Research for Veterans

This paper provides an empirical comparison of veteran earnings and military compensation. The 1969-1974 Regular Military Compensation (RMC) received by a cohort of enlisted men who entered service between 1963 and 1967 was estimated. These RMC figures were compared to the 1969-1974 covered Social Security earnings of a cohort of veterans who left service in FY 1969; nearly all of these veterans had also entered service between 1963 and 1967. Estimates of military-civilian pay ratios were made for various sub-groups categorized by education, mental ability, race, service, and military occupation. A separate but complementary analysis of the civilian sector payoff to military occupational training was also performed. The likelihood of veterans using that training in the civilian sector was examined along with the earnings effect due to use of such training.