Short answer: a recruit takes home $790 a month from 1 July 2025, and it goes up as you rank up and depending on your vocation.
NS pay is called an allowance, not a salary. Two things decide it: your rank and your vocation.
Monthly allowance by rank
These are the rates from 1 July 2025. Each figure already includes the minimum $75 vocation allowance (more on that below).
| Rank | Monthly allowance |
|---|---|
| Recruit / Private | $790 |
| Lance Corporal | $815 |
| Corporal | $865 |
| Corporal First Class | $910 |
| Specialist Cadet Trainee | $885 |
| Third Sergeant | $1,130 |
| Second Sergeant | $1,235 |
| Officer Cadet | $1,085 |
| Second Lieutenant | $1,340 |
| Lieutenant | $1,530 |
- You start as a Recruit in BMT, then rank up over your two years. See the full ranks guide.
- Specialists (SCS) and officers earn more once they're posted out, which is part of why command school pays off over the two years.
Last verified: May 2026. Sources: MINDEF allowance factsheet (Mar 2025) and CMPB monthly allowance.
Vocation allowance
Your vocation adds an allowance on top of your rank. The table above already bakes in the $75 minimum, so if you're in a combat or higher-risk vocation, you earn more than the figures shown.
| Tier | Examples | Vocation allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Service / technical | clerk, storeman, technician | $75 |
| General combat | most combat vocations | $225 |
| Higher-risk combat | infantry, armour, guards, aircrew, combat medics in MRF/SCDF ambulances, seagoing | $300 |
| Specialised high-risk | commando, naval diver, CBRD, EOD | $500 |
So on top of the rank table, add the difference:
- General combat: about +$150
- Higher-risk combat: about +$225
- Specialised high-risk: about +$425
Combat allowance was folded into vocation allowance back in March 2020, so this one number covers it.
Other money on top
Your allowance isn't the only cash you can get.
- IPPT incentives: up to $500 for gold, $300 silver, $200 pass with incentive, once you're posted to your unit (not during BMT or command school). See the IPPT guide.
- Marksmanship: $200 each time you score marksman at a shoot. It is not strictly one-time: NSFs report getting $200 for marksman at their year 1 ATP and again at the year 2 combat shoot. Don't count on it before you've shot, but it's a real bonus if you're a decent shooter.
- Field and overseas: extra allowances during certain exercises and overseas deployments.
Pay lands monthly, usually in the first half of the month (around the 9th, occasionally a day or two earlier).
Common questions
Does my BMT performance affect my pay?
Not directly. Pay is decided by rank and vocation only. Doing well in BMT can matter indirectly, because commander courses like SCS and OCS lead to higher ranks faster, which is where the real money is. See the ranks guide.
Why was my pay different this month?
Most common reasons: IPPT or marksman payouts landing, deductions (like a magazine subscription you forgot to cancel), or claims processing. Check your payslip on OneNS before assuming an error.
What this means for saving
NS is the cheapest two years you'll ever live. Most of your food and lodging is covered, so the allowance is close to pure savings if you're disciplined.
- Read the saving money guide for a practical budget.
Even on a recruit's allowance, setting aside a fixed amount each month adds up to a real sum by the time you ORD.