Does Congress and the President get full Salary for Life? Is the Average Soldier Salary and Social Security Income that low?
This one is a combination of facts and false. Lets look at the numbers
Salary of Retired US Presidents
First is Salary of Retired US Presidents. The number listed isn’t even the salary of the current sitting president ($400,000) and I’m assuming it as intended to include the $50,000 annual expense account the President receives. Regardless, then number is wrong about retirement as well, the current retirement for a President is $191,300. [1][2]
Congressional Salary
The congress number are correct for currently elected congressman, but not for retired congress. [3]
The pension amount is determined by a formula that takes into account the years served and the average pay for the top three years in terms of payment. For example, a member of Congress who worked for 22 years and had a top three-year average salary of $153,900 would be eligible for a pension payment of $84,645 per year. The pension is also hard capped at 80% of salary (currently $139,200) A pension is available to Members 62 years of age with 5 years of service; 50 years or older with 20 years of service; or 25 years of service at any age. [4]
Deployed Soldier Salary
Deployed Salary Soldier is a difficult one to calculate since it can vary widely depending on rank, length of service, and whether or not you have dependents. For this part I am going to use enlisted service and not officer status only. Also for the BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) I used Concord, NH since it’s close to where I live, and I don’t know if deployed soldiers without benefits receive the BAH so I’ve included calculations with both, if you know the answer to this, leave it in the comments. Since the picture says the average salary of a deployed soldier, the average salary if BAH is not given to soldiers without dependents is $47,389 and if they do receive BAH it’s $54,507, both of these are larger than the given $38,000. Another thing to consider is that a deployed soldier pays no Federal Income Tax (or State depending on the state) when deployed. [5][6]
E1 New | E1 New w/BAH | E6 6 years w/ Dep | |
Salary | $18,378 | $18,378 | $35,578.80 |
BAH | 0 | $1,203 | $1,605 |
BAS | $357.55 | $357.55 | $357.55 |
FSA | 0 | 0 | $250 |
HDP | $150 | $150 | $215 |
HFP/IDP | $225 | $225 | $225 |
Monthly | 732.55 | 1935.55 | $2,653 |
X12 | 8790.6 | 23226.6 | $31,830.60 |
Total | $27,169 | $41,605 | $67,409.40 |
Social Security Income
The social security numbers are the closest to correct, with 2014 averages being about $15,528. [7]
References:
[1] 3 U.S. Code § 102 – Compensation of the President
[2] Former Presidents Act of 1958
[3] Congressional Salaries and Allowances
[4] Retirement Benefits for Members of Congress
[5] Army Base Pay and Basic Pay Chart
[6] Military Allowances: Army Pay and Allowances
[7] Monthly Statistical Snapshot
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