Like the other services, the Navy offers enlistment bonus incentives to encourage applicants to join.
The following Navy enlistment bonus information is derived from CNRC Enlistment Bonus Message Effective February 1, 2009. The information is current as of March 2009. Enlistment Bonus information is subject to change. For the latest information, see the Navy Recruiting Command's Enlistment Incentive Web Page.
All of the bonuses listed below can be combined. However, there is a cap of $40,000 for all bonuses.
To qualify for these bonuses, recruits must agree to extend their normal four-year enlistment contract by one year (total five year active duty enlistment). Those who enlist under a program which requires a five or six year enlistment period (such as Nuclear or Advanced Technical Programs) do not have to extend their enlistments.
College Credits
The Navy terminated enlistment bonuses for college credits, effective November 2008.
Language Proficiency Bonus
Sailors who demonstrate proficiency in a critical language can earn a $10,000 bonus. To qualify, the sailor must score at least 2.2 on the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT), prior to graduating basic training. Additionally, the Sailor must enlist in one of the following ratings: 5 year BU, 5 year CE, 5 year CM, 5 year EA, 5 year EO, 5 year SW, 5 year UT, 5 year HM, or a school guarantee (SG) for MA, SK, orRP.
Bonuses can be paid only to those who show the required proficiency in one of the following languages: Baluchi, Pashtu, Kurdish, Somali, Punjabi, Urdu, Indonesian, Hindi, Persian Iranian (Farsi), Persian Afghan (Dari), Arabic (regional dialects such as Algerian, Gulf, etc.), Tausug/Moro, Chechen, Tamil, Maylay, and Swahili.
Special Warfare/Special Operations
Applicants who enlist in Special Operations and Special Warfare programs (ratings of EOD, ND, SB, SO), and achieve an "advanced score" on the applicable Physical Screening Test (PST) during basic training will receive a $2,000 bonus upon graduation from basic.
If the sailor washes out of training, they will retain this bonus. However, if they make it through training their regular enlistment bonus will be reduced by the amount of the PST bonus.
Enlistment Bonuses for Specific Ratings
The Navy Enlistment Bonus Program provides a monetary enlistment bonus for navy recruits who enlist in the below ratings (jobs) and ship out to basic training during the time-periods indicated.
AECF-AEF -- February - September: $6,000
AV-SG -- February - September: $8,000
CTI-ATF -- February - SeptemberR: $15,000 or $6,000 with a Navy College Fund (NCF) amount of $350 per month
CTM-SG -- February - SeptemberR: $7,000
CTR-SG -- February - September: $6,000
CTT-AEF -- February - September: $6,000
CTT-SG -- February - September: $6,000
IT-SG -- February - SeptemberR: $7,000
MMS-SG -- February - September: $10,000
MU-SG -- February - September: $10,000
SECF-5YO -- February - September: $10,000
NF -- November - January: $23,000 or $12,000 with a Navy College Fund (NCF) amount of $350 per month
NF -- February - May: $25,000 or $13,000 with a Navy College Fund (NCF) amount of $350 per month
NF -- June - October: $21,000 or $11,000 with a Navy College Fund (NCF) amount of $350 per month
AIRR-ATF -- October - September: $25,000
EOD-ATF -- October - September: $40,000
ND-ATF -- October - September: $25,000
SB- -- October - September: $25,000
SO- -- October - September: $40,000
