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Monthly Pay after deductions - Questions [Merged]

Not in the army said:
I was curious, what is living on military pay like? After paying for PMQs or a similar house, do you have much disposable income left?

There are a ton of variables at play here and not least of which would be the individual themselves. What debts do they have? What expenses do they have? Kids/dependants? Where are they posted? Etc etc

If you take a fully-trained Infantryman with zero debts, no kids and an average vehicle living in barracks, he/she’d be more than, or should be, more than comfortable. But if you take the same trade and rank with one kid and a wife, and a few thousand CC debt, maybe a dog and they’re posted in Ottawa where there’s little to no barracks (unless that’s changed) and no PLD? Not so much.
 
Not in the army said:
After paying for PMQs or a similar house, do you have much disposable income left?

CFHA Residential Housing Unit (RHU)-old PMQ [MERGED]
https://navy.ca/forums/threads/26751.0
30 pages.

Not in the army said:
If you’re paying for shacks and food.

The cost of that would be discussed here,

Single Quarters & Rations (R&Q) [MERGED]
https://navy.ca/forums/threads/2273.625
26 pages.

Pay Deductions [Merged]
https://navy.ca/forums/threads/44740.50
3 pages.

etc...

 
Not in the army said:
I was curious, what is living on military pay like? After paying for PMQs or a similar house, do you have much disposable income left?

It can be difficult after one buys the traditional $70000 diesel truck upon graduating from basic.
 
I did the math, after taking off like 800 bucks for shacks and food, plus like 500 for gas, that’s still like 3200 left for other things, leaving like 2500 disposable (maybe I’m forgetting something idk). Is that realistic?
 
While you are on BMQ,
https://www.google.ca/search?safe=off&channel=fs&q=site:army.ca+quarters+rations+bmq&cad=h
 
Not in the army said:
I did the math, after taking off like 800 bucks for shacks and food, plus like 500 for gas, that’s still like 3200 left for other things, leaving like 2500 disposable (maybe I’m forgetting something idk). Is that realistic?

Did you deduct income taxes?

The pay rate table here starts a Regular Force Private at $2985 per month, and $4382 in the third year.
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/benefits-military/pay-pension-benefits/pay/non-commissioned.html
 
Huh, on the army website it said infantry soldier starts at 60000 per year which is 5000 a month. Where are they getting that “starts at” pay from then?

 
Not in the army said:
Huh, on the army website it said infantry soldier starts at 60000 per year which is 5000 a month. Where are they getting that “starts at” pay from then?

I haven’t looked at the site in a while, but the salaries they list are based off being fully qualified and it’s also gross pay, not net (take home after taxes).
 
Not in the army said:
Huh, on the army website it said infantry soldier starts at 60000 per year which is 5000 a month. Where are they getting that “starts at” pay from then?

. . . fully-trained Infantry Soldier is $60,000 per year . . .

That generic statement of pay for whatever trade is the basic pay for a Corporal, which for many trades is the point when they are considered able to work without supervision (like an apprentice to journeyman in a civilian occupation).  It normally takes three to four years to reach that point.
 
Not in the army said:
Huh, on the army website it said infantry soldier starts at 60000 per year which is 5000 a month. Where are they getting that “starts at” pay from then?

Do yourself a favour and pick/apply for a specialized, at least spec 1, pay trade. After 5 years as a Cpl you will make around $70k which is about $4k month take home after taxes. To reach that amount as an infantry soldier you’ll need 5 years as a Sgt.
 
Quirky said:
Do yourself a favour and pick/apply for a specialized, at least spec 1, pay trade. After 5 years as a Cpl you will make around $70k which is about $4k month take home after taxes. To reach that amount as an infantry soldier you’ll need 5 years as a Sgt.

What trades do you have in mind?
 
Not in the army said:
What trades do you have in mind?

CAF Specialist Pay [Spec Pay]- All Trades [MERGED]
https://navy.ca/forums/threads/287.25
21 pages.
 
Not in the army said:
Huh, on the army website it said infantry soldier starts at 60000 per year which is 5000 a month. Where are they getting that “starts at” pay from then?

From the pay scale for Private, you'll start at 2985/month (before taxes) on your first year, then 3467 and 4382 in years 2 and 3.  You start making 5000/month at Corporal.

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/benefits-military/pay-pension-benefits/pay/non-commissioned.html#private
 
mariomike said:
CAF Specialist Pay [Spec Pay]- All Trades [MERGED]
https://navy.ca/forums/threads/287.25
21 pages.

