Income
Your Air Force salary "basic pay" increases with pay grades and time served. Your basic pay may seem low compared to a civilian job, but it is more like disposable income because the Air Force provides many "in-kind" benefits that civilians must pay for. These in-kind benefits include housing, meals, and medical insurance. While your basic pay is taxable, your in-kind benefits aren't. We've taken those into account and calculated your Total Compensation or "Adjusted Basic Pay," so you can have a comparison between what you really get in the Air Force to a civilian pay scale.
Below are annual basic pay rates for Airmen.
| Avg Basic Pay | Avg BAH | Avg Meals | Avg Medical | Avg Tax Savings | Avg Adj Basic Pay | Total Enlistment Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Year Enlistment | |||||||
| 6 Year Enlistment |
4-Year Enlistment: Assuming I enlist for 4 years as an and achieve promotions to E-4 during my first enlistment, I could earn an adjusted pay of around during my first year, working up to in my fourth year.
6-Year Enlistment: Assuming I enlist for 6 years as an and achieve promotions to E-5 during my first enlistment, I could earn an adjusted pay of around during my first year, working up to in my sixth year.
Pay Increases
Annual Cost of Living Increase
Annual military basic pay raises are linked to the increase in consumer prices, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). No need to wait and negotiate for a raise like civilians as these increases are automatically included in your basic pay.
Promotion & Security Increase
In the Air Force, every Airman is paid equally based on their rank (hence, "paygrade") and years of service. But your base salary is only part of the overall package you receive. Below are monthly basic pay rates for Airmen:
| |
Rank | < 2 Years | 2 Years | 3 Years | 4 Years | 6 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 Airman Basic | $2,017.20* | $2,017.20 | $2,017.20 | $2,017.20 | $2,017.20 | |
 |
E-2 Airman | $2,261.10 | $2,261.10 | $2,261.10 | $2,261.10 | $2,261.10 |
 |
E-3 Airman First Class | $2,377.50 | $2,526.90 | $2,680.20 | $2,680.20 | $2,680.20 |
 |
E-4 Senior Airman | $2,633.70 | $2,768.40 | $2,918.40 | $3,066.30 | $3,197.40 |
 |
E-5 Staff Sergeant | $2,872.20 | $3,065.70 | $3,214.20 | $3,365.70 | $3,601.80 |
 |
E-6 Technical Sergeant | $3,135.60 | $3,450.60 | $3,603.00 | $3,750.90 | $3,904.80 |
 |
E-7 Master Sergeant | $3,624.90 | $3,956.40 | $4,108.20 | $4,308.30 | $4,465.50 |
* Pay for E-1 will be slightly lower for the first four months of service.
Membership Perks
When you're in the Air Force, you're a part of a community. In fact, Air Force bases are basically self-contained cities with everything you need to live and raise your family. Here are some additional membership perks that show how much the Air Force helps take care of you and your family in everyday life.
VA Home Loan
| Avg Home Price | Avg Interest Rate (30 Year Fixed Rate Loan) | Monthly Payment | Down Payment | Total Cost | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civilian | |||||||
| Air Force |
Base Exchange
The Base Exchange (or Military Exchange) is an on-base convenience that offers tax-free products. Typically, you'll find grocery stores (the commissary), food courts, uniform stores, and other specialty shops offering products at a lower rate for service members.
Commissary
Commissaries are on-base stores that sell discounted groceries to authorized customers like Airmen and their families. By law, commissaries must have an average baseline savings of 23.7% compared to grocery stores available to civilians off base.
Civilian Business Discounts
Hundreds of companies offer year-round discounted products and services for Active Duty and prior-service Airmen. Whether you're looking to purchase a car, shopping for home improvements, or booking a trip, you can likely find a way to save over your civilian counterparts.
Clothing Allowance
While the Air Force does provide your first set of uniforms when you begin training, they become your responsibility as you move up in the ranks. In order to help offset this personal cost, the Air Force provides additional funds to help pay for your uniform and other clothing costs throughout your career. These allowances include funds for initial clothing, replacements and extras, and uniform maintenance.
The Air Force provides many more benefits and community features when you're living on base. Click the button below to learn more about life on base.
