Understanding the Army Language Payment List
The Army Language Payment List isn't some official singular document you download and file away. It's really just the framework for the Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus (FLPB) that runs through DFAS and the military pay systems. You don't get a neat PDF checklist. What you get is a rating, a language code, and whether your qualifying language shows up on the list of designated languages for supplemental pay. You take an approved language proficiency test — usually the DLPT or a OPI — and your score determines your monthly bonus. The Army Language Payment List tracks which languages are recognized for this purpose and at what proficiency level. If you score Intermediate Mid or higher on a designated language, you're looking at anywhere from $100 to $250 per month depending on how high you go. Expert level gets the top tier. Here's something most people miss: the list of qualifying languages changes. Not every language is on there at any given time. If you picked up conversational Swahili five years ago because it was useful in a rotation, check the current list before you bother testing. It may or may not be recognized anymore. I had a guy at my unit who spent two days prepping for a DLPT in Yoruba only to find out it had been dropped from the designated languages list the prior fiscal year. He took it anyway hoping it would count retroactively. It didn't. Don't skip checking the current list first.
Getting Your Language on the List
The process starts with your unit's training or personnel office. You need to request authorization to take an approved proficiency exam. That goes through your chain, then to the language program manager or whichever office handles professional military education at your installation. Once authorized, you schedule the test through the Defense Language Institute or whichever testing center your service uses. After you pass, your results get entered into the military pay system. That's where DFAS comes in. The actual "list" part is basically your official language listing on your military personnel record — the one tied to your DS-500 or equivalent form. When pay administration runs, your language rating gets matched against the designated language table and the bonus starts appearing on your check if everything is coded correctly. The part that eats everyone's time is the coding. I've seen it happen more than once where the test result comes back solid, your commander signs off, but the language code never gets entered into your official record. The bonus simply doesn't trigger. My workaround was to personally pull my own Enlisted Evaluation Database record and cross-reference it against the language code my testing center sent over. One case I dealt with, the language was entered under a slightly different NATO code — they put in 0461 when the system expected 0460. It was a whole month of pay running late until I flagged it to my personnel office and got it corrected. Always verify your own record within 60 days of testing.
Common Problems and What to Watch For
Retention is the big issue. If you leave the service or your language rating expires through lack of use, the bonus stops. There's a maintenance requirement — you need to demonstrate continued proficiency on a schedule, usually annually. If you let it lapse, you lose the bonus and have to retake the full test to get it back. Another trap is the difference between your rated level and what actually pays. The FLPB pays by proficiency level, not by raw test score. An Intermediate Mid gets you one rate, an Intermediate High gets you another. Going from Low to Mid is a meaningful jump in pay, but Mid to Low High is less dramatic. Know what tier you're actually hitting before you plan around it. The Army Language Payment List also has a gap for certain commonly spoken languages that aren't on the designated list but are still incredibly useful operationally. If your language isn't recognized for the bonus, that doesn't mean it won't help your career — just know you won't see extra money attached to it. Some commands find other ways to account for it, but that's entirely at their discretion and varies by installation.
Get the Full Details
If you're starting from zero and want to pursue this, pick a language that's both on the current designated list and relevant to your likely duty stations. Testing in a language you have no real context for using later just means you'll lose proficiency and the bonus within a year or two. It's better to commit to something you can actually maintain than to chase a check you can't sustain.
