Like the Air Force, the US Navy pays its aviators a monetary bonus to encourage retention (though it doesn’t always work, as the Air Force acceptance rate showed).

This year, due to high retention levels, the Navy altered its bonus plan; as stated now, the only aviators who will get the previous years’ $25K bonus per year are F/A-18 Hornet pilots.  All others will get a bonus specific to their airframe: 

For fiscal year 2011, department head bonus amounts are as follows:

– All helicopter pilots, $10,000 per year;
– EA-18G and EA-6B pilots, $15,000 per year; NFOs, $20,000 per year;
– E-2C and C-2 pilots, $5,000 per year; NFOs, $5,000 per year;
– FA-18 pilots, $25,000 per year; NFOs, $10,000 per year;
– P-3C pilots, $10,000 per year; NFOs, $10,000 per year;
– EP-3 pilots, $10,000 per year; NFOs, $10,000 per year;
– E-6A pilots, $5,000 per year; NFOs, $5,000 per year.

Previous bonuses were $25,000 per year for all pilots and $15,000 per year for all NFOs, regardless of airframe.