MP raises concern over army vs patrol pay disparity

PanARMENIAN.Net - During a session of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly, Gegham Manukyan, a member of the Armenia faction, sought clarification regarding the projected salaries of sergeants in the Armed Forces under the planned sergeant corps system.

He pointed out the significant disparity in pay between military personnel and patrol service officers, highlighting that even non-certified patrol officers receive relatively high salaries. “Many service members, including those performing combat duty, are deeply dissatisfied with this blatant inequality,” Manukyan stated, according to Aysor.am.

He directly asked Deputy Minister of Defense Arman Sargsyan whether the salaries of sergeants would match those of patrol officers so that future applicants could have a clear understanding of their prospects.

In response, Sargsyan noted that he could only provide figures related to sergeant salaries, as he did not have data on patrol officer wages.

“For example, a sergeant in group 7.4 will earn a minimum of 220,000 drams, and about 490,000 drams upon certification. For group 9.8, the base pay is 362,000 drams, increasing to around 630,000 drams after certification. In group 9.9, salaries start at roughly 400,000 drams and may rise to 670,000 drams upon certification,” he explained.