Title: Do You Get Paid to Join the Military? | Work - Chron.com
Headings: Do You Get Paid to Join the Military?
Do You Get Paid to Join the Military?
Salary
Branches of Service
Contributing Factors for Salary
Career Outlook in the Military

Content: As you receive promotions, you move upwards in the ranks and earn more money. The U.S. Marine Corps and Army call the rank for pay grade E-1 a private, the U.S. Navy's E-1 is a seaman recruit and the Air Force calls this rank an airman. In the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, the lowest-ranking officers, in pay grade O-1, are second lieutenants, but the Navy calls the O-1 pay grade an ensign. All services except the Navy call an officer in pay grade O-10 a general, but the Navy calls O-10 an admiral. Contributing Factors for Salary
Regardless of the service branch you choose, your pay in the military depends largely on your job performance. Your supervisors rate your performance at regular intervals. In addition, if you're an enlisted member of the military, you'll take tests to prove you can handle the next higher rank. If you're an officer, each promotion depends on your performance, the needs of the service -- each service only has so many officers of each rank -- and the recommendation of a group of senior officers, called a promotion board. Career Outlook in the Military
As military personnel complete their term of service or retire, they are replaced by others who receive promotions to fill those openings. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that, through 2020, the number of military personnel will remain constant, but also says that the need to recruit entry-level personnel will continue, to fill jobs left open by these promotions, discharges and retirements.