Other pay: Career Sea Pay - Military Pay & Allowances - Military Times

Other pay: Career Sea Pay

Sea pay is intended to offset the hardships of sea duty. Technically, all the services offer sea pay at different payment rates, but most service members who receive it are sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. Amounts depend on length of time on sea duty and paygrade.

In the Army, monthly sea pay currently ranges from $50 to $646 for enlisted members; $182 to $730 for warrant officers; and $150 to $380 for commissioned officers.

In the Air Force, current monthly rates are $50 to $520 for enlisted members and $150 to $380 for officers.

In the Navy and Marine Corps, current monthly rates are $50 to $620 for enlisted members, $180 to $700 for warrant officers, and $100 to $535 for officers.

The Coast Guard has a complex set of sea pay rates with three levels of payments for all paygrades, based on the type of ship to which members are assigned. Monthly payments across all three levels range from $20 for E-1s to $750 for E-9s and O-6s.

Sea pay is governed by a host of regulations, but the main requirement generally is that the service member be assigned to a ship, ship-based staff or a ship-based aviation unit whose job is performed while underway.

By law, sea pay goes to all members of two-crew missile submarines, even though only one crew is at sea at a time. Sea pay also goes to personnel serving aboard submarine and destroyer tenders.

Sea pay is taxable unless earned in a designated combat zone.

For current sea pay rates, visit www.militarytimes.com/money and click on “Pay Charts.”