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Does anyone know where I might go to find how much different ranks were paid in the U. S. Army in 1912?
U. S. Army pay in 1912
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Google or other search engine is likely to be your friend.
And can likely get some help (may take a while, but will be there) by contacting the Center for Military History at Carlisle barracks and/or constituent services at your Congress Critter's office.
And can likely get some help (may take a while, but will be there) by contacting the Center for Military History at Carlisle barracks and/or constituent services at your Congress Critter's office.
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Can't find 1912 specifically. Found out that pay had been frozen for 30 years and was increased in 1908. Find that 1908 table and you'll find your answer.
Here's 1917. I'm sure in every category it's within a dollar or two of 1912:
Pay Tables for 1917
Field Service Pocket Book, United States Army,
1917, Washington, GPO, 1917
Chapter VII
PAY.
520. Table of Monthly Pay of Enlisted Men Serving in
Enlistment Periods as Indicated:
Private; private, second class; and bugler:
--First----------$30
--Second------- 33
--Third--------- 36
--Fourth-------- 37
--Fifth---------- 38
--Sixth---------- 39
--Seventh------ 40
Corporal (Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry), saddler, mechanic (Infantry, Cavalry, Field Artillery, Medical Department), and wagoner;
--First----------$36
--Second------- 39
--Third--------- 42
--Fourth-------- 45
--Fifth---------- 48
--Sixth---------- 51
--Seventh------ 54
Corporal (Engineers, Ordnance, Signal Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Medical Department); mechanic, Coast Artillery, Field Artillery; and musician, third class (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers):
--First----------$36
--Second------- 39
--Third--------- 42
--Fourth-------- 45
--Fifth---------- 48
--Sixth---------- 51
--Seventh------ 54
Sergeant (Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry); stable sergeant (Field Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry); mess sergeant (Field Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry); cook, horseshoer; radio sergeant; fireman; band corporal; musician, second class (Field Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry, Engineers); musician, third class, Military Academy:
--First----------$38
--Second------- 41
--Third--------- 44
--Fourth-------- 47
--Fifth---------- 50
--Sixth---------- 53
--Seventh------ 56
Sergeant, Engineers, Ordnance, Signal Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Medical Department); stable sergeant, Engineers; supply sergeant, Engineers; mess sergeant, Engineers; color sergeant; electrician sergeant, second class; band sergeant; musician, first class I(Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers); musician, second class, Military Academy:
--First----------$44
--Second------- 48
--Third--------- 52
--Fourth-------- 56
--Fifth---------- 60
--Sixth---------- 64
--Seventh------ 68
Battalion sergeant major (Field Artillery, Infantry); squadron sergeant major; sergeant major, junior grade; master gunner; sergeant bugler; assistant band leader:
--First----------$48
--Second------- 52
--Third--------- 56
--Fourth-------- 60
--Fifth---------- 64
--Sixth---------- 68
--Seventh------ 72
Regimental sergeant major; regimental supply sergeant; sergeant major, senior grade; quartermaster sergeant, Quartermaster Corps; ordnance sergeant; first sergeant; battalion sergeant major, Engineers; battalion supply sergeant, Engineers; electrician sergeant, first class; sergeant first class (Quartermaster Corps, Engineers, Signal Corps); assistant engineer; musician, first class, Military Academy:
--First----------$51
--Second------- 55
--Third--------- 59
--Fourth-------- 63
--Fifth---------- 67
--Sixth---------- 71
--Seventh------ 75
Sergeant, first class, Medical Department; sergeant, field musician, Military Academy:
--First----------$56
--Second------- 60
--Third--------- 64
--Fourth-------- 68
--Fifth---------- 72
--Sixth---------- 76
--Seventh------ 80
Hospital sergeant; master engineer, junior grade; engineer:
--First----------$71
--Second------- 75
--Third--------- 79
--Fourth-------- 83
--Fifth---------- 87
--Sixth---------- 91
--Seventh------ 95
Quartermaster sergeant, senior grade, Quartermaster Corps; band leader; master signal electrician; master electrician, senor grade; master hospital sergeant; band sergeant and assist and leader, Military Academy:
--First----------$81
--Second------- 85
--Third--------- 89
--Fourth-------- 93
--Fifth---------- 97
--Sixth---------- 101
--Seventh------ 105
Here's 1917. I'm sure in every category it's within a dollar or two of 1912:
Pay Tables for 1917
Field Service Pocket Book, United States Army,
1917, Washington, GPO, 1917
Chapter VII
PAY.
