Comparing civilian pay to military compensation can seem like apples and oranges. Base pay accounts for only part of a soldier’s total income. There is no simple answer.

And kids are a major expense!

Passive income is money that shows up in your bank account without you actively working for every one of those dollars. Actually, you only get more BAH if you just get married, but no extra money for kids. A big myth in the military is that you get more benefits once you have kids. In my own household, I estimate spending $150 per month just on diapers and formula for my son. You could look at stock investing as passive income, but I prefer to put a little more work into the success of what I invest in, in order to actually influence whether or … Do military service members make more money than civilians over a career? Our up-to-date Army pay chart lets you know how much active duty enlisted and officer soldiers earn in base pay.