How Much Did Hawkeye From ‘MASH’ Retire With?
Written by
Stacy Sare Cohen
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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The TV series “M*A*S*H” ran on CBS from 1972 to 1983. Its star, Alan Alda, played Benjamin Franklin Pierce “Hawkeye,” a skilled physician reluctantly drafted during the Korean War. Stationed in an isolated army hospital, he was famous for heavy drinking, cracking jokes and pulling pranks on the surrounding doctors, nurses, and officers, especially “Frank” and “Hot Lips Houlihan.” He rarely saluted the Army brass, yet still earned the post of chief surgeon.
Much of Hawkeye’s humor was a means of surviving the reality of war as the medical team rushed to tend to wounded soldiers brought in by helicopters, ambulances or on stretchers from nearby minefields, then were either patched up and sent back to the front or too ill and sent back home.
If you’re curious what Hawkeye may have earned when he stopped working, here’s what his retirement might have looked like.
Hawkeye’s Salary as a Boomer Generation Surgeon
Staying true to character, Hawkeye would likely have left the military and become a civilian surgeon. If he had retired in 1992, his salary would have been between $207,000 and $244,600, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
If he had stayed in the military — which was highly unlikely — he would have earned a lower base salary of $49,471 a year plus additional annual benefits, including variable special pay ($8,000), Board Certified Pay ($6,000) and Additional Special Pay ($10,000), bringing his total annual salary to about $83,000 a year.
What Hawkeye’s Pension Might Have Been
Hawkeye would have needed to stay in the Army for 20 years to qualify for a military pension. As a civilian doctor, he would have received a pension and retirement benefits from his employer in 1992. According to JSTOR, retiree health insurance and pensions accounted for 25% of retirees’ wealth.
Today, Gen X workers will need to rely on 401(k) plans with possible employer matches, as well as other investments such as Roth IRAs, stocks and other options.
From Scalpel to Social Security
The maximum Social Security benefit in 1992 was $1,088 for workers retiring at 65, according to SSA. The maximum Social Security benefit for full retirement today is $4,152 a month. That number can rise for Gen X, depending on whether they retire early or wait until full retirement to file.
Gen X vs. Hawkeye: Who Has It Harder Financially?
Although salaries are higher today, the financial landscape has changed. Medical school is significantly more expensive, and unlike Hawkeye, whose training was funded by the military, many medical students rely on taking out student loans to cover the cost of their education.
Housing costs have also risen significantly. In January 1992, the average home sold for $144,992, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Today, Zillow reports the average U.S. home value at $366,019.
However, the technology boom has opened new income streams that didn’t exist in the 1990s. However, with inflation, Gen Xers need to be more creative and strategic in building financial freedom than workers in Hawkeye’s day, when people might have spent decades working for one company before retiring and paying low housing costs.
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