$$MONEY$$ STAY NAVY!! NAVADMIN 076/08
April 17, 2008 by Da-Chief
Filed under Message Traffic, Ships Library
RTTUZYUW RUEWMCS0000 0812124-UUUU--RUCRNAD ZNR UUUUU R 212124Z MAR 08 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// TO NAVADMIN INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1// BT UNCLAS //N01040// NAVADMIN 076/08 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/MAR// SUBJ/PAY AND COMPENSATION - STAY NAVY CAMPAIGN// REF/A/DOC/OPNAV/03DEC06// AMPN/REF A IS OPNAVINST 1040.11B GOVERNING NAVY RETENTION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.// RMKS/1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS SIXTH MESSAGE IN THE STAY NAVY CAMPAIGN SERIES IS TO COMPARE NAVY PAY AND COMPENSATION WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR USING TWO SPECIFIC EXAMPLES. ALTHOUGH SAILOR CAREER SATISFACTION IS NOT BASED SOLELY ON COMPENSATION, WE RECOGNIZE THAT PAY AND BENEFITS ARE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN SAILOR AND FAMILY SATISFACTION, AND AS A RESULT, RETENTION. TAKE THE TIME TO HELP ENSURE YOUR SAILORS UNDERSTAND THEIR TRUE PAY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE. THIS MESSAGE, ALONG WITH ONLINE COMPENSATION CALCULATORS, IS INTENDED TO BE USED AS AN ADDITIONAL TOOL IN THE BROADER CAREER COUNSELING AND REVIEW SESSIONS THAT OUR SAILORS RECEIVE. 2. COMPETITIVE SALARIES. MOST SAILORS UNDERSTAND THEIR BASE PAY AND BASIC ALLOWANCES SUCH AS BAH, BAS, AND CLOTHING ALLOWANCE. HOWEVER, TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF A NAVY CAREER, SAILORS MUST RESEARCH WELL BEYOND THE PAY CHARTS TO RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS THE NAVY OFFERS SUCH AS MEDICAL, DENTAL, AND COMMISSARY PRIVILEGES. ADDITIONALLY, THE MILITARY RETIREMENT SYSTEM ENSURES THAT SAILORS WHO STAY 20 YEARS OR MORE WILL RECEIVE PAY FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES, AND IS ONE OF THE FEW RETIREMENT SYSTEMS WITH AN ANNUAL COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. UNLIKE MOST OF THEIR CIVILIAN COUNTERPARTS PAYING INTO DEFINED CONTRIBUTION RETIREMENT PLANS (SUCH AS THE 401(K)), NAVY MEMBERS MAKE NO MONETARY CONTRIBUTION TOWARD THEIR MILITARY RETIREMENT. 3. ENLISTED COMPENSATION ILLUSTRATION BASED ON 2008 PAY RATES: A PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS AVIATION MECHANIC STATIONED IN NORFOLK WITH TWO DEPENDENTS AND OVER FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. HER MILITARY GROSS ANNUAL SALARY IS APPROXIMATELY 46,487 DOLLARS, AS COMPARED TO A PRIVATE SECTOR COUNTERPART AT APPROXIMATELY 43,790 DOLLARS. BREAKING DOWN THE PETTY OFFICER?S TOTAL ANNUAL SALARY, THIS SAILOR IS MAKING ABOUT 3,533 DOLLARS IN BAS, 15,324 DOLLARS IN BAH (W/DEPENDENTS), 680 DOLLARS CLOTHING MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE AND A BASE PAY OF 26,968 DOLLARS. UNLIKE HER PRIVATE SECTOR COUNTERPART, THE PETTY OFFICER RECEIVES A TAX BREAK BECAUSE ALLOWANCES SUCH AS BAH AND BAS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO FEDERAL INCOME TAX. THIS TAX ADVANTAGE INCREASES THE VALUE OF THE PETTY OFFICER?S ANNUAL SALARY BY 5,721 DOLLARS. AS A CIVILIAN, THE AVIATION MECHANIC IN THIS EXAMPLE WOULD HAVE TO EARN ABOUT 52,000 DOLLARS TO HAVE A COMPARABLE AFTER-TAX INCOME. THIS AMOUNT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANNUAL INDIRECT COMPENSATION ATTAINED SUCH AS MEDICAL, DENTAL, VISION, AND COMMISSARY BENEFITS WHICH ADD UP TO APPROXIMATELY 6,875 DOLLARS. IF THIS SAME SAILOR MAKES AN INFORMED DECISION AND DECIDES TO “STAY NAVY” AND RETIRE AFTER 24 YEARS AS A SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER, SHE CAN EXPECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: A. HIGH-3 MILITARY RETIREMENT PAYOUT OVER 40 YEARS OF OVER FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. AS A CIVILIAN, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ACCRUE 2,652,892 DOLLARS AT THE TIME OF RETIREMENT TO RECEIVE A COMPARABLE PAYOUT. