IN ADDITION to soldiers, there are numerous civilian employees in the Bundeswehr because not everyone who works in the Bundeswehr is necessarily a soldier. More than 81,000 of around 265,000 members of the Bundeswehr have chosen a civilian career.

Salary in the Bundeswehr

Salaries for soldiers and civil servants derive from state pay regulations. Pay is initially based on the basic salary of the assigned rank or position, which is classified into a pay group. In addition to the basic salary, there are various allowances and performance bonuses in the Bundeswehr, writes Fenix Magazin.

The family allowance is paid in 2 levels, depending on the family situation of the salary recipient, for example for children entitled to child benefit or for married persons.

Anyone who also takes on certain tasks in the Bundeswehr and is affected by difficult working conditions receives, in addition to their basic salary, compensation for work and/or difficult duties. Job allowances exist, for example, for soldiers in military leadership positions, in the naval sector, for civil servants and soldiers as air traffic control personnel or in the medical sector. Hardship allowances are paid, for example, to people who work as divers, handle ammunition and explosives, or work in unfavorable or changing weather.

In addition to the salary earned in Germany, tax-free salaries earned abroad are recognized. In addition, the salary is supplemented by special allowances.

Do soldiers pay tax?

Soldiers' pay is exempt from social security and pension insurance contributions, but standard wage tax is deducted. In addition, soldiers are required to file a tax return, unlike many other employees. This is due to the fact that a pension lump sum of 1,900 euros per year or 158.33 euros per month is used to calculate wage tax. This flat rate reflects contributions for health insurance and long-term care insurance.

However, medical care during service is provided through so-called free medical care and is mandatory. Accordingly, soldiers do not have the option of taking out private health insurance. However, unlike activities in the civilian world of work, health insurance for soldiers does not include long-term care insurance. Since it is mandatory, soldiers must pay for care insurance themselves. However, the contribution for long-term care insurance is usually below the estimated 158.33 euros, German media report.

In principle, however, this does not necessarily mean that soldiers have to pay back taxes because in their tax return they can claim deductions for various expenses, including: travel expenses to the barracks, costs of external activities, additional meal costs, income-related expenses for shared accommodation, or moving costs.

How much does a soldier in the Bundeswehr earn?

Because of the various supplements to the basic salary, it is difficult to state an expected salary. The basic salary itself is defined by pay grades regulated by German pay law.

The basic salary depends on the soldier's rank and level of experience. The longer someone is in service, the higher the salary, which can be supplemented by allowances. The starting salary for voluntary military service in homeland security, for example, is around 1,400 euros net.

There are no foreign assignments, and the length of service can be freely chosen between 7 and 23 months. If a career in the Bundeswehr continues, higher ranks can be attained, depending on schooling and vocational training.

After completing full schooling, a soldier can, for example, become part of the team as a paratrooper, military police officer, or aviation security officer. Soldiers in the Bundeswehr can generally expect a salary of between about 3904 and 4967 euros, Fenix reports.

Examples of gross monthly salary ranges for different ranks:

Non-commissioned officer/sergeant approx. 2594-3299 euros

Lieutenant approx. 3447-4385 euros

Staff officer approx. 5387-6852 euros

General approx. 12.928-16.445 euros

Source: index.hr