I recall that I was getting paid $2.50 an hour at my part time job while in High School before I went into the Navy in 1975.
I have a pay stub as an E-3 from 1977, I think...something like $5,500 a year...I think. Of course, I didn’t work an eight hour day when deployed, we worked 12 on-12 off while at sea.
So I guess, half the time in a year while deployed I was making $1.60 an hour, and the rest of the time when I ashore, I was making $2.85 an hour...:)
Got it. So that was only about $11 today.