How Much Did General McChrystal Earn?

While listening to Wolf and company fill time from the Situation Room I wondered how much General McChrystal made? How many jobs have more responsibility than a four star general?

I am watching President Obama’s acceptance of General Stanley McChrystal’s resignation. As with most public resignations it’s tough to read the words and believe they’re true.

More than once in situations like this I’ve turned to friends and colleagues and asked, “Jumped or pushed?”

Though well deserved it has to be tough for McChrystal to stand there and listen to the president diss him. This is the real definition of “walk of shame.”

While listening to Wolf and company fill time from the Situation Room I wondered how much General McChrystal earned? How many jobs have more responsibility than a four star general? Forget the responsibility–he’s the Super Bowl of terrorist targets. How many jobs have more peril?

I know he doesn’t make as much as a titan of Wall Street or even some TV news people! But how much? It’s got to be quantifiable. He’s a government employee.

McChrystal’s pay grade was/is probably O-10. That’s the top of the food chain at the Pentagon.

From About.com: It’s really impossible to produce an actual annual salary chart. This is because there are many variables to military pay.

Some jobs are entitled to flight pay, continuation bonuses and special pay, and some jobs are not. Some people live in free on-base government quarters (barracks or base housing) and others live off-base and receive a housing allowance. The amount of the housing allowance depends on the person’s location, and whether or not they have dependents.

The best I can do is the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, a Pentagon agency. They have a chart with all officer’s base salaries listed. The master schedule for Metro North looks simple and inviting in comparison.

Though an O-10 with 30+ years experience is listed as earning $18,675 per month there’s an additional footnote.

While serving as Chairman, Joint Chief of Staff/Vice Chairman, Joint Chief of Staff, Chief of Navy Operations, Commandant of the Marine Corps, Army/Air Force Chief of Staff, Commander of a unified or specified combatant command, basic pay is $19,983.60.

I believe that includes McChrystal. So, $239,803 per year before the “extras” are added.

It’s my understanding no one is shooting at those TV news people making more. Keep that in mind when choosing your next career.

2 thoughts on “How Much Did General McChrystal Earn?”

    1. The photo I posted is a little out-of-date. General McChrystal is a four star general. Even without, the command level exclusions written into the pay grades would elevate him to the $200k plus salary listed.

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