The Coast Guard Is Getting a New Raise in Sea Pay

Coast Guard members in most afloat commands will see their Career Sea Pay rates increase by $55 a month effective Oct. 1. The new fiscal 2021 rates bring the maximum monthly sea pay amount to $805.

Sea pay is paid to members assigned to ships or to commands that are deployed aboard a ship.

Along with the monthly sea pay increase, all Famous Class Medium Endurance Cutters (WMEC-270) will be placed in the Level 5 Sea Pay table.

Coast Guard sea pay rates vary according to the type of boat or cutter to which a member is assigned. For example, an E-4 with four years of non-continuous sea service assigned to a buoy tender (WLI) would receive $180 in monthly sea pay. That same E-4 would receive $305 in monthly sea pay if they were assigned to an icebreaker.

Members in pay grades E-4 and above with three or more years of consecutive sea duty also receive a $100 monthly sea pay premium.

Career sea pay and the sea pay premium are considered taxable special pays. All branches of the military will receive sea pay if assigned to seagoing commands, either permanently or temporarily.

See our officer or enlisted sea pay pages for the full details.

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