When you are new to the military, everything is confusing. The language, the clothes, the paperwork, and the pay. I see the same questions repeated over and over: When will the first pay come? How much will it be? How will I get it?
Nearly all the time, these questions come from people who are leaving for basic training and leaving a family behind, or from a spouse who is waiting at home while their new enlistee completes school. Since I hardly ever hear this question from singles, I’m going to answer it for the married crowd. Please, please be aware, this is all anecdotal evidence and it is different for each branch of service. Your recruiter will hopefully give you more branch specific answers, but if he doesn’t, you can use this to help figure it out.
When a new military member enters basic training, they will need some documents to make sure that their pay and allowances are set up correctly. First, they will need the routing number and bank account number of the account into which they want their pay deposited. They will need to take marriage certificates, social security cards and birth certificates for the spouse and kids. In most cases, these get mailed home shortly after arriving at basic.
In my totally unscientific poll, the average amount of time before the first pay was deposited was 21 to 35 days, with just a few people stating that their pay took longer. The Marines seem to be different, though, and I have heard numerous people say that the Marines didn’t have access to their pay until the end of basic training.
You also need to know how military pay is calculated and paid. The whole pay period is a month long, from the 1st until the last day of the month. Most pays and allowances are paid on a monthly basis, including base pay, basic allowance for housing (BAH) and basic allowance for subsistence (BAS). For the mid-month pay, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) will calculate what the monthly amount will be and then pay half, using the information that is current up until that date. Sometime around the 22nd-24th of the month, DFAS will finalize the month’s accounting and issue a Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) for all the military members. The LES lists all the pays and allowances, all the deductions for things like Social Security and taxes, and any allotments for savings, bills, etc. The LES will come up with a grand total for the month, then list the amount paid mid-month, and calculate the amount that will be paid in the End of Month (EOM) pay.
My friend Hank has done a great article explaining the LES at Military Money Might: The Secrets to Understanding Your Spouse’s Leave and Earnings Statement (LES).
The amount of each pay will be erratic at first, for a variety of reasons. At many Basic Military Training locations, the new recruits are issued a debit card to use in the military exchange, and that will come out of one of their first pays. It can take a while for BAH and family separation pay to get properly organized. In addition, everything gets paid retroactively to the first day of BMT, so you might have a big check, then a smaller one thereafter.
The military doesn’t hand out pay stubs like many civilian jobs do. Everything is available online at a website called MyPay. You can learn more about MyPay access at How To Access MyPay.
Please leave comments, errors and suggestions below. I am hoping to develop this into a really comprehensive guide to help all new military families. Thanks for your help.
Hi,
I very much appreciate the information. I have been told several different dates to expect a first pay check. My husband began his military journey (Army National Guard) on November 22nd. In your experience, would I be correct in assuming we won't see anything until Christmas? I have been told that I can expect to see it on Dec. 8th, 15th, 22nd and the latest info I received is Jan. 1 but I don't know who the most credible source is. Any insight you can offer is greatly appreciated.
Hi Nicole,
I hope that my information isn't incorrect for the Army National Guard – I was writing it from an active duty perspective and honestly I don't know much about National Guard pay. (I'm working on that but there is a lot to learn!)
I will be hoping that you get paid before Christmas. With my limited knowledge, I'd say there is a 50-50 chance that it will be on the 15th or the 1st. Welcome to the vagueness of the military world.
My husband left for training may 3 2011 and on his mypay account for june 1st it states that he is getting paid $0 what does that mean?
I am in the same situation as well.. I would like to know what you found out and what eventually happened.
Hey! My husband left for the Air Force BMT May 29th, it's now June 15th and he has only recieved $500 (nearly 3,000 less than his contract stated he would recieve monthly including BAH) Who do I contact to find out what's going on? I need to pay bills and buy groceries for our toddler and myself (I'm 5 mo pregnant). Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you!
