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Guard Pay benefit

Army National Guard benefit

How guard pay works

One of the biggest benefits of joining the National Guard is getting paid while keeping your civilian life on track. As a Guard Soldier, you earn income for the time you serve — alongside school, work or family.

Monthly Drill

National Guard service is designed to be part-time with predictable commitments. Most Soldiers serve through:

Typically one weekend per month

Your specific schedule and training requirements depend on your MOS.

Annual Training

Use the National Guard Pay Calculator to get a quick estimate of what you could earn based on your rank and time in service. Most Soldiers start as enlisted with no college degree required, while officers typically have a degree or are on track to earn one.

A short training period each year

Yes. As a National Guard Soldier, you'll be paid for every day you serve, including monthly drill, annual training, job training and deployments.

Estimate Your Guard Pay

Your pay depends on your rank and time in service. As you gain experience and advance in rank, your pay increases. Use the Guard Pay Calculator above to estimate your earnings.

Estimate your pay

Yes. You are paid for monthly drill, which typically consists of one weekend per month (about two days).

to pay calc

Yes. During Annual Training (usually about two weeks per year), you are considered to be on Active Duty and paid at Active Duty rates.

Guard Pay FAQs

Drill weekends usually take place at a local armory or designated training site and may include: • Job-specific training • Physical fitness • Equipment maintenance • Weapons qualification • Unit readiness exercises

What to know 9

Do National Guard Soldiers get paid during training and deployment?

What to know 10

Yes. Any time you are activated or deployed for training, domestic missions or overseas service you earn Active Duty pay for the full duration.

Verify current terms. Programs, amounts, eligibility and service requirements can change. Dynamic values require an authorized review date before publication.

Source: Army National Guard Guard Pay page

Benefit reference values

Confirm eligibility and current written terms before making a decision. Existing administrator-saved values override source defaults.

Dated program rates

Dated rates checked against the linked official sources. Amounts shown are editable site settings, not automatic eligibility determinations. Review after the effective period; changes in Site Settings do not change an entitlement.

Source review: 2026-09-22. MGIB period: October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026.

MGIB-SR full-time / full enrollment month
$493
MGIB-SR three-quarter / full enrollment month
$369
MGIB-SR half-time / full enrollment month
$246
TRICARE Reserve Select — member only / month
$57.88
TRICARE Reserve Select — member and family / month
$286.66
Federal Army TA / fiscal year, up to
$4,500
Federal Army TA / semester hour, up to
$250
Federal Army TA semester hours / fiscal year
18
ROTC stipend / eligible school month
$420
ROTC books / year
$1,200

Federal TA and a state tuition program are different programs. The ROTC stipend is not an annual $15,400 payment. Programs may have eligibility, service, enrollment, and combined-use restrictions.

VA — MGIB-SR effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 · TRICARE — 2026 Reserve Select premiums · Army — federal Tuition Assistance, April 2026 · Army ROTC — scholarship support

Editable planning worksheet — reference figures

Planning worksheet figures only. Amounts, eligibility, service time and program limits require current written verification; these examples are not a guaranteed entitlement.

E-3, worksheet service-time example — weekend drill
$387
E-3, worksheet service-time example — annual training
$1,452
E-3, worksheet service-time example — active-duty monthly
$2,905
Drill + benefits worksheet hourly comparison
$76
ND minimum hourly wage worksheet comparison
$7.25
Hours at worksheet minimum wage
168.00
E-5 drill — service interval not specified
$462
E-1 drill — service interval not specified
$309.20
E-1 worksheet hourly comparison
$19.33
E-4 drill — service interval not specified
$424.28
E-4 worksheet hourly comparison
$26.52
Housing without dependents — grade/location not specified
$916
Housing with dependents — grade/location not specified
$1,219

Editable planning inputs transcribed from the supplied worksheet, not verified current benefits or guaranteed entitlements. Pay depends on grade and service, housing on location and dependency, bonuses on contract, and all benefits on eligibility. The worksheet health, dental and tuition figures must not be treated as current premiums or federal program limits.

Worksheet MGIB full-time monthly (original)
$481
Worksheet MGIB three-quarter monthly (original)
$360
Worksheet MGIB half-time monthly (original)
$240
Worksheet health premium — member (unverified)
$29.30
Worksheet health premium — family (unverified)
$76.18

Recalculated worksheet examples

These multiply the editable reference monthly amount by the reference month count. They are arithmetic examples, not approved benefit durations or cumulative entitlements. The original worksheet totals below remain separate.

MGIB full-time example
$17,316
MGIB three-quarter example
$17,280
MGIB half-time example
$17,280
Kicker full-time example
$12,600

The undifferentiated drill-pay hourly cell was marked obsolete in the source worksheet. Use a specified grade and service-time example; benefit totals divided by hours are comparisons, not an hourly wage.

Reviewed:

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