How much were American soldiers paid during the Vietnam War?

As a Sgt E-5 I seem to recall my total monthly pay was about $560 a month. I bot base pay, overseas pay and combat pay. Although I was in an attack helicopter company assigned to HQ platoon, we all filled in for flight crew. The “flight Pay or Jump Pay” was an additional $65 a month. In early 1968 they changed those rules and took that pay away from all the personnel not slotted on the company roster as flight crew. Although we could fly as many as a dozen missions daily on re-supply runs and 25 missions a month was the Jump pay qualifier, we couldn’t get that bonus. But in all fairness, we were on a small airfield deep in the Delta. I could only spent about $50 a month. We also had to get our CO to sign off when we sent more than $200 home to the states.

I had a high school buddy I ran into who managed a PX at battalion, so I could get cartons of cigarettes for $1 a carton, without using my ration card. Winston/Salem with the menthol flavor was highly sought by Vietnamese, so I always had trade goods. We also would take cases of Coca Cola out to the SF sites and swap them for captured weapons. A bolt action ChiCom rifle with bayonet would fetch $1000 at a big base like Ton Su Nuit or Saigon. VC flags, bayonets and swords could be traded for Jack Daniels, frozen steaks, etc. I took an R&R to Sydney AU and carried $2000 USD with me. And that was a small fortune back then, because my hotel was prepaid. I also took a carton of cigarettes and a quart of whiskey that customs allowed.