What civilian salary do you actually need to match your military pay?
Total monthly special/incentive pays: jump pay ($150), dive pay ($240), flight pay, SDAP, demo pay, hazardous duty pay, foreign language proficiency pay, etc. Add them up and enter the total.
Under the Blended Retirement System, DoD auto-contributes 1% and matches up to 4% more. Contributing 5%+ gets the full match.
Uncheck if you live in barracks/on-post housing and don't receive BAH (common for single junior enlisted).
Enter your duty station zip code for BAH rates. Verify exact rates at DTMO
Uncheck if you eat at the DFAC (meal deductions taken from pay). Most service members receive BAS.
Where you plan to live after separating — determines state income tax in the civilian calculation.
Have a job offer? Enter it to see how it really stacks up against your military pay.
If you have or expect a VA disability rating, your tax-free VA comp reduces the civilian salary you need.
Everything that makes up your total pay — most of it tax-free.
Deployed to a combat zone? Your tax savings may be even higher. Enlisted and warrant officers can exclude all pay from federal taxes; officers are capped at the senior E-9 rate. IRS combat zone exclusion · DoD CZTE info
The gross salary required to match your military take-home after taxes, health insurance, and retirement.
The military bar shows each component of your total compensation. "Tax Savings on Allowances" is the extra taxes you'd owe if BAH and BAS were taxable — but they're not, so that's money you keep on top of the allowances themselves. The civilian bar is the gross salary needed to match your military take-home after federal/state taxes, FICA, health insurance, and retirement contributions.