Contents
The military estimates that the net present value of its pension at retirement is around $200,000 for an enlisted soldier and $700,000 for an officer.Mar 14, 2017
The military estimates that the net present value of its pension at retirement is around $200,000 for an enlisted soldier and $700,000 for an officer.
Final Pay Retirement System
Under this system your retired pay is computed by multiplying your final monthly base pay when you retire by 2.5% for every year of your service. That means you get 50% of your base pay if you retire with 20 years of service or 100% of your base pay if you retire after 40 years.
As of 2020 Military Retirement Calculator projections an E7 retiring with exactly 20 years of service would receive $27,827 per year. It’s important to note the present value of $838,551 for a 40 year old receiving this pension indefinitely.
If you retire at 30 years you get 75% of your final base pay. If you entered between September 8th, 1980 and August 1986 you are eligible for the High 36 system. Under this system your retirement pay is the average of your highest 36 months of base pay times 2.5% for every year of active duty.
I estimate that you’d be offered $470,000 for a $3,000 monthly pension that is about to start at age 65. (I can only estimate because plans vary in how quickly they adopt interest rate updates.) If you are a 65-year-old nonsmoking female, the pension is worth more like $626,000.
The best way to calculate the value of a pension is through a simple formula. The value of a pension = Annual pension amount divided by a reasonable rate of return multiplied by a percentage probability the pension will be paid until death as promised.
Can You Live Off Military Retirement Pay? The short answer is, yes, absolutely. But it takes a lot of planning to make this work. A good friend of mine, Doug Nordman, wrote the book, The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Early Retirement, and founded the website, The Military Guide.
Pay Grade | Years of Service | |
---|---|---|
Over 30 | Over 34 | |
E-9 | 7475 | 7849 |
E-8 | 6198 | 6198 |
For example, the retirement of an E-8 with 20 years is roughly $22,000 a year for just waking up in the morning. However, if you spread that out for another 40 years of living, retirement pay has reached a $1 million retirement package.
The total expected value of retiring at 20 years is worth nearly a million dollars, which means that the last two years of work in uniform are worth roughly half a million each to a typical officer (annual base pay plus half of their retirement stream).
Amongst the enlisted ranks, retention control points (RCPs) restrict maximum time in service by rank. Staff Sergeant (E6) is necessary to serve 20 years and earn a pension.
When an officer retires, their commission normally remains in force and effect forever. In return for the privilege of being legally entitled to being addressed by their military rank and getting all their retirement benefits, they basically remain an “officer of the United States” until death.
“Full bird” colonels and Navy captains, with an average 22 years of service, are compensated $10,841 per month. Officers who do not promote to become a general or admiral must retire after 30 years of service. At this point, they will be making $11,668 a month, or roughly $140,000 per year.
If you joined between Sept. 8, 1980, and July 31, 1986, you can use the High-3 Calculator to figure out your estimated base pay. This retirement plan offers a pension after 20 years of service that equals 2.5% of your average basic pay for your three highest paid years, or 36 months, for each year you serve.
The Marine Corps pension program offers half of a veteran’s full pay at time of retirement, beginning the day after retirement. For example, if you were making $60,000 a year when you retired, you can expect to make $30,000 each year as part of your pension.
The typical pension is worth about 8-10% of income.
Pension payments are made for the rest of your life, no matter how long you live, and can possibly continue after death with your spouse.
Pension payments are tax-free after age 60: Any super benefits, either pension or lump sum, paid to you after age 60 are tax-free.
A $50,000 annuity would pay you approximately $219 each month for the rest of your life if you purchased the annuity at age 60 and began taking payments immediately.
A Payments you receive as a member of a military service generally are taxed as wages except for retirement pay, which is taxed as a pension. If your retirement pay is based on age or length of service, it is taxable and must be included in your income as a pension on lines 5a and 5b of Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR.
It is reasonable to assume that the average enlisted member will be able to retire at 20 years having achieved the rank of E-7, and the average officer should be able to retire at 20 years at the rank of O-5.
Upon the release of a member of the Army from active duty for retirement, the Secretary of the Army shall present a United States flag to the member.
US Navy Salary FAQs
The average salary for an E5 – Navy – Petty Officer Second Class is $47,264 per year in United States, which is 10% higher than the average US Navy salary of $42,893 per year for this job.
Army Sergeant Pay
A Sergeant is a noncommissioned officer in the United States Army at DoD paygrade E-5. A Sergeant receives a monthly basic pay salary starting at $2,468 per month, with raises up to $3,502 per month once they have served for over 12 years.
Job Title | Salary |
---|---|
US Air Force E5 – Air Force – Staff Sergeant salaries – 464 salaries reported | $43,636/yr |
US Air Force E5 – Air Force – Staff Sergeant salaries – 20 salaries reported | $4,502/mo |
Military retired pay stops upon death of the retiree! The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) allows a retiree to ensure, after death, a continuous lifetime annuity for their dependents. The annuity which is based on a percentage of retired pay is called SBP and is paid to an eligible beneficiary.
The 2020 four-star general pay is $16,441.80 per month, which does not include amounts for a housing allowance and other benefits.
Related Searches
military retirement pay chart 2020
military retirement pay chart 2021
how much is a military pension after 4 years
military retirement calculator
air force pension chart
is military retirement worth it reddit
military retirement pay chart 2019
e7 retirement pay