Career Sea Pay & Submarine Duty Pay: The Navy's Extra Money
Sailors and Coast Guardsmen who serve at sea — and submariners in particular — earn special pays that surface members don't. Career Sea Pay and Submarine Duty Pay can add several hundred dollars a month, and they grow with experience.
Career Sea Pay (CSP)
- Paid to members assigned to a ship or ship-based unit, scaling with pay grade and cumulative years of sea duty — the more sea time over a career, the higher the rate.
- Rates run from modest amounts up to roughly $800/month for senior, sea-heavy careers.
- A Career Sea Pay Premium adds extra after long consecutive periods at sea.
Submarine Duty Pay
- Paid to qualified submariners, scaling by grade and years of service — commonly $75–$600+/month.
- Reflects the demanding, isolated nature of submarine deployments.
- Nuclear-trained personnel may also draw nuclear-field special pays and bonuses on top.
How it stacks
A Navy E-6 on sea duty could draw E-6 basic pay ($4,760/month at 10 years) + Career Sea Pay + (if a submariner) Sub Duty Pay + tax-free BAH and BAS. These special pays are taxable, but combat-zone deployments can exclude them.
Sea and sub pay are why two E-6s with identical rank and time in service can take home very different amounts — it's the special pays, not the base pay.
Enter your sea pay and sub pay in the calculator to see your real take-home.
Calculate my pay →Frequently asked questions
How much is Navy sea pay?
Career Sea Pay scales with pay grade and cumulative years of sea duty, from modest amounts up to roughly $800/month for senior, sea-heavy careers, plus a premium for long stretches at sea.
How much is submarine duty pay?
Submarine Duty Pay commonly runs $75–$600+ per month by grade and years of service; nuclear-trained submariners may also receive nuclear special pays.
Is sea pay taxable?
Yes — Career Sea Pay and Submarine Duty Pay are taxable, except portions earned in a designated combat zone.