You should also consider many of the other benefits that help to "increase" your pay. Join the military because you want to serve your country, not because you want collect a check.
in the civilian job world $30,000 a year is bad starting out but in the military think about it free housing, free food (unless you order pizza or something), all you have to pay for in your apartment on base is cable and the phone bill also free dental health care everything free
yes but remember - they pay for school, you live free on base and they feed you too, so the pay is lousy but if you have no bills, then most all your pay should be able to go to whatever you want it to.
yeah plus full medical, dental, education, food and housing allowances and don't mention the discounts you get from some places just by showing that military i.d. card, restaurants, clothing stores, cell phone bills just to name a few. there is much more than just a salary to consider