How Deployment Changes Your Paycheck: A Real Example
Deploy to a designated combat zone and three things hit your LES at once: new special pays start, federal income tax stops, and your allowances keep flowing. Here's the full math for a typical E-5 — deployed pay is often $700–$900/month higher, all of it saveable.
The example: E-5, 4 years, family in San Diego
| Monthly item | Home station | Deployed (combat zone) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pay | $3,947 | $3,947 |
| BAH (family stays put) | $3,987 | $3,987 |
| BAS | $477 | $477 |
| Family Separation Allowance | — | $300 |
| Hostile Fire / Imminent Danger Pay | — | $225 |
| Federal income tax | −$268 | $0 (CZTE) |
| FICA (still applies) | −$302 | −$342 |
| TSP (5%) + SGLI | −$223 | −$223 |
| Net take-home | $7,617 | $8,370 |
That's +$753/month — roughly $6,778 over a nine-month deployment, before the spending drop that usually comes with deployed life.
Don't miss these two multipliers
- Savings Deposit Program (SDP): deployed members can deposit up to $10,000 and earn a guaranteed 10% annual interest while in theater — the best risk-free return available anywhere.
- Roth TSP while tax-free: combat-zone pay contributed to Roth TSP goes in untaxed and comes out untaxed — a double exemption you can't get any other way.
Officers: the CZTE is capped at about $10,954/month in 2026 — pay above the cap is still taxed. Enlisted and warrant officers have no cap.
Toggle CZTE and add FSA/IDP in the calculator to model your own deployment.
Calculate my pay →Frequently asked questions
How much more do you make deployed?
For a typical E-5 with a family, about $753 more per month — federal tax stops (CZTE) and FSA ($300) plus danger pay ($225) start.
Is all deployed pay tax-free?
Federal income tax stops for enlisted members (officers are capped near $10,954/month in 2026), but Social Security and Medicare are still withheld.
What is the Savings Deposit Program?
Deployed members can deposit up to $10,000 into the SDP and earn a guaranteed 10% annual interest while deployed.