entitled to career sea pay. Members entitled to career sea pay who have served 36 consecutive months of sea duty also are entitled to an additional $100 per month as a career sea pay premium. The premium continues for each subsequent month of sea duty served. For E-5s through E-9s with more than eight years of sea duty, this premium is embedded in the career sea pay rates. Few if any Air Force personnel qualify for the pay, one of the main reasons that the service's sea pay rates have not changed since 1988.
ARMY SEA PAY – A small number of Army personnel serving on sea duty are entitled to career sea pay. Members entitled to career sea pay who have served 36 consecutive months of sea duty also are entitled to an additional $100 per month as a career sea pay premium. The premium continues for each subsequent month of sea duty served. For E-5s through E-9s with more than eight years of sea duty, this premium is embedded in the career sea pay rates.
NAVY AND MARINE CORPS SEA PAY – All Navy and Marine Corps personnel entitled to basic pay and serving on seas duty are entitled to career sea pay. The figures below reflect the monthly sea pay amounts earned based on paygrade and the cumulative number of years attached (stationed) at a creditable "sea" command during a career.The cumulative years of sea duty credit can be found on an indivudual's Leave and Earnings Statement. Sea pay is taxed unless serving in a designated tax-free zone. Members entitled to career sea pay who have served 36 consecutive months of sea duty also are entitled to an additional $100 per month as a career sea pay premium. The premium continues for each subsequent month of sea duty served. For E-5s through E-9s with more than eight years of sea duty, this premium is embedded in the sea pay rates.
View the 2016 Sea Pay Chart
2016 Submarine Pay
Submarine pay goes to service members who meet the minimum standard for time aboard a submarine, while they are actually serving on the vessel.
View the 2016 Submarine Pay Chart
2016 Flight Pay
View the 2016 Flight Pay Chart
