First, you should know about basic pay. All enlisted personnel of the same rank, no matter what their job, get paid the same basic amount. Officers get a way higher pay than enlisted, but for now, I'm just going to focus on enlisted pays.
The E stands for Enlisted. If there was an O, then it would be Officer. The number is for rank. E-1, Enlisted level 1 (Airman Basic), E-2 (Airman), E-3 (Airman First Class), E-4 (Senior Airman), and so on, with the highest being E-9 (I don't have that on the chart because that is VERY high and HARD to attain, so, at the moment, it isn't all that important to know the pay of an E-9.
Now then, the Air Force also gives Airmen enlisted for a certain number of years longer than the minimum, or enlisted in a more dangerous job, an enlistment bonus. These are technically subject to change suddenly and out of nowhere, but, still, how often does that actually happen? Not often. This can be paid monthly with your basic pay (above), but they generally pay it all in a lump-sum of money.
An AFSC is an Air Force Security Code, which is just a really fancy way of saying Job. And, YES, because they are called bonuses, they are subject to federal taxes and state taxes.
Now comes the more interesting part. The Air Force has this very interesting thing called "Special Pay." I'll give a list to show the different ones and what they're for plus how much money they give, but Special Pay is essentially a little extra money for doing something a little extra in the Air Force. It's also nice that, since they're called a "Special Pay" and not a "bonus," these little extras aren't taxed.
Career Enlisted Flyer Incentive Pay - Enlisted in a career involving flying. An Airman has to pull flying duties for 6 out of the first 10 years of being an Airman, nine out of fifteen years, and fourteen out of twenty years in the AF. If they do that, then they're eligible for this extra money every month.
Years Maximum Monthly
4 or less $150
Over 4 $225
Over 8 $350
Over 14 $400
There is also Foreign Language Proficiency Pay, which means if you have to speak a foreign language for your job (FLPP I) or out of necessity (FLPP II). This pay is not to exceed $1000.00 a month.
There's Hardship Duty Pay. It's pay to an Airman if they're assigned to a place with living conditions much lower than the U.S. Quality of Life. That can range from $50 to $100 extra a month, depending on the location.
We have Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay. If a person has to do a job that is considered far more dangerous than most, (i.e. Parachute jumping, explosive demolition, handling toxins, etc) they get an extra $150 a month. Air crewmembers that do flight duties get $150 dollars extra, which jumps up higher depending on rank. $165 for E-4, $190 for E-5, $215 for E-6, and so on.
Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay - that is pretty obvious from the name. $225 extra a month.
Special Duty Assignment Pay. If you're assigned a very difficult job that needs certain skills to get done, you could be entitled to this. SD-1 is $75, SD-2 is $150, SD-3 is $225, SD-4 is $300 a month, etc.
If you work as a Medical Officer, you get a special pay.
If you get shipped OCONUS (Outside the Continental United States) and sign on for an additional year (or more) you are eligible for the Overseas Extension Pay. This is either $80 a month or a lump-sum not to exceed $2000.00 a year (I believe, however, that the lump-sum is counted as a "bonus," so it is taxable.)
There are also Allowances. These are interesting in their own right, and I think I've mentioned a few before.
Military Clothing Allowance - money you get to buy military clothes. Generally, this is only for officers since enlisted get their clothing in basic and have the cost of their clothes cut out of their first paycheck before they ever see it.
Clothing Replacement Allowance - Last time I checked, it was $310 for men and about $346 for women that the AF gives to replace clothes.
Standard Clothing Allowance - starts about 3 years into active duty. It's a pinch more money, but has the same purpose as the Clothing Replacement Allowance.
Cost Of Living Allowance - Since it's based on rank, years you've been in the AF, location, and if you've got dependents, the money amount varies quite a bit from person to person. If you're overseas, and there is a higher cost of living (such as Lakenheath or Mildenhall), you'll see that higher pay reflected in the Allowance.
Dislocation Allowance - Extra money for when an Airman has to move suddenly. It covers any costs for moving - everything from boxes to food to gas.
BAH Allowance - Basic Housing Allowance for people who live off base and have to pay rent. (Check a previous post for more information about BAH.)
Family Separation Allowance - For when you're sent where your family can't follow. It's good for house repairs or babysitter bills.
Per Diem - for service members when they have to go on business trips.
Temporary Lodging Allowance - for temporary housing when moving on an assignment. Daily rate is usually $290, but it all depends on location and such.
Travel - The government will pay for any official traveling you have to do, but it has restrictions so that you have to use the least expensive option that's appropriate and timely.
Whew, this is long! But it was worth it to give you a sneak peek at most of the different little extras you can get in the Air Force. It was my pleasure to dig up all this info for anyone and everyone curious about joining the AIR FORCE!
Just send me a comment and I'll be sure to reply.
Respectfully,
Airman Trainee Elizabeth
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