IDF combat soldiers
Photo: AP
IDF raises salaries of conscripted soldiers
Personnel Directorate announces new wage structure, including new mechanism tying salaries to market index.
The IDF raised the salaries of conscripted soldiers on Sunday by nearly 25 percent, according to a senior officer in the Personnel Directorate.
The officer said the new wage structure included a significant change because, for the first time, it will be linked to a market index, much like other departments in the public sector.
Pay structure for IDF privates (Background photo: AFP)
The move will mean the soldiers' pay will increase annually, even if only by a few percent. "It was important for us to prioritize combat soldiers during the discussions we had on the subject in recent months. This is an expensive decision because there are many conscripted soldiers. In the support units we have many soldiers who live at home, leave the base everyday – it allows them to work."
The senior officer added that the salary increases were not intended to provide an answer to soldiers from impoverished families. "For that we have a variety of solutions like special salaries, grocery coupons, and more. The new salary is meant to aid families from middle-income families, with the intention that the families do not have to fund the military service of their son or daughter."
He emphasized: "There is no reason why a combat soldier should buy a tooth brush or sneakers with his parents' money."
Military officials noted that the IDF raised the salaries of conscripted soldiers by 22 percent last year.
