Rates of Pay
Privates in the CEF during the Great War received $1.10 a day for the time that they were serving. This was significantly lower than the normal pay that a man employed in manual labour would receive, and well below the amount required to provide for a wife and children. To compensate for this, the Canadian Government provided a "Separation Allowance" for men who could prove that they had dependants, normally restricted to a wife or mother where they were the sole wage earner. This separation allowance varied from $20 per month for Privates to $60 per month for senior officers. Even with the separation allowance, the amount of money provided to a soldiers dependants was insufficient, which led to the creation of a "Patriotic Fund", a charity that provided additional money to help tide a family over while their husband or son was overseas. The Patriotic Fund had no fixed schedule. The amounts provided were determined on a case by case basis.
| Rank |
Basic Pay (per day) |
Overseas allowance (per day) |
Separation Allowance per month |
| Major General |
$ 20.00 |
$ 4.00 |
$ 60.00 |
| General Staff Officer - 1st Grade |
$ 10.00 |
$ 3.00 |
$ 60.00 |
| General Staff Officer - 2nd Grade |
$ 8.00 |
$ 3.00 |
$ 60.00 |
| Assistant Director of Medical services |
$ 8.00 |
$ 3.00 |
$ 60.00 |
| Chief Paymaster |
$ 8.00 |
$ 3.00 |
$ 60.00 |
| General Staff Officer - 3rd Grade |
$ 5.00 |
$ 3.00 |
$ 60.00 |
| Divisional Paymaster |
$ 5.00 |
$ 3.00 |
$ 60.00 |
| ADC to Commander |
$ 3.00 |
$ 3.00 |
$ 40.00 |
| Brigade Commander |
$ 9.00 |
$ 3.00 |
$ 60.00 |
| Brigade major |
$ 6.00 |
$ 3.00 |
$ 60.00 |
| Colonel |
$ 6.00 |
$ 1.50 |
$ 60.00 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel |
$ 5.00 |
$ 1.25 |
$ 60.00 |
| Major |
$ 4.00 |
$ 1.00 |
$ 50.00 |
| Captain |
$ 3.00 |
$ 0.75 |
$ 40.00 |
| Lieutenant |
$ 2.00 |
$ 0.60 |
$ 30.00 |
| Paymaster |
$ 3.00 |
$ 0.75 |
$ 40.00 |
| Quartermaster |
$ 3.00 |
$ 0.75 |
$ 40.00 |
| Warrant Officer |
$ 2.00 |
$ 0.30 |
$ 30.00 |
| Quartermaster-Sergeant |
$ 1.80 |
$ 0.20 |
$ 25.00 |
| Orderly Room Clerk |
$ 1.50 |
$ 0.20 |
$ 25.00 |
| Squadron, Battery, Company Sergeant-Major |
$ 1.60 |
$ 0.20 |
$ 25.00 |
| Squadron, Battery, Company Quartermaster Sergeant |
$ 1.50 |
$ 0.20 |
$ 25.00 |
| Colour Sergeant, staff Sergeant |
$ 1.60 |
$ 0.20 |
$ 25.00 |
| Sergeant |
$ 1.35 |
$ 0.15 |
$ 25.00 |
| Corporal |
$ 1.10 |
$ 0.10 |
$ 20.00 |
| Bombardier or 2nd Corporal |
$ 1.05 |
$ 0.10 |
$ 20.00 |
| Trumpeter, Bugler, Drummer |
$ 1.00 |
$ 0.10 |
$ 20.00 |
| Private, Gunner, Driver, Sapper, Batman, Cook |
$ 1.00 |
$ 0.10 |
$ 20.00 |
Note: Specialty trades, such as tunnellers or miners, were given a higher rate of pay due to the skills and experience and the inherent danger of their duties.
Source: Official History of the Canadian Forces in the Great War, Volume 1, Appendix 91 (Colonel A Fortescue Duguid)
Reasons for Stoppages of pay
- Absent without leave
- In hospital for drunkenness
- In hospital for self-inflicted wound
- In custody for any offence against the Army Act
- In custody for drunkenness
- In hospital with venereal disease
Source: A Call to Arms (David Love)
