I have no issues with the amount I am getting paid right now. My base pay (pay before benefits and bonuses for being in combat) is right around $30,000/yr. That will be across the board for anyone my rank/time.
Now, since I live in Hawaii, I get a higher housing allowance than most. It's roughly $24,000/yr. Most places it's right around $12,000/yr. But, since I live on post, I don't see a penny of that. I just get to live in a house that they assign me for free. But we'll count it anyway, since I look at it as a fair trade.
Again, since I live in Hawaii, I get a "Cost Of Living Allowance", or COLA. It's about $8,000/yr.
So, since I live in Hawaii, my pay (without combat benefits or health insurance) is around $60,000/yr. If I lived anywhere else, it would drop to about $45,000/yr.
Now, let's talk about combat bonuses. I get the following:
Hostile Fire Pay/Imminent Danger Pay: $225/mo
Family Separation Allowance: $250/mo
Now, those numbers sound pretty good. But think about it this way; if a person were to ask you, "Hey, I need you to spend a month away from your family. You might get to talk to them, and you might not. I'll give you $250." Would you do it?
Now, let's talk about hours:
My typical day as an NCO starts with megetting my soldiers' rooms at 0530 for an inspection. Then it's off to PT at 0630. We get done foughly 0800, and have an hour break until we report for work at 0900. Lunch is scheduled from 1130-1300, but typically ends up being about an hour. The end of the day is scheduled to be 1700. But I am in a combat company, and so it normally isn't any earlier than 1800. Sometimes (about once a week) we even stay past 2000.
So, we're looking at roughly 50+ hours a week for $45,000-$60,000/yr.
Now let's look at a deployment. While deployed, I'll get an extra $5700/yr.
First off, you get no weekends. It's work 7 days a week. Second, you don't have "personal time". I try to get my guys as much time off as possible. But even now, on the 4th, while typing this response up, my Squad Leader has come in here four times giving me tasks to do, and I had to stop this to get them done.
Now, I consider myself to have it easy out here. I live in an actual building while not on missions. I have internet access so that I can contact my family. But others don't have it this easy, and I don't while on mission.
Typically, our mission schedule was 1 week out, 1 week back. While on mission, if we're lucky, we can stage in a patrol base, so that we can take our gear off and sleep outside the trucks. If we're not that lucky, we have to keep a 24/7 two man guard in the guns of our trucks, and we have to sleep sitting in our trucks. During the day, it's driving the trucks along at the racing speed of 4Km/hr. No, that's not a typo, that 4Km/hr. We are route clearance looking for IEDs and mines to clear the way for others behind us.
As a team leader, I play the role of soldier, mentor, counselor, career advisor, teacher, and leader in combat. The bond of a soldier and a team leader is a unique one. It has to foster a trust like no other relationship.
I said all that to say that I don't think I am getting overpaid. I do not complain, though. I don't think I need more money, as I am making enough to take care of my family and put some aside for the future. But overpaid? Far from it.
I do take some issue with comparing a grocery store dept manager with a member of the military though. Not in job importance, or even pay. If they get paid more than me, oh well. But to compare the job is ludicrous. I've worked in a grocery store. I've been a manager at a couple different restaurants. It's apples and oranges with the military.
