Title: Comprehensive Guide to Military Pay
Headings: 
Pay and Benefits Pay & Finances
A Comprehensive Guide to Military Pay
Taxes, Raises, Special Pay—and How It Compares to Civilian Salaries
Military Base Pay Is Not Tax-Free
Guard and Reserves
Annual Pay Raises
Military Pay vs. Civilian Pay
Your Pay and Your First Paycheck
Housing Allowance and Food Allowance
Special Pay and Allowances
Medical & Dental Officer Pay
Veterinarians and Optometrists
Enlisted Special Duty Pay
Diving Pay
Nuclear Officer Pay
Navy Commanders
Overseas Extension Pay
Aviation Continuation Pay
Engineering and Scientific Officer Continuation Pay
Foreign Duty Pay
Sea Pay
Foreign Language Proficiency Pay
Aviation Retention Bonus
Flight Pay
Submarine Pay
Hazardous Duty Pay
Family Separation Allowance
Combat Pay
Clothing Allowance
Special "Personal" Allowances
Severance Pay
Hardship Duty Pay
Retirement Pay
Reenlistment Bonuses
Taxes

Content: Guard and Reserves
During basic training and job school, or any other time performing full-time duty (such as the two weeks every year of active duty training, or if mobilized), Guard and Reserve force members receive the same pay as active-duty members. During weekend drills, however, the pay scale is different. Guard and Reserve members receive four days worth of pay for each weekend drill. Annual Pay Raises
Each year, Congress passes the Defense Appropriations Act and the Defense Authorization Act, which contain pay raises for military personnel. It gets adjusted to help keep military pay from lagging too far behind civilian pay, but that is dependent upon politics. Military Pay vs. Civilian Pay
Whether or not you consider military pay to be fair compensation when compared to civilian pay depends on several factors, including the specific military job that you sign up for. Some of the techie jobs are underpaid compared to the civilian sector, as well as a few of the comparable management (officer/senior NCO) jobs. But when you look at total compensation, a lot of jobs are pretty close on the pay scale. Look at America's Job Bank online and type in your MOS/AFSC/Rating (or the one you're considering, for those thinking of joining the military) in the area you want to work. The range of pay for most of the jobs is pretty surprising, and when you consider the additional qualifications many civilian jobs require, the military is even more of an advantage because it hires you without experience or training—and provides that to you, free of charge.