The Israeli army operates on the basis of universal conscription rather than a contract system.
Only officers and some petty officers serve under contract, while the majority of personnel are conscripts or mobilized. This also applies to junior commanders.
You can often find references to the alleged salaries of IDF soldiers, but what is being discussed is more likely symbolic payments that are less than the subsistence minimum and are intended for small expenses – hygiene products, cigarettes, snacks, etc. It is difficult to consider them as full-fledged wages, as in the professional armies of Western countries.
Now watching
What is the salary level of the military in Israel in 2025 and what does it depend on? Read on ICTV Facts.
What is the salary level of the military in Israel: what is known about the accruals
The salaries of military personnel in Israel depend on rank and branch of the military.
The Israel Defense Forces consists of three branches of the armed forces:
- Israel Ground Forces;
- Israel Air Force;
- Israel Navy.
In 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu changed financial policy, directing a significant portion of the defense budget to funding social initiatives. This caused concern among the General Staff, which believed that such cuts could negatively affect the army’s combat readiness.
According to 2012 data, Israel spent $15.2 billion on defense, one of the highest military spending ratios to GDP among developed economies (approximately $1,900 per capita). However, compared to the United States, per capita spending was still lower.
Since the soldiers in Israel were provided with everything they needed, including housing, clothing, food, medical care and other necessities, they were paid only what was considered additional payments for use during leave.
On February 1, 2022, the first salary increase since 2017 took place. The Israeli government approved the state budget, spending on the army amounted to 900 million shekels (then $284 million or almost €252.5 million), which was financed from the appropriations allocated to the Ministries of Defense and Finance.
What is the salary of a military man in Israel?
Following the raise, frontline soldiers faced a sharp jump in monthly salaries, from about NIS 1,600 (then about $506 or €449) to NIS 2,400 (about $758 or €673).
The salaries of non-combat soldiers increased from 800 shekels (then $253 or €224) to 1,200 shekels ($379 or €336).
During the 3rd and final year of service, the monthly salary for combat soldiers increases to NIS 3,048 ($963 or €855), combat support troops will receive NIS 1,793 ($566 or €503), and those performing administrative work will receive NIS 1,235 ($390 or €346).
The minimum wage in Israel for people serving in the army was set at 5,300 shekels ($1,675 or €1,487).
Currently, payments to conscript soldiers range from $345.77 to $853.37 per month, with contract soldiers receiving significantly more.
According to Glassdoor, the average salary for IDF officers is NIS 8,100–9,763 per month.
Depending on the department, you receive:
- combatants (in the frontline zone) – about 3,048 shekels per month;
- combat units in the rear – 2,463 shekels per month;
- combat rear personnel – 1,793 shekels per month;
- Administrative soldiers – 1,235 shekels per month.
A contract soldier or career soldier in Israel can earn up to $7,000 per month.
Source: Militarnyi
