The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) are Ghana’s unified armed forces, which include the Ghana Army, Ghana Navy, and Ghana Air Force.
The President of Ghana, who is also the top military commander of the Border Guard Unit (BGU), is the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces. The Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff are in charge of the armed forces.
Get to know the Ghana Armed Forces Salary structure and Ranks. This is where you will find the answers to how much a personnel in Ghana Armed Forces earn per month.
Ghana Armed Forces Salary and Ranks
Types of Officers
Commissioned Officers (Officers) and Non-commissioned Officers (Soldiers) are the two types of officers in the Ghana Army.
Commissioned Officers (Officers)
- The Officers train for a period of 18 months in the Ghana Military Academy.
- They lead Soldiers in all situations as supervisors, problem solvers, key influencers, and strategists are in charge of directing and instructing the soldiers.
- The minimum Qualification requirement for Officers in the Ghana Army is a Bachelor’s Degree.
- The lowest ranking Commissioned Officer seniors the highest ranking non-commissioned officer.
Non-Commissioned Officers (Soldiers)
- A Soldier is a Non-commissioned officer who is given instructions to execute by an officer in a form of command.
- They train for a period of 6 months.
- The Minimum Qualification Requirement is a WASSCE Certificate.
Ranks in the Ghana Armed Forces
The Ghana Army, Navy and Airforce have their own ranking system they follow but are equivalent to each other.
An example with Field Marshal being the highest rank in the army, it’s equivalent rank in the Navy and Airforce is Admiral of the Fleet and Marshal of the Airforce respectively.
With Lieutenant in the Army, it’s equivalent in Navy and Airforce is Sub-Lieutenant and Flying Officer respectively.
Ranks for Officers
| Army | Navy | Air Force |
|---|---|---|
| Field Marshal (Honorary) | Admiral of the Fleet (Honorary) | Marshal of the Air Force (Honorary) |
| General | Admiral | Air Chief Marshal |
| Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral | Air Marshal |
| Major General | Rear Admiral | Air Vice-Marshal |
| Brigadier General | Commodore | Air Commodore |
| Colonel | Captain (GN) | Group Captain |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Commander | Wing Commander |
| Major | Lieutenant Commander | Squadron Leader |
| Captain | Lieutenant (GN) | Flight Lieutenant |
| Lieutenant | Sub-Lieutenant | Flying Officer |
| 2nd Lieutenant | Acting Sub-Lieutenant | Pilot Officer |
Generals (Army)
Below are stars for Military Generals in the Army, Equivalent ranks can be seen in the table above.
- Field Marshal – ★★★★★ [5 Stars]
- General – ★★★★ [4 Stars]
- Lieutenant General – ★★★ [3 Stars]
- Major General – ★★ [ 2 Stars]
- Brigadier General – ★ [1 Star]
Ranks for an Soldiers
| Army | Navy | Air Force |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Warrant Officer | Chief Warrant Officer | Chief Warrant Officer |
| Master Warrant Officer | Master Chief Petty Officer | Master Air Warrant Officer |
| Senior Warrant Officer I | Fleet Chief Petty Officer I | Senior Warrant Officer I |
| Senior Warrant Officer II | Fleet Chief Petty Officer II | Senior Warrant Officer II |
| Warrant Officer I | Chief Petty Officer I | Warrant Officer I |
| Warrant Officer II | Chief Petty Officer II | Warrant Officer II |
| Staff Sergeant | Petty Officer Class I | Flight Sergeant |
| Sergeant | Petty Officer Class II | Sergeant |
| Corporal | Leading Seaman | Corporal |
| Lance Corporal | Able Seaman Class I | Leading Aircraftman |
| Private (No Insignia) | Able Seaman Class II / Ordinary Seaman | Aircraftman I & Aircraftman II |
Ghana Armed Forces Salary Structure
The Ghana Armed Forces structure is solely determined by your status in the military. That is to say, the higher your rank, the more money you will earn. The greater the rank, the more responsibility there is.
The Ghana Armed Forces’s salary is not made public, but based on research, the lowest ranking Non-Commissioned officer in the Ghana Army earns about 3,500 GHC or more each month whereas the lowest ranking Commissioned Officer earns about 7,000 GHC or more each month.
Men and women in the Ghana Army, Navy and Airforce, are entitled to certain allowances and incentives. However, the highest-ranking officers receive higher allowances.