Military allowance and special pay guide
Career Sea Pay and Sea Pay Premium
Sea pay is not a flat Navy-wide amount. Grade, cumulative years of sea duty, duty category and qualifying service dates determine the published rate.
Sea pay is not a flat Navy-wide amount. Grade, cumulative years of sea duty, duty category and qualifying service dates determine the published rate.
What determines Career Sea Pay
- Pay grade
- Creditable cumulative sea duty
- The qualifying ship, staff or unit category
- Active qualifying duty dates
Sea Pay Premium is separate
Sea Pay Premium can apply after the required consecutive sea-duty threshold under current rules. It should be verified separately from the base Career Sea Pay line.
Why the rate can change mid-assignment
A promotion, a cumulative sea-duty milestone, transfer to another category or the start or end of qualifying duty can change the amount without a new calendar year.
How to audit sea pay
Compare the LES line and effective date with the current DFAS table and the command’s recorded sea-duty history. Missing cumulative credit is a personnel-record issue as well as a pay issue.
How cumulative sea duty creates rate changes
Career Sea Pay can change when a member crosses a cumulative sea-duty threshold even without transferring. A promotion or movement between vessel or duty categories can create another change.
Sea Pay Premium uses an additional qualifying threshold and should be identified separately on the pay record. Do not combine the two when checking the published base sea-pay table.
What to verify on the pay record
Use the following items together; a dollar amount without the supporting authority and effective dates is not enough to confirm entitlement.
- Pay grade and effective promotion dates
- Recorded cumulative years of sea duty
- Ship, unit or staff duty category
- Qualifying duty dates and LES lines
Common questions
Is Career Sea Pay one flat Navy rate?
No. Grade, cumulative sea duty and assignment category determine the applicable table amount.
Is Sea Pay Premium included in the base rate?
No. Premium is a separate possible entitlement after the applicable qualifying threshold.