Sheaunna, I’m actually surprised that your husband has been paid at all when he has only been gone 18 days. First pay usually takes somewhere between 21-35 days before it is paid, sometimes soon or sometimes longer. It sounds like your husband’s unit did a great job of getting the pay started so quickly. In addition, the first few paychecks are a bit erratic as they process all the paperwork, including starting BAH. Did you find the answers to your questions in this post? Were there other questions that were not answered in this post?
I also have a toddler and am currently 6 months pregnant. My husband left for BMT on July 24th. I currently work at Disney's California Adventure, but I left for maternity leave early since he would be gone for a while. I only get paid 60% of my normal paycheck. My son just started preschool right before my husband left. I still haven't received anything at all, and I have no idea how I'm going to be able to pay for our rent, bills, preschool, groceries, etc. either! My question is the same as yours: who do I contact to find out what's going on?
Grace, if your husband just left on 24 July, I wouldn't expect him to see a paycheck until at least 15 August. Active duty folks are paid on the 1st and 15th of each month, unless it is a weekend or holiday, in which case they are paid the business day before the 1st or 15th. Did he take his bank account information with him? If he set up a direct deposit to your joint bank account, then you will see the pay as soon as it arrives. There isn't really anyone to contact because this is perfectly normal. First pay usually takes a few weeks to get organized, and it will be erratic at first. He will be paid in arrears when his pay does get organized. I know that is no help right now. If you don't have an emergency fund or other arrangements, you need to start contacting your creditors and explain the situation to them.
Good luck to you, and welcome to the crazy world of the military!
Thank you so much. This information has actually really helped me a lot. We only get to talk once a week on Sunday and the last thing I want to talk to him about is our financial problems! We did receive $500 on the 15th, which wasn't what we were expecting but at least it's something! He did take our joint account information with him.
You are not alone…my life left for bmt for the army and I also have to feed my son and pay bills…I recently had 2 transplanted in January…I also have to get my medicine…she left on the 29th as well
get jobs! stop feeding and living off the husbands!
Dear real army soldier, we try to be helpful and respectful here at The Paycheck Chronicles. As a military wife who has given up many jobs due to PCSes, and also did not work when our children were small, I am offended by your comment. Many military families find that their lives are improved by having a stay-at-home spouses.
Also, I think that Jermaine is the husband.
Hey, these wives are pregnant and or have very young children to care for. Have you tried to be both mom and dad lately? I can tell you, It’s Not Easy! Lay off these precious souls!
As a real military wife, I would love to have a real job and make my own money, but with 4 kids, a deployed husband, the cost of chldcare, and economy, it would cost us more for me to work than I would make, and I'm a CMA. These people are brand new to this adventure, asking questons. I know for the Navy, pay issues are common, in the past 12 years ours has been messed up several times, so my advice, once you start getting paid double check its correct, when you PCS, make sure its correct, any changes check. My husband has made many trips to PSD, nobody's perfect.
Hey, my husband left for BCT for the army august 20th and started august 25th. When will his paycheck including bah go into his account? I am 8 months pregnant and have to pay for bills as well as my sons circumcision before my 35th week.
For "real army soldier" My husband is gone too. We have 3 kids. I have a fulltime job with 20+ employees AND I am in college. Kids, work and college with an active military husband is beyond difficult. All these moms need things just like I do, money or attention or a support system like this site. If I could be home and dedicate myself to my kids and school and not work, I would. Pretty sure anyone would.
Hey “Real Army Soldier,” I am a soldier, and I applaud these mothers who go above and beyond for their families. Why don’t you GET A LIFE AND QUIT TROLLING SITES LIKE THIS, JERK!!
To the ladies and gents on this site that take care of their homes, thank you.
My husband left for Army BCT on Nov 7 & actually started on Nov 12…his LES for 121130 has all zeros…why is that? i am trying to support my daughter and myself on just my paycheck and I dont want to worry him, but miney is tight and we needed his pay. thanks.
