Salary extension to improve retention

Eligible personnel transferring into critical trades will maintain their current higher salary for up to five years, under the new salary extension pilot.

The program, which will run until April 2028, targets SERCAT 6 and 7 members from private to sergeant and lieutenant to captain.

The initiative aims to improve retention by removing a financial barrier often associated with changing employment categories.

Personnel can choose from 15 designated critical categories across logistics, engineering, aviation, cyber and communications. This includes high-demand roles such as aircraft technician, recovery technician and battlespace communications specialist.

Members can also transfer into vital support positions such as chefs or retrain as signals officers and pilots.

Approved personnel keep their higher salary for five years or until their new trade’s pay catches up.

However, this salary extension offer does not extend to members currently drawing specialist rates, such as medical officers, chaplains and legal officers.

Those interested in switching trades without taking a pay cut are encouraged to contact a trade-transfer-and-retention WO to discuss options.

Fact sheets, process guidelines and official application channels have been centralised on the designated Army salary.