520. Table of Monthly Pay of Enlisted Men Serving in
Enlistment Periods as Indicated:
Private; private, second class; and bugler:
--First----------$30
--Second------- 33
--Third--------- 36
--Fourth-------- 37
--Fifth---------- 38
--Sixth---------- 39
--Seventh------ 40
Corporal (Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry), saddler, mechanic (Infantry, Cavalry, Field Artillery, Medical Department), and wagoner;
--First----------$36
--Second------- 39
--Third--------- 42
--Fourth-------- 45
--Fifth---------- 48
--Sixth---------- 51
--Seventh------ 54
Corporal (Engineers, Ordnance, Signal Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Medical Department); mechanic, Coast Artillery, Field Artillery; and musician, third class (Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers):
--First----------$36
--Second------- 39
--Third--------- 42
--Fourth-------- 45
--Fifth---------- 48
--Sixth---------- 51
--Seventh------ 54
Sergeant (Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry); stable sergeant (Field Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry); mess sergeant (Field Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry); cook, horseshoer; radio sergeant; fireman; band corporal; musician, second class (Field Artillery, Cavalry, Infantry, Engineers); musician, third class, Military Academy:
--First----------$38
--Second------- 41
--Third--------- 44
--Fourth-------- 47
--Fifth---------- 50
--Sixth---------- 53
--Seventh------ 56
Sergeant, Engineers, Ordnance, Signal Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Medical Department); stable sergeant, Engineers; supply sergeant, Engineers; mess sergeant, Engineers; color sergeant; electrician sergeant, second class; band sergeant; musician, first class I(Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers); musician, second class, Military Academy:
--First----------$44
--Second------- 48
--Third--------- 52
--Fourth-------- 56
--Fifth---------- 60
--Sixth---------- 64
--Seventh------ 68
Battalion sergeant major (Field Artillery, Infantry); squadron sergeant major; sergeant major, junior grade; master gunner; sergeant bugler; assistant band leader:
--First----------$48
--Second------- 52
--Third--------- 56
--Fourth-------- 60
--Fifth---------- 64
--Sixth---------- 68
--Seventh------ 72
Regimental sergeant major; regimental supply sergeant; sergeant major, senior grade; quartermaster sergeant, Quartermaster Corps; ordnance sergeant; first sergeant; battalion sergeant major, Engineers; battalion supply sergeant, Engineers; electrician sergeant, first class; sergeant first class (Quartermaster Corps, Engineers, Signal Corps); assistant engineer; musician, first class, Military Academy:
--First----------$51
--Second------- 55
--Third--------- 59
--Fourth-------- 63
--Fifth---------- 67
--Sixth---------- 71
--Seventh------ 75
Sergeant, first class, Medical Department; sergeant, field musician, Military Academy:
--First----------$56
--Second------- 60
--Third--------- 64
--Fourth-------- 68
--Fifth---------- 72
--Sixth---------- 76
--Seventh------ 80
Hospital sergeant; master engineer, junior grade; engineer:
--First----------$71
--Second------- 75
--Third--------- 79
--Fourth-------- 83
--Fifth---------- 87
--Sixth---------- 91
--Seventh------ 95
Quartermaster sergeant, senior grade, Quartermaster Corps; band leader; master signal electrician; master electrician, senor grade; master hospital sergeant; band sergeant and assist and leader, Military Academy:
--First----------$81
--Second------- 85
--Third--------- 89
--Fourth-------- 93
--Fifth---------- 97
--Sixth---------- 101
--Seventh------ 105
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You think the army was bad, when my father joined the Navy in 1942, the pay was $13 a month.
In 1940, an Army buck private's pay was $21 per month, but was soon increased. Was surprised to find the earlier pay rates shown were as high as they were. The hourly civilian wage during WWI must have been very low, so Army pay, plus room and board, wasn't all that bad for a lot of the ranks.
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My dad loved to reminisce about the pay difference between his last civilian job before enlisting in the USAF in 1958. He went from making $65 a week at General Tire to earning $72 a month (paid only once a month) as an E-3 (he was given promotion advancement for his prior ARNG time) in the AF. IIRC, my dad told me the military wasn't required to pay FICA until Kennedy became President, which was same time the military rescinded Service Numbers in lieu of SSN's for pay and/or personnel identification.
