Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay is part of the U.S. military’s Special and Incentive pay system and is intended to help the services address their manning needs by motivating service members to volunteer for specific jobs that generally otherwise pay them more in the civilian sector.
Each hazardous duty incentive pay amount is in addition to base pay and other entitlements.
Title 37 U.S. Code, chapter 5, subchapter 1, outlines several types of S&I pay, and sections 301a and 310 specifically address Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay and Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger pay, respectively.
HDIP is payable to both enlisted and officers of all the service branches unless specified.
Section 301 (a) addresses the following S&I:
1. Flying Duty (crew members)
Who: Flight crew who are not aviators and regularly fly.
How much: $110 – $250 per month, determined by rank
2. Flying Duty (non crew members)
Who: Anyone on flying duty who isn’t crew, but still performs duties related to flight.
How much: $150 per month
3. Parachute Duty
Who: The crazies who jump out of perfectly good planes.
How much: $150 per month, except for High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) jumps at $225 per month
5. Pressure Chamber Duty, Acceleration and Deceleration Duty, Thermal Stress Duty
Who: 301 (a) (5-7) all pertain to those service members who agree to be guinea pigs.
How much: $150 per month
8. Flight Deck Duty
Who: Those on a flight decks that are more dangerous than normal, because aircraft hurtling towards them at breakneck speeds is just another Tuesday (i.e. on ships).
How much: $150 per month
9. Toxic Pesticides Personal Exposure
Who: Those who are regularly exposed to toxic pesticides in relation to their jobs.
How much: $150 per month, because nothing says “thank you for your service” like toxin poisoning and $150
10. Toxic Fuel/Propellants and Chemical Munitions Exposure
Who: Those doing jobs that expose them to toxic fuels or propellants or chemical munitions.
How much: $150 per month
11. Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) – Maritime Interdiction Operations
Who: Navy personnel who are part of a team that conducts VBSS in support of Maritime Interdiction Operations — basically modern-day American pirates on the good guys team.
How much: $150 per month. Commence to booty jokes.
Section 310 Hostile Fire/Imminent Danger Pay
Who: Those who are subject to hostile fire, explosions of hostile mines; on duty at/ deployed to areas where their status as a service member could put them at risk of threats of physical harm as a result of civil unrest, civil war, terrorism, or wartime conditions
How much: $225 per month
For more information on hazardous duty incentive pay and S&I, check out Military Compensation.