Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'd like to point out how good this actual salary really is.
When I first left active duty, I got hired into a future leaders development program for the federal government. My starting salary? $42,199. Fully taxed. To get hired, I had to have a finance or accounting degree with superior academic achievement (above 3.0).
For a young enlisted person, the pay is more than fair. Not too mention all of the free benefits like medical and the exchange.
I always here from my enlisted guys about how underpaid they feel they are. Then, many of them walk outside and drive off in a 40K truck. One e-5 owns a Raptor (50,000$ truck) and has a wife that doesn't work.
I have to agree.
We are talking about an E-2 here.
I left active duty at 22 years old but even then, I was frustrated at the complaining. I saw E-5's who lived on base (no housing bills), who CHOSE to have four kids, and had wives who CHOSE to not work, buy new cars and then complain that they couldn't make ends meet.
Is there some reason why so many military wives don't work?
It can depend upon the area - the fact that so many cannot have a true career due to constant PCSing and in part because many local employers do not want to have to train someone only to lose them due to another move (there are also some who do not think that local jobs should go to strangers when locals need the work).
Sometimes if someone has a GS position it might be possible to transfer to the new duty station.
Is there some reason why so many military wives don't work?
Quite a few reasons, most centering around frequently moving. On-base jobs open to civilians are better bets for hiring, in many cases, than off-base jobs. Many communities home to military bases are also home to a majority of employers retiscent to hire military spouses, having had the experience of them vacating the position after maybe only a couple of years. There can be true discrimination against military spouses in some communities. Due to frequent PCSes, spouse resumes can show lots of short-term gigs, which employers may find unattractive.
One other issue is that many on-base jobs are of limited pay and/or hours, so it's very supplemental, versus a serious contributing income. For some, it wouldn't earn the cost of the childcare required to do it if they have kids. If you are in a field that requires maintaining state certification or credentials (i.e. teaching licensure, social work, counseling, therapy, etc.), getting things to carry over state to state can be a hassle and not worth it if your spouse is on, say, a year-long billet.
I work for Navy CYP, myself, but it's really just for something fun to do (I'm a teacher, but there are no DOD schools on this installation, and we're not likely to be in the state long term, so I chose not to transfer my certs and endorsements). I do get f/t hours with CYP, though, because they are shortstaffed. And they started me high on the payscale due to my background and experience.
Consider, too, that many military marriages, particularly those of enlistees, are very young marriages (my husband mentors a young recruit who is getting divorced at 19). A military spouse without a degree is at a significant employment disadvantage.
My Dw had a hard time getting into any job above Minimum-Wage, because we moved so frequently.
Then when I was an E-5 we started buying apartment complexes [Tri-plex, five-plexes properties], and since I was deployed an average of 7 months of every year, she managed our properties. That worked well enough.
Then at one Duty Station, she bought herself a laundromat, and hired a crew of Sailors' wives. At another Duty Station she bought herself a catering service, and hired another crew of sailors' wives.
It worked out that she kept herself very busy; she finished her Accounting degree, we were foster-parents at three duty stations, and managing our properties.
Junior enlisted commonly struggle with their finances. But by the time I got up to E-5, we did pretty well.
It was not until after I retired that my Dw got another 'job'. She was way too busy when I was doing deployments.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
