Those pay charts obscure the near-match of base salary for Basic Assistance for Housing (untaxed!) and free medical, $300/mo grocery allowance, etc. That E-5 i

Those pay charts obscure the near-match of base salary for Basic Assistance for Housing (untaxed!) and free medical, $300/mo grocery allowance, etc. That E-5 is earning comparably to $65k or so, depending on the locality.