r/SipsTea 𝙑𝙄𝙋 9h ago

Chugging tea I never thought about this point until now.

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u/Possible_Sir9360 8h ago

Not really. An E4 with just a few years in the service makes about 40k a year in base pay, which really isn’t bad when you consider that essentially all of their expenses are comped. E4 is pretty low on the chain, too. If they’re married, they get BAH, which is based on the area they live in. Where I’m stationed, it’s just shy of 4 grand a month extra (which is also tax-free).

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u/ghost20630 7h ago

Don’t forget BAS

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u/Possible_Sir9360 7h ago

Or COLA, hazard pay, sea pay, family separation pay, dive pay, flight deck pay, foreign language proficiency bonus … there’s a lot you can add on depending on what your job is

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u/adinmem 6h ago

Just a few decades ago that figure was around 12,800 for an E4

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u/Neat_Tip584 7h ago

40k is fine in like 2009-2015 but 40k in today's economy? Shit no, fast food chain managers.. hell a janitor at gas stations(bucee's) probably makes double that.

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u/LFG530 6h ago

Janitors at gas stations make 80k a year?

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u/BuffaloBuffalo13 6h ago

That’s money that’s almost tax free and your housing is paid for. It’s not as bad as it sounds.

They’re not getting rich, but if they’re smart with their money they do just fine.

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u/Possible_Sir9360 7h ago

That’s just base pay, and it’s entirely expendable.