Navy SEALs Pay Per Year

© 2012 by Aurelio Locsin.

Navy SEALs take their name by combining the environments for which they are trained: sea, air and land. They work in small teams, typically at night, to perform missions that protect the national interest. They earn their pay by neutralizing enemy forces, eliminating counter terrorist threats, training allies, and observing and reporting on enemy activity.

Contrary to popular belief, members of the SEALs do not get special pay. Instead, they receive the same wages as all members of the Armed Forces, which depend on rank and experience.

• The ranks of enlisted men start at E-1 or seaman recruit. Pay is $1,378 a month according to military compensation tables from the Department of Defense. This amount only applies to new recruits with less than four months of service.
• The E-2 or seaman apprentice rank receives $20,055 per year.
• At E-4 or petty officer third class, pay starts at $23,360 per year for less than two years of service and tops out at $28,357 per year after 6 years.
• The highest rank of E-9 or master chief petty officer starts at $56,505.60 per year after 10 years and can go as high as $87,732 per year after 37 years.

Warrant officers are technical officers who rank above enlisted personnel but below officers.

• Ranks start at W-1 or Warrant Officer 1, though this is no longer used. Pay starts at $33,174 per year for under two years of service and tops out at $57,322.80 per year after 20 years.
• The highest rank of W-5 or chief warrant officer 5 starts at $83,160 per year after 20 years and reaches its maximum $108,824 annually after 38 years.

Officer ranks start at O-1 or ensign, with pay that begins at $33,940 per year for under 2 years of service and reaches the maximum $42,703 per year after three years.

• The rank of O-6 or captain starts with pay of $71,556 per year for under two years of service and continues on to $81,190 after 10 years. The highest pay of $126,687 per year is granted after 26 years.
• The highest rank of O-10 or admiral starts with an annual salary of $187,764 at 20 years of service. The maximum pay of $219,880 per year happens after 38 years.

Many SEALs receive incentive pay and allowances because of the nature of their duties. However, these are also granted to any members of the Armed Forces in the same situation. Due to the temporary nature of some of these duties, pay is listed in monthly amounts unless otherwise noted.

• Men who are subject to the threat of physical harm such as during wartime conditions receive hostile fire/imminent danger pay at $225 per month.
• Those who volunteer for diving duty receive up to $340 per month if they are enlisted or up to $240 per month if they are officers.
• Those who are proficient in foreign languages can receive a proficiency bonus of up to $12,000 for a 12-month certification period.