An Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, or JAG Corps for short, is a governmental law organization and one of the largest law firms in the United States. Their job is to defend the army and the soldiers it consists of when a military legal matter arises. Advising senior officials in the army is part of its job. Let us know more detail about ‘Salaries For Army JAG Officer’.
Salaries For Army JAG Officer
An army JAG officer earns a certain amount of salary like any other rank in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. An army JAG officer would make approximately 60,000 dollars per year. Although, this may differ under certain circumstances.
How do you become an army JAG officer?
- In order to become eligible for the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, you will first have to be a United States citizen and then you need to graduate from an ABA-approved law school first and foremost.
- Pass the bar exam and serve in the National Guard of the same state.
- Improve both physically and mentally.
- You should also have moral standing and character.
- There is a medical and moral standard for you to be appointed as a commissioned officer.
- You should finally obtain a secret security clearance to be approved into the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
What is the salary for an army JAG officer?
The average that an army JAG officer can make is around 60,000 dollars per year. Although as previously mentioned, there may be some circumstances that would differ this average pay to as little as 10,000 dollars per year to as much as 290,000 dollars per year. It is also important to know that an army JAG officer does not get any bonuses in their line of work and that their base salary is the only salary that they can receive.
Due to the salary of army JAG officer, the quality of life for them is more or less acceptable, as the monthly pay is around 4,000 dollars. Apartment rental is around 2,500 dollars per month and so an army JAG officer would pay 61% of their salary just for rent. Although, this is just for an army JAG officer living alone or with a roommate.
What are the benefits of becoming an army JAG officer in terms of pay?
While army JAG officers do not get any bonuses, there are actually other benefits that they do receive aside from the base salary. These benefits would include medical care, low-cost health insurance for your whole family.
You can even get as much as 400,000 dollars in life insurance and a retirement pension plan in the case of completing 20 years of your part-time service. You will also get free military air flights and access to recreational facilities in all places that are military. Lastly, you can get discounted groceries as well as free of tax and shopping privileges, although this is only available at post exchanges and commissaries.
What are the cities where pay is better or worse for an army JAG officer?
Some cities in the United States offer better pay to its army JAG officers. This depends on the demand for an army JAG officer in certain cities. For example, in Phoenix and Portland, an army JAG officer would earn a salary of 3% less than the average of 60,000 dollars per year. In Chicago and Denver on the other hand, an army JAG officer would get paid 11% more than the average salary. An army JAG officer in New York would also get paid a good amount, 5% more than the average salary of 60,000 dollars per year.
The best place to work whether full time or part time as an army JAG officer is in Washington, DC. That is because of the high demand that an army JAG officer would make 34% more in Washington, DC than the United States average of 60,000 dollars per year, amounting to almost 80,000 dollars per year.
What is the quality of life like for an army JAG officer in these cities?
Due to the higher pay of an army JAG officer in Washington, DC, the cost of living and quality of life for them there is much better. While during one month, an army JAG officer would make 4,900 dollars which is not much different from the average, the apartment rental price in Washington, DC is lower. An apartment in Washington, DC costs 1,500 dollars per month and an army JAG officer would only pay around 31% of their salary.
The lower pay in Portland and Phoenix each have an impact on the quality of life of an army JAG officer. In Portland, an army JAG officer would earn 3,500 dollars per month only but since the apartment rental in Portland is 1,300 dollars per month, then an army JAG officer would take home 63% of their pay. Whereas in Phoenix, an army JAG officer is paid just 200 dollars more than in Portland and apartment rentals would be less by 300 dollars, so an army JAG officer would take home 73% of their pay.
Conclusion
Now we’ve learnt about ‘Salaries For Army JAG Officer’, In conclusion, becoming part of the army Judge Advocate General’s Corps guarantees you a career with multiple assignments and the opportunity to be exposed to the world and the law. Not only so, but it also offers you both hands-on and practical experiences to move forward in your career. The responsibilities vary and if you wish to be an army JAG officer, you can have multiple responsibilities from international law to litigation as well as a wider variety of practices in law.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How much does an army JAG officer make per year in terms of salary?
An army JAG officer makes almost 60,000 dollars per year although that may differ under circumstance.
- Which cities in the United States give JAG officers a better salary and opportunities?
While there are many cities, the best three would be Washington, DC as well as Denver and Chicago.
- Is there a bonus pay to becoming an army JAG officer?
There is not, but there are other benefits, those would include mostly military transportation and healthcare, with a few other benefits that help you and your family.
- What is the level of education required to become an Army JAG officer?
After finishing high school and getting your high school diploma, you will need to attend an ABA-approved law school and earn the degree as you cannot practice law without it.
