Yossi Yehoshua
So, how much does a company commander or a battalion commander in the Israeli army earn? The latest salary data in the army for 2026 shows the gap, and it is important to emphasize that these numbers come after efforts made by the army and a special budget allocation from the Ministry of Finance in the aftermath of the war.
After the salary increases, a company commander in a combat battalion earns about 18,700 shekels (the shekel is equivalent to 2.9 dollars) in total per month, while a deputy battalion commander earns about 30,000 shekels, and a battalion commander earns about 34,300 shekels.
Typical data released by the Israeli army, presented at a conference dedicated to this topic last March, reveals a disturbing reality regarding the salaries of young officers, whether in technological and intelligence units or in core positions in staff bodies.
For example, young cyber and intelligence officers in Unit 8200 earn about 9,000 shekels, a human resources officer in a military division earns about 9,300 shekels, a logistics officer in the Technology and Logistics Division earns about 10,800 shekels, a cyber officer in the Cyber Defense Directorate earns about 10,500 shekels, while a lieutenant-ranked officer in the army spokesperson's unit, who holds a position in the General Staff, earns about 11,400 shekels.