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Dad's BLUEJACKET'S MANUAL (NIP, 1940) shows the following:
Grade 1 $126 (Chief Petty officers, permanent)
Grade 1-A $99 (Chief Petty Officers, acting)
Grade 2 $81 (Petty Officers 1st Class; other 1st class ratings)
Grade 3 $72 (PO2d Class; other 2nd class ratings)
Grade 4 $60 (PO3rd class; other 3rd class ratings)
Grade 5 $54 (Non-rated men 1st class)
Grade 6 $36 (Non-rated men 2nd class)
Grade 7 $21 (Non-rated men 3rd class)
Longevity pay - 10% after 4 years, 5% after each additional 4 years, not to exceed total of 25% extra
MoH, DSM, DFC or Navy Cross - $2/month
Crew's messman - $5/month
Gun captain - $2 to $5/month
Gun pointers and director pointers - $2 to $5/month
Range finder operators - $5/month
Mail clerks - $10 to $20/month
Expert riflemen - $3/month
Expert pistol - $3/month
Crapshooter - $1/month
Divers - $10 to $20/month
Submarine duty (unqualified in subs) - $5 to $10/month
Qualified in subs - $20-$30/month
Serving in aviation and on individual flight order - 50% increase in pay for rating held
20 cents per month deducted for hospital expenses
When I got to college, a private E-1 got $78 and a few cents monthly base pay, a second lieutenant (O-1) $212, which was up to $287 when i went on active duty in April, 1966. IF I recall correctly. Seems like it went to $294 and the $303 during my first 12 months on active duty. Quite a bit more now.
Military pay was reduced during budget strictures between the wars, not sure when the first reductions came, but seems like there may have been two, of about 10% each from things i have seen in military biographies. That hurt some people badly. Others (George Patton, anyone?) not so much.
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Clyde, my first USAF monthly paycheck, as an E-1, was $425 in 1983, and according to a handy Interweb inflation calculator, that amount would equal $1001.83 in 2014 Obammy/Zimbabwe dollars.
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They even had a song about it "Twenty-one Dollars A Day...Once a Month"
It was well before WWII, but my grandmother said that grandpa got a job with the school board making "a dollar a day" before they got married, and she thought that was a whole bunch of money for a newlywed couple (in addition to his farm of course...every decent family had a farm). :thumbsup:
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wow, you guys made me curious, so I dug through my personal papers and found my LEAVE AND EARNING STATEMENTS (LES), that I kept every month for the 20 years I was in the Army.
this is from Sept 1975.
Pvt E-1
base pay: $344.10
deductions;
soldiers' home $0.25
Soldier group life insurance (SGLI) $3.40
federal tax $39.86
FICA tax $20.14
NET PAY - 280.46
this is from Sept 1975.
Pvt E-1
base pay: $344.10
deductions;
soldiers' home $0.25
Soldier group life insurance (SGLI) $3.40
federal tax $39.86
FICA tax $20.14
NET PAY - 280.46
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When I was in junior high school, I had a history teacher who had been in the Army during the early-mid-1950's, and during a discussion about minimum wage (which at the time was maybe $1.25 an hour) he mentioned that he made about twelve and a half cents an hour in the Army, "but of course that was for 24 hours a day".
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I am not interested in army pay from 1940 to present. I am looking for army pay in 1912! And yes I have "GOOGLED' it but all the result seem to be the same as here.
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Well I did the best I could and got no response so maybe others didn't want to do more research for you.
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So do some more research - contact Archives. Or get into the 1912 (or both 1911 and 1912 FY) budget. Not on line, so you may have to (horror of horrors) go to a repository library and look at paper...
Some people aren't grateful for what they get.
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Am I reading it right 7th year as a Private is $40? I'm not questioning the money, but you would have to be quite a dud to be a Private after 7 years!
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No, not in the days before WWI - there were career privates and even for those who weren't, promotion was slow. For enlisted as well as officers. Look up the careers of officers in the period from 1865 to 1917 - and then thereafter in the post-war years.
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Not sure how good room and board was in 1940, but in 1949, the housing for a Sargent was not all that good. See the attached pictures of the housing.
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"A CAREER Private" in the "brown shoe" army? Now that is a lofty ambition. Let's see, KP, Guard duty, latrine duty, spit shine, moved every couple of years, mud, rain and lets not forget being shot at.........for the rest of your life....kill me now!
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