An Analysis of Pay for Enlisted Personnel

Publication Date: January 2001

Publisher: RAND Corporation

Author(s): Beth J. Asch; John T. Warner; James Hosek

Research Area: Military and defense

Type: Brief

Abstract:

This documented briefing addresses the questions of whether military compensation is adequate to enable the military services to meet their manpower requirements now and in the future and whether action to change military compensation is required now. Major military pay legislation was passed in 1999 and took effect in Fiscal Year 2000, so there is also a question of whether that pay action is sufficient to meet both short-term and long-term challenges in recruiting, retaining, and motivating personnel. The briefing examines how the pay of enlisted personnel compares to that of their civilian counterparts, how these comparisons have changed over time, how the FY 2000 pay actions affect the comparisons, and how recruiting and retention have fared recently. Finally, it discusses the variety of policy options that might be considered.