NSF Pay & NS Allowance Calculator: Monthly Pay by Rank and Vocation
Also MRF / SCDF ambulance medics, specialists and officers
- Rank allowance, Corporal (CPL)Starting rate; +5% for every 12 months in the same rankS$790
- Vocation allowanceAircrew, Armour, Guards, Infantry, combat medics, seagoingS$300
Monthly NS allowance, Corporal (CPL)
S$1,090
- Rank allowance
- S$790
- Vocation allowance
- S$300
- Over full-time NS (24 months)
- S$24,285
Total over 2 years
S$790/month, S$2,370 in total
S$1,015/month, S$9,135 in total
S$1,040/month, S$6,240 in total
S$1,090/month, S$6,540 in total
- Recruit (REC), 3 monthsS$2,370
- Private (PTE), 9 monthsS$9,135
- Lance Corporal (LCP), 6 monthsS$6,240
- Corporal (CPL), 6 monthsS$6,540
After ORD: NSman pay for in-camp training
As an NSman you get Service Pay (your full-time NS allowance for your rank and vocation, at least S$1,600 a month) plus Make-Up Pay (MUP) to cover the rest of your civilian income, both pro-rated to the length of the activity.
Service Pay (monthly rate)
S$1,600
Base NS Pay floor of S$1,600
Make-Up Pay (monthly rate)
S$2,900
Civilian income minus Service Pay
Total NS Pay (monthly rate)
S$4,500
Pro-rated to your ICT days
MUP is generated automatically from the wage data your employer submits to CPF, and paid within 10 working days of the activity starting. The S$1,600 base does not apply to IPPT, NS FIT or mobilisation, and activities outside your working hours earn Service Pay only.
How this works
Your monthly NS allowance is your rank allowance plus your vocation allowance, at the rates in force since 1 July 2025 (MINDEF and MHA raised them by S$35 to S$75 a month). Starting rank allowances are S$715 for Recruits and Privates, S$740 for Lance Corporals, S$790 for Corporals, S$835 for Corporals First Class, S$810 for Specialist Cadets, S$1,055 for Third Sergeants, S$1,160 for Second Sergeants, S$1,235 for First Sergeants, S$1,010 for Officer Cadets, S$1,265 for Second Lieutenants and S$1,455 for Lieutenants. SPF and SCDF ranks map to the same amounts (for example, SPF Sergeant 1 is paid as a Third Sergeant).
Vocation allowance is S$75 for service and technical vocations (the minimum every national serviceman gets), S$225 for other combatants, S$300 for aircrew, armour, guards, infantry, frontline medics and seagoing vocations, and S$500 for commandos, naval divers and CBRD or EOD specialists. NSFs also get a 5% increment for every 12 months served in the same rank, which the 2-year total applies to the rank allowance.
The 2-year total multiplies each rank's allowance by the months you spend in it. The example paths are illustrations: set the months to match your own promotion dates. As an NSman, Service Pay equals your NS allowance with a floor of S$1,600 a month (base NS Pay), and Make-Up Pay covers the gap to your civilian income, both pro-rated to the activity.
FAQs
How much is NSF pay in 2026?
From S$790 a month for a Recruit or Private (S$715 rank allowance plus the S$75 minimum vocation allowance) to S$1,530 for a Lieutenant. A Corporal gets S$865, a Third Sergeant S$1,130 and a Second Lieutenant S$1,340 before any higher vocation allowance. These rates have applied since 1 July 2025.
How much is the vocation allowance for combat roles?
S$225 a month for most combatants, S$300 for infantry, armour, guards, aircrew, frontline medics and seagoing vocations, and S$500 for commandos, naval divers and CBRD or EOD vocations. So a Corporal naval diver gets S$790 + S$500 = S$1,290 a month.
How much will I earn over 2 years of NS?
An infantry enlistee who spends 3 months as a Recruit, 9 as a Private, 6 as a Lance Corporal and 6 as a Corporal earns about S$24,285 in total. An infantry specialist (3 months Recruit, 6 months Specialist Cadet, 15 months Third Sergeant) earns about S$29,513, including the 5% increment after 12 months as a 3SG.
What is NSman make-up pay?
When you attend in-camp training, you get Service Pay (your NS allowance, at least S$1,600 a month) plus Make-Up Pay for the difference up to your civilian income, both pro-rated to the days. On a S$4,500 civilian salary, that is S$1,600 Service Pay and S$2,900 Make-Up Pay at the monthly rate for an enlistee rank.