NukeWorker Forum
Career Path => Navy Nuke => Navy:Staying In => Topic started by: shollingsworth on Jan 10, 2013, 09:01
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Before I start, I just want to clarify that I know very little about the technical terms and abbreviations related to the nuke life. I'm just a Navy wife trying to figure out for myself what will probably be the best decision for my family (financially of course). My husband is pretty firm on his decision to get out because he thinks the pay on the outside will be so much better than it is now. After doing some of my own research (as much as I could do with the little understanding I have of all of this), it seems as though the pay really isn't all that good starting out. My husband is an ET1 and says he has done all of the qualifications he can do up to this point, and something about he would be qualified to go straight into SRO in a civilian job. From the threads I've read on here, doing anything less than SRO wouldn't get much more than 65k a year, if that. Also, most of the threads I've read were for service members doing their 6 years and getting out (is there much of a difference between a 6 and out, and an 8 and out?). Please correct me if I'm wrong though, because I'm just having the hardest time understanding.
Anyway, by the time my husband gets out, he will have served 8 years. My questions are; what is the current reenlistment bonus for someone reenlisting a second time or could someone point me in the right direction of finding it myself? And are there really any opportunities for him to make at least 80k a year getting out at 8 years with a degree and all of his qualifications? I'm wondering if it's a better idea to reenlist again.
Thanks for your time!
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Is he qualified EWS?
Direct SRO and some sort of maintenance supervisor and possibly an instructor would be options available to him..., all starting over 80K. However, he's going to need that EWS..., yes, he's an ET and can qualify for direct SRO, but that doesn't mean he'll get it. I only know of 2 that have, without EWS.
Justin
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I saw something about EWS last night, so I did ask him if he was qualified. He said yes.
Thank you for your quick response!
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Well he is certainly qualified to go for it, then.
Keep in mind, it is 2 years of balls to the wall studying..., so he needs to honestly assess his committment and ability..., because ex Navy, as a group, do not do very well in license class.
Good luck with your decision.
Justin
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Some additional things to keep in mind.
"Take home" pay. I retired December 2011. Started at a plant in QA (pay is not as high as Operations, so take that into consideration as well). My annual gross pay was higher than it was on active duty. However, more of my new pay was taxable (i.e. everything except what goes into my 401k). While on active duty I had over $2000 per month of nontaxable income from housing allowance and COMRATS. So, that was a little bit of a shock initially.
Health insurance is another big shock to almost everyone who leaves active duty. Our company's plan is around $1700 per year for employee and spouse up to $3000 per year for employee and family. Those numbers, from others I have talked with, fall pretty much in line with most other plans.
I offer this info up not to influence either yourself nor your husband. Each person on active duty must make the best decision for them and their circumstances. I do present this so that the both of you will face as few surprises as possible when you do make that jump. Plus, you both have to weigh the money points against the changes in your home life, i.e. him not being deployed for 6+ months again. Again, just some points for the two of you to talk through.
Best of luck to the both of you and thanks to him for his service and to you for your sacrifices as an active duty spouse.
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Your husband doesn't have to be an instructor or SRO to make >80k. They are both salaried positions with bonus potential, but not hourly with overtime pay. After qualifying AO (lowest Nuke watch station) it will not be hard with a little overtime to hit 80k. Figure after qualifying and topping out at $30-$38/hr.....not much overtime needed to make 80k. If he moves up to Licensed RO eventually he'll make more ...much more. Also, in my first year as a Associate Power Dispatcher and first 6 months of training I made 80k+ that first year. Started at $30.29/HR back in 2005 in PA. I was never qualified EWS
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Thank you everyone for such quick responses. They have all made us more optimistic about our future!
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I hope that you are keeping a list of the + & - of both options. I did 8 years and decided that I didn't want to go back out to sea. If you are in the service, you have to go where they tell you. After 20 years, you get to retire, draw a pension, and still keep some of the benefits of the military. Are you willing to endure 12 more years?
If you decide to get out, the starting pay at a power plant is usually a bit on the low side, around $30/hr+ or -. With overtime, 80k/yr is easily obtained. After 2 or 3 years, the pay rate should be in the uppr $30s. With OT, $120K/yr is esily achievable. That is like 300 - 400 OT hours/yr. Most places have benefits - pension, medical, vision, dental, vacation, etc. Training, engineering, and admin generally don't get any OT and salary may be $80K-$100K/yr
Of course, OPS is on shift perpetually. Maintenance is on days with some nights to support backshift work. Then there is outage time every 1 1/2 or 2 years. Then everyone works 12 hours/day, 6 days/wk. Half the crew is on nights.
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Then there is outage time every 1 1/2 or 2 years. Then everyone works 12 hours/day, 6 days/wk. Half the crew is on nights.
Per operating unit.
Two units = one or two refuel outages per year.