The British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force all use the same basic pay scale, although each service has slightly different additional allowances.
More detail about pay for each branch of the British Armed Forces can be found in the articles linked below:
Armed Forces Pay Rise 2023
In 2023 the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) recommended a 5% pay rise for armed forces personnel.
The Pay Review Body also recommended a further £1,000 increase for full time UK regular personnel across all three branches are the armed forces.
Armed Forces Pay Review Body
Pay in the armed forces is set by the British Government. The Government usually follows the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB), an independent body.
The AFPRB is one of a number of pay bodies that make recommendations about pay across the public sector in England.
A major part of its remit is to ensure that pay for armed forces personnel is broadly the same as for people working at similar levels outside of the armed forces, but with a particular emphasis on ensuring comparable pay across the wider public sector workforce.
In making its recommendations it does, however, also have to take account of other factors set out by government, including inflation targets. This is one of the reasons why recommended pay increases in the armed forces – and across the wider public sector – are often lower that in the private sector.
Recent armed forces pay awards
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 5% pay award, £1,000 consolidated payment |
| 2022/23 | 3.75% pay award |
| 2021/22 | No pay increase |
| 2020/21 | 2.0% pay award |
| 2019/20 | 2.9% pay award |
| 2018/19 | 2.0% pay award, 0.9% non-consolidated payment |