Average Soldier Salary in American Samoa for 2026
A soldier in American Samoa earns about 14,840 USD a year. That's 26% below the national average of 20,120 USD.
Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in American Samoa sit around 7,620 USD a year, while the very top stretches to 21,300 USD. Everything on this page is in United States dollar (USD, symbol $), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.
The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in American Samoa, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.
How much does a soldier make in American Samoa?
A typical soldier working in American Samoa brings home around 1,236 USD a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 7,620 USD, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 21,300 USD for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.
The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior soldier working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the soldier salary in United States or Palau, both of which pay in the same currency.
How soldier pay ranges in American Samoa
A good way to think about salary in American Samoa is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all soldiers in American Samoa earn less than 14,840 USD a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".
Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 9,460 USD (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 20,120 USD (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of soldiers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 7,620 USD. The highest stretch to 21,300 USD, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.
Soldier pay by experience in American Samoa
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a soldier in American Samoa, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical soldier salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years9,360 USD
- 2-5 Years+6% from previous9,940 USD
- 5-10 Years+72% from previous17,100 USD
- 10-15 Years+19% from previous20,300 USD
- 15-20 Years+6% from previous21,540 USD
- 20+ Years20,000 USD
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 72%. That is the point at which a soldier typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.
Soldier pay by education in American Samoa
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving soldier pay in American Samoa. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.
Below is the average soldier salary in American Samoa broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- High School9,940 USD
- Certificate or Diploma+77% from previous17,620 USD
- Bachelor's Degree+10% from previous19,380 USD
Soldier gender pay gap in American Samoa
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and American Samoa is no exception. Male soldiers in American Samoa earn an average of 17,020 USD a year, while female soldiers earn around 13,560 USD. That works out to a 26% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.
A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.
Soldier gender pay gap
20%
Men earn this much more than women on average in American Samoa.
Pay raises for a soldier in American Samoa
Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.
A typical worker doing this role in American Samoa sees a raise of about 8% every 28 months, which works out to roughly 3% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.
Across all jobs in American Samoa, the national average raise is around 4% every 29 months.
By industry
Industries with the highest pay raises in American Samoa:
- Banking
- Energy1%
- Information Technology
- Healthcare2%
- Travel
- Construction
- Education
By experience level
Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.
- Junior Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Soldier bonus rates in American Samoa
Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.
12% of soldiers in American Samoa reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a soldier a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.
Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 3% of base salary. The remaining 88% of soldiers reported no bonus at all over the same period.
Which careers pay bonuses in American Samoa
Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.
- Finance
- Architecture
- Sales
- Business Development
- Marketing / Advertising
- Information Technology
- Healthcare
- Insurance
- Customer Service
- Human Resources
- Construction
- Transport
- Hospitality
Soldier: public vs private sector pay
Public-sector pay in American Samoa is about 1% less than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.
Public vs private pay gap
1%
Public-sector workers earn this much less than private-sector workers in American Samoa on average.
Soldier in American Samoa: FAQs
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How much does a soldier make per month in American Samoa?
A soldier in American Samoa earns about 1,236 USD a month before tax, based on an annual average of 14,840 USD.
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What's the salary range for a soldier in American Samoa?
Entry-level soldiers in American Samoa start near 7,620 USD. Top-end pay reaches around 21,300 USD. The middle 50% of earners sit between 9,460 and 20,120 USD.
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Is the median soldier salary in American Samoa higher or lower than the average?
The median is 14,840 USD, higher than the average of 14,840 USD. Half of soldiers in American Samoa earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for soldiers in American Samoa?
Men working as a soldier in American Samoa earn around 26% more than women on average (17,020 vs 13,560 USD a year).
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Do soldiers in American Samoa get bonuses?
About 12% of soldiers in American Samoa reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 3% of base salary.
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Do soldiers earn more in the public or private sector in American Samoa?
In American Samoa, the private sector pays a soldier about 1% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do soldiers in American Samoa get a pay raise?
A soldier in American Samoa sees a raise of around 8% every 28 months, equivalent to roughly 3% a year.