Beth, unfortunately, first pay doesn't usually show up that quickly. I would expect that he will get his first pay on 15 December 2012, but that is no guarantee. I know that isn't much help when you have bills to pay. I suggest you call your creditors and let them know that your husband has gone to military training and that his pay will be delayed. Even if only some people will let you extend your payment, that might help. I'm not sure if Army Emergency Relief would be able to help in this situation, but it is worth contacting them. They are online at http://www.aerhq.org/dnn563/. I hope this all works out for you.
Thanks Kate. I talked to his recruiter and he said that the LES i got sounded like just a statement reminding me if the fact that he was going to have 350.00 taken out of his first check; that they dont normally issue LES until around the 25th. When I talked to my husband after in-processing, he said that everything was set up and I should recieve something at the end of the month. Also, on the LES I received it didnt have any of our banking information even though that was set up months ago; he has already been to two drills and gotten paid (albeit not via direct deposit, but Uncle Sam does know where he lives and that he is in the National Guard). His recruiter said that he should get something at the end of the month as well, seeing as he physically got to Ft LWood on Nov 7 (so is that when he technically started?) and was done with in-processing by Nov.9…i am so confused! I just dont want to lose my home because I am waiting on the Army to pay my husband
Beth, I don't want you to get your hopes up too high, because all LESs went out early this month due to the holiday weekend. I know it seems that he should get an end-of-month pay for November, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way. Please, please take every step possible to lessen the pain if he doesn't get paid on Friday. Call your creditors, check with Army Emergency Relief to see if they can help, and explore other options. (No payday loans, thought, please!) Also, keep in mind that the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act gives you protections as long as your husband is on the lease or mortgage for your house. Make sure your landlord or mortgage loan servicer knows that he is in the military.
Keep me up to date. Your experiences will help others in the future. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.
I am pretty sure he isnt getting paid, so no high hopes there. How does the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act work? Do I need to contact somebody? Because I dont want to lose my apartment (yes he is on the lease) as well as I dont want him to lose his truck or me lose my car (our names are on both).
Beth, I would absolutely talk to your landlord immediately. They *should* be willing to work with you. If not, I'd come back with a copy of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, perhaps highlighted with the relevant portions. I did a whole piece on it: http://paycheck-chronicles.military.com/2011/04/0…. (It's a short version, but has links to more information.) Also, I'd let the lenders on your vehicles know that he has entered the service, for two reasons. First, to give them a heads up that your payment could be late, and ask them if they'd rather have you make a partial payment if you can. Second, if you are currently paying more than 6% interest on those loans, you can ask them to lower the interest rate based upon the provisions of the SCRA.
I think this will probably work out in the end, but there are probably going to be some stressful days along the way. I'll be thinking of you.
Kate: just wanted to give you an update. The American Red Cross has been a God send. They set me up with a loan to pay my bills so I wouldnt have to worry. My DH is actually getting his first pay in 121205. And it includes everything. Thanks for all your advice!
*money is tight…excuse me
Hi, i recently just got home for holiday block leave from basic training from fort leonardwood. I came home with intentions of getting paid due to the fact that most of my friends from basic did. I started on Nov 14th. I came home with nothing in the bank. And with holiday bock leave i have to go back on january 3rd and i want to make sure my wife is good before i head back. Could it possibly not of came in yet and I have to play the waiting game or should I contact someone about it? Please anyone that could help me in this situation please reply.
Jerome, payday isn't officially until Monday. Depending on what bank or credit union you use, they could deposit it earlier, but that is just a bonus. Do you have access to your MyPay account yet? That is the first place to check, by looking at your Leave and Earnings Statement.
I hope that helps. Good luck with the rest of your training.
thats another problem of mine i have no idea what my mypay is -_- im just wondering where my first check went. im with us bank and im concerned my money is somewhere else. should it come by the 1st and 15th of january while im back in training?
Jerome, there is a good chance that you haven't been paid yet, and that your first pay will come on Monday. I'm not familiar with the policies of US Bank, so I can't tell you when that would be deposited. However, it is possible that your payment info hasn't been fully processed yet, since there have been two long weekends since you started training.