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS AMOUNT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO INVEST 57,972 DOLLARS ANNUALLY AT AN EIGHT PERCENT RETURN OVER A 20-YEAR PERIOD. B. IF SHE OPTS TO TAKE THE CAREER STATUS BONUS (CSB) AT 15 YEARS OF SERVICE, SHE WILL RECEIVE A REDUX MILITARY RETIREMENT PAYOUT OVER 40 YEARS OF 4,360,782 DOLLARS. AS A CIVILIAN, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ACCRUE 2,354,259 DOLLARS AT THE TIME OF YOUR RETIREMENT TO RECEIVE A COMPARABLE PAYOUT. IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THIS AMOUNT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO INVEST 51,446 DOLLARS ANNUALLY AT AN EIGHT PERCENT RETURN OVER A 20- YEAR PERIOD. ALL DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE PRE-TAX ESTIMATES. C. IF SHE OPTS TO TRANSITION TO THE RESERVE COMPONENT AFTER SERVING EIGHT YEARS OF ACTIVE DUTY, SHE WILL RECEIVE A MILITARY PAYOUT OVER 20 YEARS (STARTING AT AGE 60) OF 1,606,604 DOLLARS. DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE PRE-TAX ESTIMATES BASED ON AVERAGE SELECTED RESERVE PARTICIPATION. 4. OFFICER COMPENSATION ILLUSTRATION BASED ON 2008 PAY RATES: AN O-3 FROM THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA WITH DEPENDENTS AND OVER FOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. HIS MILITARY GROSS ANNUAL SALARY IS APPROXIMATELY 83,620 DOLLARS. BREAKING DOWN THE LIEUTENANT?S TOTAL ANNUAL SALARY, THIS OFFICER IS MAKING ABOUT 2,433 DOLLARS IN BAS, 26,640 DOLLARS IN BAH (W/DEPENDENTS) AND A BASE PAY OF 54,547 DOLLARS. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, UNLIKE THEIR PRIVATE SECTOR COUNTERPART, THE LIEUTENANT RECEIVES A TAX BREAK BECAUSE ALLOWANCES SUCH AS BAH AND BAS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO FEDERAL INCOME TAX. THIS TAX ADVANTAGE INCREASES THE VALUE OF THE LIEUTENANT?S EFFECTIVE ANNUAL MONETARY COMPENSATION BY ALMOST 14,094 DOLLARS. AS A CIVILIAN, THE LIEUTENANT IN THIS EXAMPLE WOULD HAVE TO EARN ABOUT 97,000 DOLLARS TO HAVE A COMPARABLE AFTER TAX INCOME. THIS AMOUNT DOES NOT INCLUDE ANNUAL INDIRECT COMPENSATION ATTAINED SUCH AS MEDICAL, DENTAL, VISION, AND COMMISSARY BENEFITS WHICH ADD UP TO ANOTHER 6,759 DOLLARS. TYPICALLY JUNIOR OFFICERS WHO LEAVE ACTIVE DUTY WILL HAVE INITIAL STARTING COMPENSATION THAT IS 10-20 PERCENT LESS THAN THEIR ACTIVE DUTY COMPENSATION. IF THIS SAME LIEUTENANT MAKES AN INFORMED DECISION AND DECIDES TO ?STAY NAVY? AND RETIRE AFTER 22 YEARS AS A COMMANDER, HE CAN EXPECT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: A. HIGH-3 MILITARY RETIREMENT PAYOUT OVER 40 YEARS OF 7,019,980 DOLLARS. AS A CIVILIAN, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ACCRUE 3,724,065 DOLLARS AT THE TIME OF RETIREMENT TO RECEIVE A COMPARABLE PAYOUT. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS AMOUNT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO INVEST 81,379 DOLLARS ANNUALLY AT AN EIGHT PERCENT RETURN OVER A 20-YEAR PERIOD. B. IF HE OPTS TO TAKE THE CSB AT 15 YEARS OF SERVICE, THE RETIRING COMMANDER WILL RECEIVE A REDUX MILITARY RETIREMENT PAYOUT OVER 40 YEARS OF 5,991,688 DOLLARS. AS A CIVILIAN, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ACCRUE 3,212,646 DOLLARS AT THE TIME OF YOUR RETIREMENT TO RECEIVE A COMPARABLE PAYOUT. IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THIS AMOUNT, YOU WOULD HAVE TO INVEST 70,230 DOLLARS ANNUALLY AT AN EIGHT PERCENT RETURN OVER A 20- YEAR PERIOD. ALL DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE PRE-TAX ESTIMATES. C. IF HE OPTS TO TRANSITION TO THE RESERVE COMPONENT AFTER SERVING EIGHT YEARS OF ACTIVE DUTY, HE WILL RECEIVE A MILITARY PAYOUT OVER 20 YEARS (STARTING AT AGE 60) OF 2,692,347 DOLLARS. DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE PRE-TAX ESTIMATES BASED ON AVERAGE SELECTED RESERVE PARTICIPATION. 5. INDIVIDUALS CAN CALCULATE THEIR PERSONAL PAY AND COMPENSATION DATA (INCLUDING SPECIAL PAYS) USING THE PAY AND COMPENSATION CALCULATOR FROM A LINK ON THE NPC WEBSITE: WWW.NPC.NAVY.MIL. OTHER STAY NAVY TOOLS AVAILABLE ARE THE SELECTIVE REENLISTMENT BONUS AND ACTIVE AND RESERVE RETIREMENT CALCULATORS. THESE STAY NAVY TOOLS PROVIDE VALUABLE, INDIVIDUALIZED CAREER COUNSELING AND CAREER DECISION INFORMATION. 6. POINT OF CONTACT: CAPT WILLIAM FOSTER (DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT) AT (901) 874-2410/DSN 882 OR EMAIL AT WILLIAM.F.FOSTER(AT)NAVY.MIL. 7. RELEASED BY VADM J. C. HARVEY, JR., N1.// BT #0000 NNNN