<p>Someone posted this in a thread before, but I couldn’t find who/where. So I searched for it myself and found it. I was just wondering how we can move up a step and/or grade? Also, if we have a BS in M E with a little bit of experience, about what step/grade do we generally start out at? If someone has any specifics for general idea about this, I would like to know. Thank you.</p>
<p>I don’t know the specifics, but I have a feeling it’s decided by the specific government agency that you work for. I’ve almost always seen it listed on the job description and requirements, so check there.</p>
<p>I believe moving up in grades works something like this, you move up a grade automatically from 1-5 every year, you move up a grade from 6-9 every 2 years, 9 and up every 3 years. The numbers i listed are probably slightly off, however, you can get the picture; essentially what grade you are at just depends on how long you have been with the government and really doesn’t have anything to do with your performance.</p>
<p>So basically we start at grade 1? $17,046 is a pretty darn low starting salary…and it takes about 31 years to even reach grade 15 or have salary in the 90k!!! Also, do you know how to move up from step 1 to 10?</p>
<p>Most college graduates are hired at a GS-7 to GS-9. There is also a GSE pay scale for engineers in some agencies, which allows a little higher pay. </p>
<p>If you already have job experience, you are hired at a salary near your current salary. Sometimes they do this with a combination of grades and steps, so you might come in, say, at a GS-11 Step 5. </p>
<p>It takes 1 year to get a step increase from steps 1, 2, and 3. Two years for steps 4, 5, 6, and three years from steps 7, 8, and 9. </p>
<p>Promotions move you up one grade. At the lower grades (below 13), they can come as often as once a year. At the higher grades they can be rare or never. To calculate what grade & step you will be at in your promotion, look at the salary at your grade that represents TWO step increases. You will get the grade/step on the next higher grade that is at least that amount. </p>
<p>Of course, these were the old rules. The Department of Defense has shifted to the National Security Personnel System. That has three bands (instead of fifteen grades). Most early-career people enter in the pay band 1. Engineers would be YD-1. </p>
<p>If that’s too much bureaucracy and rule-setting for you, you need to consider whether you’ll be happy working for the Federal Government.</p>
<p>I was wondering what you meant by ‘pay so little’. Then, I looked at the tables you linked to. Those are the base salaries – what you get if you work in a non-metropolitan area. If you work in a city or the 'burbs, there is a 20% ‘locality adjustment’. Thus, the top of band 3 goes from $130K to over $156K. All other numbers are adjusted accordingly. So everybody has a ‘base salary’ and a locality adjustment. If your base salary is $100K, you would actually take home $120K. Locality adjustments apply to the GS table as well.</p>
<p>We have very little experience with NSPS – it’s only about 2 years old. I think the plan is to have you move up from a band 1 to band 2 in about five years. Similarly, you might make band 3 by ten years in the government. There are exceptions: I just promoted one of my guys from a band 2 to 3 before those dates, but he has a PhD, tons of good experience, writes well, is a good thinker, and can take on multiple lines of work. </p>
<p>Also, remember, in NSPS you normally get a pay increase every year within your band. It depends on your agency, but it should be around 5%. You can also get a 5% raise for just changing jobs.</p>
<p>That doesn’t seem too bad after all, especially with the 20% boost in salary for locality adjustment. With a M E degree from PSU, good gpa, and a little bit of work experience where might I land in band 1? 26k for the minimum is pretty low… Also, how do you get on the maximum side of each band? Also, will our salary decrease after 40 years or until we retire?</p>
<p>It looks like if I work in San Francisco, I get a 32.53% boost in salary. That is very nice.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that jobs with the federal government also come with very good benefits. (Although i’m not sure just how it compares with the private sector, though i’m assuming it’s better since it is known as a perk for the fedgov)</p>
<p>I don’t know the exact figures, but I believe your total benefits with the federal government amount to around 30%-40% of your current salary’s worth in addition to your pay. That’s a lot of payments you don’t have to make for insurance and benefits for retirement, etc. Someone better in the know can probably clarify this.</p>
<p>If you want to work with bunch of lazy and inefficient people, work for the fed. I’ve been screwed over and over in the past year and a half by the immigration office. That it’s hard to sue the fed really helps! America has the brightest people out of the finest institutions in the world but the Fed shows you it probably has the dumbest in huge number also. Not to mention they were unfriendly/rude too.</p>