RE: military overcompensation

**Lubaolong** · 12-23-2006, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sholinmonkey

and how exactly are we overcompensated?

There's nothing wrong with being in the military. It is a noble job. The pay and compensation is just too much.

Compare Joe that joins the military at 18 to Timmy that goes to a good university, gets an engineering degree (the most challenging, highest paying bachelor degree) :

Joe, age 22, married, Army Seargent, hanging out in Hawaii, surfing having a good time:
Yearly Regular Military Compensation: $61,016.32
(Basic Pay+BAS+BAH+COLA)
http://www.dod.mil/militarypay/pay/calc/index.html

Timmy, age 22, college graduate, Electrical Engineer:
Average Yearly Starting Salary: $52,009.00
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/15/pf/c...ex.htm?cnn=yes

Tell me why someone that joins the military with a high school education should earn that much more than one of the highest paying, most technical college degrees? They shouldn't.

After 8 years, do you think maybe the engineering degree will pay off?

Joe, age 26, married, SFC, still surfing his life away:
Yearly Regular Military Compensation: $80,652.96
same site as above

Timmy, age 26, 4 years professional experience, working on his master's, Electrical Engineer, also in Hawaii:
Medium Yearly Salary: $72,205.50
salary.com

Again, why should Joe that maybe went to a 6 week training course to teach him to type numbers into a database be making more? It's ridiculous.

Darkballs · 12-23-2006, 10:49 PM

Trust me dude....we don't have it that good. I spent 5 years in the Marines stationed primarily in Kaneohe Bay, HI from May '99-Aug-03. I arrived as a PFC (E-2) and left a SGT (E-5). Those figures are counting every possible bonus for a married marine. You get extra pay for the number of dependents you have (wife and kids...up to an extent i'd imagine), either a free place to stay on base (the one's i'd been in were basicly 2 bedroom 1 bath apartments or duplex's although i imagine there are better and worse than the ones i've seen) or you get an allowance to live out in town if your command allows it. the money alloted is based on the housing in the area and the local economy. Hawaii is obviously one of the most expensive places to be stationed in. As a sergeant of 5 years i was pulling in roughly $24,000 annually. Now i would recieve more in some cases (hazardous duty pay in iraq and afghanistan, also no u.s. taxes taken out) which boosted my pay, but nothing near the figures you provided. There may be some military lads that pull in around that much if there living off base with a wife and several kids, but the majority of marines where i was were single lads not pulling in all that much. $24,000 aint that much for some of the shit i had to deal with (war) but hell, it was my decision to sign the dotted line. No complaints.

Darkballs · 12-23-2006, 10:51 PM

dude, i was a sergeant in Hawaii a few years ago and was only pulling in $24,000 annually. Those figures are for married guys with dependents living in one of the most expensive places in the u.s. too much? depends on how you look at it, but most of us aren't making near that much. $24,000 for some of the shit i had to go through (war) isn't all that much. but it was my call to sign the dotted line so no complaints.

Das Uberdog · 12-23-2006, 10:53 PM

you are comparing starting salary with that of a 22 year old that joined the military at 18, and thus is being trained in his specific job function from that age, to that of the starting salary of a fresh graduate. going to school educates you in a far more general manner than working 4 years on a specific job. you could expect that as your ability at your specific job increases, your pay would also increase. the comparison isn't very accurate.

edit: and it looks like the numbers weren't even accurate.

**Gandhi** · 12-23-2006, 11:08 PM

From a libertarian I would have thought there would pay at least some thought to supply and demand in your post. It’s a government pay scale, so the fact is they are overpaying for positions where there is ample supply and underpaying for position where there is a shortage.

Someone who risks their life and/or lives under a less free lifestyle deserves the pay simple because that’s what is takes to get them there. And engineers, what a terrible profession to chose, the epitome of over supply.

**Lubaolong** · 12-23-2006, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkballs

dude, i was a sergeant in Hawaii a few years ago and was only pulling in $24,000 annually. Those figures are for married guys with dependents living in one of the most expensive places in the u.s. too much? depends on how you look at it, but most of us aren't making near that much. $24,000 for some of the shit i had to go through (war) isn't all that much. but it was my call to sign the dotted line so no complaints.

$24,000 is your taxable base pay. This doesn't include the free housing and food, or if you live off base, your tax free BAS and BAH. The 2nd engineering salary I provided is also for the Honolulu area average. Same location. Even if you look at places with lower paying BAH and BAS, there isn't a huge difference in the pay gap. Military members are paid more than they are worth IMO. No offense to anyone that is in the military or has served. I think a lot of jobs in the world are overpaid.

SMEAC · 12-23-2006, 11:35 PM

You numbers are wrong, you compare someone starting a job to someone with years of experience, and you seem to think that people get promoted real quick.

USAMMAFAN · 12-23-2006, 11:39 PM

jesus you are such a hater

who gives a fuck?

if it was such a sweet deal why didnt you join the military?

there is more to life then just freaking money, none of which you will take with you when you are dead

**Lubaolong** · 12-23-2006, 11:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Das Uberdog

you are comparing starting salary with that of a 22 year old that joined the military at 18, and thus is being trained in his specific job function from that age, to that of the starting salary of a fresh graduate. going to school educates you in a far more general manner than working 4 years on a specific job. you could expect that as your ability at your specific job increases, your pay would also increase. the comparison isn't very accurate.

They are two seperate career paths. One earns money before the other because their job doesn't require any extensive education. Why should someone with nothing more than a high school diploma make more than a engineer 4 years after hs graduation? Why would he still be making more after even 8 years? Does that even make sense? Someone straight out of high school sits in an office, answers phones, types, shreds papers, and is making more money than an engineer that is highly educated and designing electrical components.

**Lubaolong** · 12-23-2006, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by USAMMAFAN

jesus you are such a hater

who gives a fuck?

if it was such a sweet deal why didnt you join the military?

I did join the military. I was in the military 6 years and me and coworkers were making like $90k a year when I seperated. What's fair about that when there are people with advanced degrees.. doctorate degrees.. that are earning less than high school graduates with a few months of job training?

This was in response to the thread about military members thinking society owes them something. Their work is already more than compensated for.