Quote: Ming the Mirthless @ December 7 2009, 11:39 PM GMTIn WW2, a British private received the princely sum of £3 per month while his American counterpart received several times that amount.
I remember taking home $1500/month as a married Private with 2 kids back in the mid 80s. It wasn't much, but I could afford all the necessities: apartment, car and beer. I never paid any income tax, had free medical/dental care and managed to make ends meet.
Here's a link to current pay data. As you can see, a Private right out of Basic Training makes $1400 per month. He/she will receive extra for housing (if married), clothing and combat pay when applicable. Meals are furnished and there's a sizable amount of money for university once it's all over. Retirees (20 years) receive half their base pay for life plus free medical care and other benefits.
http://www.dfas.mil/militarypay/militarypaytables/2009MilitaryPayTables.pdf
As a veteran, I qualified for a VA home loan. I bought a nice, new, 4-bedroom home and it only cost me $500 out of pocket to move in.
All in all, you won't get rich, but it's a decent living and some of us have managed to parlay our military training into successful careers.
