Privacy, Methodology & Data Sources
Last updated: April 2025
Privacy Policy
myNavyRates (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights with respect to that information. Because myNavyRates is a content-only reference site with no account system for public users, we collect very little personal data.
1. Information We Collect
Automatically collected data
When you visit myNavyRates, our servers and analytics provider may log standard technical information: your IP address (anonymized), browser type, referring URL, pages visited, and approximate geographic region. This data is used solely to understand aggregate traffic patterns and improve the site.
Cookies
We use a minimal number of functional cookies necessary for the site to operate (for example, to remember display preferences). We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels.
Voluntarily submitted information
If you contact us via email or a feedback form, we receive the information you choose to provide (such as your email address and message). We do not require you to create an account to use any public feature of this site, and we do not store personally identifiable information (PII) about general visitors.
2. How We Use Your Information
- To operate and maintain the site
- To analyze aggregate, anonymized usage patterns and improve content
- To respond to feedback or support inquiries you initiate
- To detect and prevent abuse or technical errors
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
3. Cookies
You can instruct your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable cookies, some minor display preferences may reset between visits, but all core content remains fully accessible without cookies.
4. Analytics
We use Plausible Analytics, a privacy-first analytics platform that does not use cookies, does not collect personal data, and does not track visitors across sites or devices. Plausible is compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and PECR. Aggregate statistics (page views, referrers, countries) are used only to improve the site. No individual-level data is retained. You can learn more at plausible.io.
5. Third Parties
We do not share personal data with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:
- Service providers: hosting and infrastructure providers who process data on our behalf under confidentiality agreements
- Legal compliance: if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of users
Some links on this site may be affiliate links. Clicking those links does not transmit any personal information from our servers to the affiliate. See our Disclaimer for details.
6. Data Retention
Server logs are retained for up to 30 days for security and troubleshooting purposes, then deleted. Anonymized aggregate analytics data may be retained indefinitely. Email correspondence is retained only as long as necessary to resolve the matter, after which it is deleted.
7. Your Rights
Because we do not maintain accounts or store PII for general visitors, there is typically no personal data for us to retrieve or delete on your behalf. If you have submitted a contact inquiry and wish to request deletion of that correspondence, please reach out through the Contact page and we will honor the request promptly.
Residents of the European Economic Area (EEA) and California have additional rights under GDPR and CCPA respectively. Given our privacy-first approach and minimal data collection, we believe our practices already satisfy these requirements.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted in our Changelog. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Methodology
Each rating on myNavyRates.orgis evaluated across multiple dimensions. Scores are computed by normalizing raw data to a 0–100 scale within each category, then weighting those categories to produce composite scores.
Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) multipliers and special pay authorizations drawn from current NAVADMINs.
10-year employment outlook projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, matched to equivalent civilian occupations.
Median annual wages from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and O*NET OnLine, crosswalked to Navy ratings.
A-school duration, location, and follow-on training requirements sourced from MyNavyHR official publications and rate training manuals.
Civilian license and certification opportunities mapped from Navy COOL (Credentialing Opportunities On-Line).
Curated, qualitative data from active-duty and veteran communities on Reddit (r/navy, r/newtothenavy). Sentiment signals are reviewed manually before inclusion.
Data Sources
myNavyRates draws from the following primary sources. All source data is publicly available.
NAVADMINs
mynavyhr.navy.milUpdate cadence: Published continuously; bonus data refreshed each cycle
Navy Administrative Messages are the official channel for communicating policy changes, bonus authorizations, and quota announcements fleet-wide. We monitor new NAVADMINs for Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) updates and critical skill retention programs.
Data points extracted
- SRB multipliers by rating and zone
- Quota authorizations
- Critical skill bonuses and special pays
MyNavyHR
mynavyhr.navy.milUpdate cadence: Reviewed quarterly or upon policy change
The official Navy human resources portal contains authoritative information on enlisted rating descriptions, ASVAB composite score requirements, A-school details, and advancement resources.
Data points extracted
- ASVAB composite requirements (AR, VE, MK, EI, GS, etc.)
- A-school location and duration
- Rate training manual references
- Rating description and duty overview
Navy COOL
cool.navy.milUpdate cadence: Reviewed semi-annually
Navy Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) maps Navy ratings to civilian licenses, certifications, and credentials. It identifies which credentials align with rating duties and what funding Navy provides toward earning them.
Data points extracted
- Civilian certifications and licenses per rating
- Credential count used in credentials score
- DoD funding availability for each credential
BLS / O*NET
bls.gov/oohUpdate cadence: Annually (BLS releases updated OOH and OEWS each spring)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics provide civilian salary benchmarks and 10-year employment demand projections. O*NET OnLine provides supplementary wage and task data for granular occupational crosswalks.
Data points extracted
- Median annual wage (civilian equivalent)
- 10-year employment change projection (%)
- Occupational task and skill crosswalks to Navy ratings
Reddit Communities
r/navy, r/newtothenavyUpdate cadence: Curated manually; major updates quarterly
Active-duty servicemembers and veterans share candid experiences on r/navy and r/newtothenavy. We do not scrape or automate this process. Sentiment data is manually curated from high-signal threads, summarized qualitatively, and reviewed before inclusion. This source informs the community sentiment dimension of each rating’s score.
Data points extracted
- Quality of life signals (deployment tempo, work-life balance)
- Career satisfaction and morale indicators
- Frequently cited pros and cons per rating
Transparency & Data Freshness
Each data point carries a confidence level (High / Medium / Low) reflecting source reliability and how recently the underlying data was verified. Scores marked Low confidence should be treated as directional signals, not definitive rankings.
Bonus and quota data change frequently with each NAVADMIN cycle. We aim to update these figures within two weeks of a new NAVADMIN publication. Salary and demand projections are refreshed annually when BLS releases updated figures. The last-verified date is displayed on each rating page.