Thanks, I found a list of all the spec jobs, the ATC job looks neat, so does airborne sensor operator. Still, I would really like to be infantry or armoured. Guess I’ll have to wait to get promoted to start making good bank.
 
I'd listen to what Quirky said. Also, there's no reason you can't start as Inf/Armd and try an OT to a spec trade later on. Lots of people do that. Also, depending on the unit you are in, you may be able to get some decent taxable allowances. It's definitely possible to make a lot more than 70k a year without becoming an officer or Snr NCO - just don't "bank" on it. It will take a lot of skill and a fair bit of luck.

Live within your means, and invest your money wisely. As a military member (spec trade) I was still paid substantially less than my equivalent outside the military. I still did just fine financially. Not to mention, the military paid to train me, and it opened doors elsewhere.

 
Not in the army said:
Thanks, I found a list of all the spec jobs, the ATC job looks neat, so does airborne sensor operator. Still, I would really like to be infantry or armoured. Guess I’ll have to wait to get promoted to start making good bank.

Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator is an awesome trade.  While some folks (especially in the combat arms) are currently sitting around waiting for a deployment, AES Ops are always out somewhere cool (or hot, as it were) either with the ships as part of a helicopter detachment, or with the Auroras.  Also, they only have 4 initial choices for postings; 2 on the east coast and 2 on the west coast. 
 
Not in the army said:
Thanks, I found a list of all the spec jobs, the ATC job looks neat, so does airborne sensor operator. Still, I would really like to be infantry or armoured. Guess I’ll have to wait to get promoted to start making good bank.

AC Ops receive spec pay if they are PAR (Precision Approach Radar) operators, otherwise as far as I know they are in the Standard pay category.

Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator (AES Op) is a Specialist 1 pay trade. * note - the current recruiting video is out of date;  it shows a SeaKing for MH which has been replaced with the Cyclone on both coasts and the Aurora is a Block 2 version (older sensors, displays, etc).  The tactical stations/displays on the Aurora are substantially different now with Block 3 modernizations complete, and Block 4 coming down the pipe to the fleet.

Once you are a Cpl and trained to the Operationally Functional Point (qual'd as aircrew on the Cyclone or Aurora, at this point) you will move to Spec 1 pay category.  To give some perspective on how much of a difference spec pay makes over your career for earning potential AND in retirement for your pension, back when I was a newly qualified Aurora AES Op, as a Corporal, I made more per month than the Sqn Orderly Room Chief Clerk who was a Sgt. 

That also didn't include my aircrew allowance, an additional $327/month starting off.

Now, pay isn't the only or (IMO) primary factor in deciding a trade, but at the same time it is something to consider.  AES Ops who pass all their training to the point of being qualified on the Aurora or Cyclone fleets and have 48 months of service (time required to be promoted to Cpl) will have roughly the same pay as any Standard Pay Category Sergeant/Petty Officer 2nd Class. 

As Dimsum mentioned, there are 4 initial postings for AES Ops.  2 of them are for Maritime Helicopter;  Esquimalt BC (Sqn is actually in Pat's Bay on the Island) and Shearwater NS.  Both of those locations are currently assessed as a higher cost of living area and receive something called Post Living Differential (PLD).  PLD for Sheawater is $631 a month, and for Victoria BC (Esquimalt falls under Victoria) PLD is $816 a month.

MH AES Ops also can receive an additional allowance (Sea Duty Allowance) if they are part of a Helicopter Air Detachment that is sailing on a HMCS.

The earning potential as a NCM is pretty spectacular for the AES Op trade.

It's also a busy trade if you are at a flying squadron.  We are away quite often but we get to go to a lot of places and our flying schedule usually allows us to do some sight seeing.  I've been all over North America from Vancouver Island, to Resolute Bay, to Nlfd, to Key West Florida.  I've crossed both oceans numerous times and been to places like Iceland, Scotland, England, Germany, Norway, the Middle East, Central America, Hawaii, Guam, Okinawa, Japan and Sicily on exercises and operations.

If you're interested in some more reading on AES OP on this forum, maybe start about here in this AES Op thread.

Here's the link to the CAF internet on which trades are specialist pay trades. Specialist Pay for Regular Force and Reserve Class C Reserve Service
 
Great post EITS...you said what I wanted to say, just far better (shameless plug for the AES Op trade aside...  ;D )

If you are in the right trade or unit, you can make some decent coin as a relative nobody. I'm sure EITS and his comrades must rack up pretty good TD as well which never hurts. The same used to be the case for the Line trade (unsure of current situation) and obviously if you go CANSOF or some other type of specialized employment, you will rack up TD.
 
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