The paydays for January are 15 January and 1 February. The December end-of-month pay is scheduled for 31 December 2012. When your pay does start, it will eventually be retroactive to the time you started training. It usually takes a few pay periods for everything to work out.
When you return from leave, please ask about getting a MyPay account set up. This is something that should be happening at some time during training.
Good luck to you, and enjoy the rest of your holiday.
thank you! i will comment on here again to just let you know if it did or didnt come in yet. And i will talk to someone about a mypay account once i get back. Just for clarification, i SHOULD be getting paid on the 31st right?
Unfortunately, it isn't a should type of situation. New enlistees typically receive their first pay between 21 and 35 days after beginning training. However, sometimes it takes longer. With two long holiday periods during your first six weeks of training, it is entirely possible that your first pay has been delayed. I will keep my fingers crossed that your pay arrives tomorrow, but start making plans in case it doesn't.
Hope that helps.
I have a question my husband got to reception on jan 2 and bct started on the 7th of January. When will our first payday probably be , just wondering so I can let the bill people know.
Oh, Amanda, I wish I could tell you for sure. It's probably not much help for me to say that it will probably be either 1 February or 15 February, but that is the truth. I don't see any way it would get sorted in time for the 15 January pay, and if it takes until 1 March then someone is really not doing their job right.
I hope you can manage until then. Good luck to you, and welcome!
My fiancee left for basic on january 7th, and i have not seen any money deposited into our account. Would it be safe to assume she will be paid March 1st, 2013?
I have read it could take 30-45 days and i believe today is the 46th day, and she was taking care of her BAH because she left a lease. Can that have delayed the ENTIRE process?
I forgot to say, Im not on her lease so her recruiter came and got it. He has faxed it twice and now she is asking for physical copies. I have to take care of her finances and I feel like finance doesn't care about things like ruining someone's credit.
Sorry. I also know im not alone. But I would like more information.
Mufusm, I'm sorry, I don't know where my reply went. Anyway, I agree that is a long time for a first pay to arrive. It does happen, though. If you are able to talk to your fiance, perhaps she could see if other people in her group have been paid. Regarding BAH, there are a couple of issues here. First, she shouldn't be getting BAH, because you are not married. Servicemembers without dependents don't receive BAH while they are in training. I'm not sure why her recruiter would be asking for her lease. There might be other issues here that I don't know about, of course. Good luck to you.
im joining the navy but i have so many concerns, people say that the military is a scam and the pay is like working at a fast food resurant. and the recuiters lie so much they say that during boot camp your apost to make 1,200-1,700 dollars a month but that turns out to be a total scam. in reality you only get paid like 300-500 if you are an E-1 or E-2 the higher the rank the higher the pay. but i feel like if someone is going to join the navy or the military than you should tell the truth dont beat around the bush or deceive them because once they agree with you and sign that cantract they are summited to the goverment and they are putting there lives on the line for all of us so they need to stop and the olny reason they lie is because the more recuits they get the more money they get and thats not fair at all. everyone should be equal.
Smith, the military pay charts are readily available for you to search. You can see that the lowest amount of pay for any rank or time in service is $1405.00 per month. http://www.military.com/military/benefits/0,15465… Hope that helps!
i have been in the navy for 2 12 years now and i can assure you that recruiters dont get more pay because of the amount of recruits they put in the navy. they are not car salesman they dont work for commission.
Oh, Jerome, how frustrating. I hope that perhaps your bank was just really slow to post yesterday. I would say whether to ask depends on how things are going in your BMT unit. Maybe ask around and see if other people got paid? Good luck to you, and try not to worry too much!
before i left people in my platoon were getting paid already. Is it possible or more then likely that i will get paid on the 15th of this month? i leave tomorrow to head back to basic training and my wife is worried due to bills and things we need to pay off. thank you for all the advice btw.
Ok I'm on my phone typing so I'm very sorry for the typos above!!!!