Posted on 11/24/21
| News Source: i24
This is the first pay increase for Israeli soldiers in over five years
The Defense and Finance Ministries announced on Tuesday that they will be raising Israeli soldiers' pay by 50 percent beginning next year.
“We are making a decision today that will bring justice to those who serve, a major boost that will have significance for the IDF’s force build-up and the continuation [of the military] as a people’s army,” Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in a statement.
Israeli soldiers are technically not paid a salary, but receive "subsistence costs" which are much lower than the $1,700 minimum wage.
Front-line units, which get paid the most, currently receive $660 per month. Soldiers in administrative units receive a mere $270 per month.
Following the pay increase, expected to go into effect January 2022, front-line units will receive $980 and administrative units $400.
Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman said in a statement that the pay raise was a “sign of appreciation and recognition for IDF service.”