Per diem is a daily payment to reimburse service members for the out-of-pocket costs of food, lodging and incidental expenses that occur while on military business or temporary duty (TDY) away from their home station. Per diem sets the limit on how much a service member can be reimbursed for meals and lodging. The following is a summary of how per diem works:
Each year the DoD Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Committee sets the per diem allowance. Per diem is specific to a given travel location and can range from a standard CONUS rate from $178 per day to over $1,000 per day for certain OCONUS rates.
Per diem is broken down into two categories:
The per diem rate you will receive is based on a combination of the maximum lodging and the meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) rates.
When you travel, you receive the meal and incidentals portion of per diem automatically. To be reimbursed for lodging, you must submit receipts showing the lodging’s actual cost, or you can use your government charge card to have your receipts automatically entered to your travel account in some cases.
For travel to most locations in the continental United States, you are reimbursed based on the standard per diem rates. For fiscal 2025, starting Oct. 1, 2024, those rates are $110 for lodging and $68 for meals and incidental expenses.
If your lodging costs less than the maximum amount of $110, you will be reimbursed only the actual cost; if it costs more, you have to pay the difference out of pocket.
However, there are exceptions to this rule: It’s nearly impossible to find a hotel in any major city for $110, so several “high-cost” areas have higher limits for lodging. These areas may have higher reimbursement for meals as well. Also, some areas have higher per diem rates during tourist season, when prices go up. However, for most of the U.S., standard per diem rates apply.
To find the specific per diem rate for a given location visit the DoD Travel and Per Diem website.
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Amanda Miller is an editor and writer specializing in coverage of military and veteran pay and benefits, along with other financial topics, for Military.com.
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Military Per Diem Rates – Military.com
