Foreign Language Proficiency Pay / Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus

Senior Airman Whitni Orgass, 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron cryptological language analyst, works at her station aboard an EC-130 Compass Call aircraft on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Dobrydney)

Entitlement to Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB) is for officers and enlisted members certified by their branch to be proficient in a specific foreign language or dialect.

Entitlement to Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB) is for officers and enlisted members certified by their branch to be proficient in a specific foreign language or dialect.

Each service secretary certifies FLPP annually based on:

  • Qualifications in a career linguist duty specialty
  • Attendance in specified training
  • Assignment to duties requiring foreign language proficiency
  • Proficiency in a foreign language deemed critical

FLPP is payable in addition to all other pay and allowances.

Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus Amounts

The monthly rate will not exceed $500 per month for a single foreign language or dialect, or $1,000 per month for two or more foreign languages or dialects. The total annual FLPB may not exceed $12,000 per 1-year certification period. Reservists who perform a partial qualifying year of less than 50 retirement points will have their monthly amount prorated accordingly.

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