Why is bas lower for officers

No allowance for clothing maintenance is provided. There are three types of clothing allowances to cover both initial allowances and replacements:. Initial Clothing Allowances are provided to enlisted members upon initial enlistment or upon other special qualification for entitlement to a prescribed outfitting of uniforms. The initial issue may be an in-kind issue or a combination of in kind issue and cash payment. Cash Clothing Replacement Allowances are provided to enlisted members upon the anniversary month each successive year following the provision of an initial clothing allowance.

Cash clothing replacement allowances are for replacement of required uniform items based on a normal wear rate. Extra Clothing Allowances are additional to initial and replacement allowances and do not reduce, replace or otherwise affect them.

Extra clothing allowances provide for unusual circumstances when an enlisted member may require additional uniform items or when an officer with a permanent duty station outside the United States or enlisted member may require civilian clothes to perform their assigned duties.

Soldiers are also entitled to the allowance if their families are unable to accompany them overseas due to medical reasons. This allowance is intended to offset the higher costs of food, transportation, clothing, and other non-housing items. COLA rates are based on the Soldiers' rank, duty location, and dependent status.

That law specifies how annual BAS increases are determined, saying that officer and enlisted BAS rates will increase each year based on "the monthly cost of a liberal food plan for a male in the U. So, the historical answer is that enlisted people work harder and need to eat more while they make less money.

That's the way it's always been. Military pay benefits are constantly changing. Make sure you're up-to-date with everything you've earned. Join Military. Did you know you can get your pay early? Get the latest on pay updates, benefit changes and award-winning military content. Right in your inbox. View more newsletters on our Subscriptions page.

Check out the US military pay scale charts for all ranks for active duty, as well as Reserve and Guard components. What will that do to your paycheck?

Read more. The military retirement system is arguably the best one around, but proper planning is needed to ensure you can retire Disability compensation is paid to veterans disabled by an injury or illness that was incurred or aggravated during active Benefit formula. To calculate how much drill pay is earned for a given month, divide monthly base pay by 30 to establish the daily rate of pay. Multiply the daily rate by the number of drill periods served that month.

That is the gross monthly pay before taxes and other withholdings. To see the current basic pay and drill pay charts, visit www. BAH is the modern version of a military program dating from under which service members are provided government quarters or a cash substitute when quarters are unavailable.

The allowance is not taxable. BAH rates, which vary by rank, location and whether a service member has dependents, are based on surveys of local rental costs for housing in hundreds of locations across the U. BAH rates can increase or decrease from year to year in a given location based on the latest survey data. Unlike regular BAH, it does not vary by location, but it does vary based on paygrade and family status. The type of BAH for which a reservist is eligible is based on length of active duty in one location, the type of active duty and whether the member is living in government quarters.