Ottawa is hiking entry-level pay for Canadian Armed Forces privates by 20 per cent for the regular force and 13 per cent for reservists.
That means the annual salary for a new recruit will go from $43,368 to $52,044. Other military members will also receive pay raises, with smaller increases for higher ranks — part of a broader plan to boost recruitment and operational readiness. The new pay hikes will be retroactive to April 1.
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A new annual, pensionable compensation measure will also be implemented, paid as a lump sum, based on years of service and tied to enrolment date.
Ottawa is also creating new military allowances and enhancing existing ones in a bid to help retain personnel and drive recruitment in a competitive job market.
Those allowances include $50,000 in bonuses for people entering and working in what the government calls “stressed occupations” — critical jobs in sectors that are seeing too many vacancies. Members will receive $10,000 upon completion of basic training, $20,000 once qualified in trade and $20,000 upon completion of the first contract, when signing on for another period of service.
The government is also introducing increases to an allowance that supports CAF members and their families during a move. Members will now receive $13,500 for each of the first three moves, $20,050 for moves four through six and $27,000 for each move after that.
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