Potential soldiers can enlist in the army immediately upon high school graduation and begin earning a salary. The amount that an enlisted service member makes depends on the rank of the soldier, as well as how long the soldier has been serving in the Army. In addition to basic monthly pay, a soldier will earn allowances for housing, meals and cost of living, and has the opportunity to earn additional pay in the form of bonuses, special skills and duties allowances and drill training.
Across the armed forces, enlisted personnel support and participate in military operations, which includes combat and training operations, as well as humanitarian and disaster relief. Soldiers can work occupations in a variety of fields, which include:
- Administrative positions
- Combat specialty
- Electronic and electrical equipment repair
- Engineering, science and technical occupations
- Health care
- Human resources
- Machine operation and repair
- Media and public affairs
- Protective service
- Support service, such as food service
- Transportation and material handling
- Vehicle and machinery mechanics
To enlist in any branch of the military, including the Army, a person must have a high school diploma or a GED. A person who wishes to become an officer must have a bachelor's degree.
Before enlisting, prospective soldiers take a placement exam, known as the Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery, which helps place the soldier into an occupation.
Out of the 1.3 million active-duty military members, more than 466,000 are in the Army. The industries and environments in which the enlisted soldiers in the Army work depends on the person's occupational specialty. The enlisted soldier may or may not be deployed overseas, but service members do move approximately every two to four years for training or job assignments.
Years of Experience
An enlisted officer begins at rank E-1 and moves up the ranks in an effort to eventually reach E-9, the highest rank for an enlisted soldier. A soldier's pay is based on both rank and the years in the service, with the low end indicating the monthly salary for an E-1 rank and the highest salary indicating the monthly salary for and E-7, E-8 or E-9, depending on how many years the soldier has served. For example, a soldier cannot reach rank E-8, until they he has served for at least eight years.
- Less than 2 years: $1,514.70 (E-1) to 2,944.20 (E-7)
- Two years: $1,638.30 (E-1) to 3,213.30 (E-7)
- Three years: 1,638.30 (E-1) to $3,336.60 (E-7)
- Four to five years: $1,638.30 (E-1) to $3,499.20 (E-7)
- Six to seven years: $16,38.30 (E-1) to $3,626.70 (E-7)
- Eight to nine years: $1,638.30 (E-1) to $4,235.40 (E-8)
- 10 to 15 years: $1,638.30 (E-1) to $5,439 (E-9)
- 16 to 19 years: $1,638.30 (E-1) to $5,788.20 (E-9)
- 20 to 25 years: $1,638.30 (E-1) to $6,556.20 (E-9)
- 26 to 29 years: $1,638.30 (E-1) to $6,939 (E-9)
- 31 to 35 years: $1,638.30 (E-1) to $7,650 (E-9)
- 36 years or more: $1,638.30 (E-1) to $8,033.10 (E-9)
In addition to basic pay, soldiers earn extra pay for housing, clothing, food, cost of living and, in some cases, family separation. Soldiers are also eligible for extra pay for special skills and duties, certain training and bonuses.
Job Growth Trend
Although the Bureau of Labor Statistics only predicts job growth trends for civilian careers, the organization notes that it's always a goal of the military to maintain a large enough force to fight or deter various threats or conflicts in multiple regions at one time. Additionally, the military will need to fill both entry-level and higher positions, as current service members are promoted, leave the service or retire.
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