Reenlistment and bonuses, explained

Reenlisting extends your service, and the military may pay a Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) to keep members in critically-manned jobs. Here’s how the money — and the fine print — works.

How the SRB is calculated

The basic formula is:

Monthly basic pay × years of additional obligated service × your career-field multiplier

The multiplier is set by your branch for your specific job (MOS / rating / AFSC) and zone (A, B, C… by years of service). Critically-short jobs get higher multipliers; overmanned jobs may get nothing.

Taxes — and the combat-zone advantage

An SRB is normally taxable, and often paid as a lump sum up front (sometimes 50% up front with the rest in annual installments). But if you reenlist while serving in a designated combat zone, the entire bonus can be tax-free — which is exactly why many members reenlist while deployed. See how tax-free pay is worth more with our tax-free pay tool.

Watch the fine print

• Recoupment: the bonus obligates you to serve the agreed time — separating early can require paying back a prorated portion.
• Timing: multipliers and eligible jobs change, so a big SRB now may shrink later. You typically must reenlist within a window before your ETS.
• Beyond money: reenlistment can also come with assignment/station choices or retraining — weigh those too.

Related: the military pay calculator, the deployment budgeter (combat-zone pay), and the transition timeline if you’re deciding whether to stay in.

General information; SRB multipliers, eligible jobs, and rules are set by each branch and change often. Confirm current rates with your career counselor. Source: the individual services / DoD.