Government salaries may not always rise to the level that some companies offer, but many federal positions DO offer a competitive salary, good benefits and the potential for rapid promotion. Then there are the X factors: the chance to make a difference in the world, and the pride you get from serving your country.
Now, the facts: Pay is based on government-regulated pay scales, and more than 70% of federal employees are paid according to the General Schedule (GS). Positions beyond GS-15 are part of the Senior Executive Service. Members of the SES lead the federal workforce and serve in the key positions just below the top presidential appointees.
The General Schedule
The General Schedule is the predominant federal pay scale, particularly for employees in professional, technical, administrative or clerical positions. The system has 15 grades, starting at GS-1 and going up to GS-15. And there are 10 steps within each grade.
Grade Levels
- GS-3 or GS-4: typically internships, student jobs or lower level administrative work.
- GS-5 to GS-7: mostly entry-level and administrative positions.
- GS-8 to GS-12: mostly mid-level technical and first level supervisory positions.
- GS-13 to GS-15: Top-level technical and supervisory positions.
As a federal employee, you are eligible for increases in pay based on your time in service and you may qualify for promotions. In positions designated as “career ladder,” you would be eligible for more rapid promotion. For example, a GS-5/7/9 career ladder enables a recent graduate to move from a GS-5 to a GS-7 to a GS-9 in as little as three years.
You can find the grade and promotion potential of a position in the overview section of a job announcement on USAJOBS.
Pay and Cost of Living Allowance
Salaries under the GS system have two parts: base pay and a locality pay adjustment. The GS base pay is adjusted to accommodate the cost of living in more expensive geographical locations. So, if you were a GS-7 biologist in San Francisco you would make more money than a GS-7 biologist in Atlanta, because the cost of living is higher in Atlanta.
You may receive additional pay called a locality pay adjustment, depending on where you work in the United States. In some areas, such as Alaska, Hawaii and California, locality pay can be 10-25% higher than in other locations.
Special Rates
The government pays a higher base rate for some jobs, so agencies can recruit and retain top talent. Often, the base pay is higher for positions that are harder to fill, particularly in the scientific, technical and medical fields. Agencies with special rates include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Internal Revenue Service.
Alternative Pay Schedules
More than 40 agencies or agency subcomponents use different pay schedules from the GS schedule.
- The Federal Wage System is the pay plan for people who are usually paid by the hour. It ensures that wages align with those of similar private sector jobs. Jobs that pay hourly include work such as carpentry or printing plant worker.
- Foreign service officers work for the departments of State, Commerce or Agriculture. They are federal employees who live in another country for a few years at a time before moving on to another assignment elsewhere, and they represent the government’s interests overseas. They’re paid under the Foreign Service pay plan, which has nine pay grades—from FS-09, the lowest level, to FS-01, the highest level. Each grade has 14 steps.
- Salary in the Senior Executive Service is based on performance. Basic pay ranges from $120,000 to $165,000 and locality pay is not available.
Some agencies have their own pay plans, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. And some agencies use “bands”—or salary ranges—instead of pay grades. Rather than 15 grades, those agencies have a smaller number of pay bands with broader salary ranges.
FAQs
General Schedule Classification and Pay
What is the difference between wage grade and General Schedule? ›
The General Schedule is applied to salaried employees in professional, technical, administrative, and clerical positions. Meanwhile, the Wage Grade applies to hourly workers in trade, craft, or manual labor positions.
What is a General Schedule position? ›
The General Schedule is the predominant federal pay scale, particularly for employees in professional, technical, administrative or clerical positions. The system has 15 grades, starting at GS-1 and going up to GS-15.
What does the General Schedule refer to? ›
The General Schedule (GS) is a worldwide pay system that covers more than 1.5 million employees. The GS pay schedule has 15 grades and 10 steps in each grade covering more than 400 occupations. Pay varies by geographic location.
What is the pay scale increase for the GS 2024? ›
Federal government employees who are paid using the General Schedule pay plan, including Law Enforcement Officers, are receiving an average 5.2% pay increase for 2024, which will be effective Jan. 14, 2024. This is the largest pay raise federal employees have received since the 1980s.
Is GS-13 a high position? ›
The GG pay rates are generally identical to published GS pay rates. The GS-1 through GS-7 range generally marks entry-level positions, while mid-level positions are in the GS-8 to GS-12 range and top-level positions (senior managers, high-level technical specialists, or physicians) are in the GS-13 to GS-15 range.
What is a wage schedule? ›
: a schedule of wage rates for related tasks. broadly : the general level of wages in an industry or region.
How do General Schedule steps work? ›
Each grade has 10 step rates (steps 1-10) that are each worth approximately 3 percent of the employee's salary. Within-grade step increases are based on an acceptable level of performance and longevity (waiting periods of 1 year at steps 1-3, 2 years at steps 4-6, and 3 years at steps 7-9).
What is above General Schedule? ›
Senior Executive Service (SES)
The SES consists of executive positions, including managerial, supervisory and policy positions classified above General Schedule (GS) grade 15 or equivalent positions in most Executive Branch agencies of the federal government.
How to read GS pay scale? ›
The pay scale GS has 15 pay grades, from GS-1 to GS-15. Each pay grade has 10 steps, with employees generally advancing to the next step every 1-3 years, depending on their performance. The higher the grade and step, the higher the pay. For example, a GS-1 step 1 employee would earn less than a GS-15 step 10 employee.
The coding systems used to classify jobs vary by agency, but the most common system is the General Schedule (GS). The GS assigns every job a grade level from 1 to 15, according to the minimum level of education and experience its workers need.
What is the difference between Schedule A and Schedule C? ›
Schedule As are typically provided by insurance carriers for insured benefits. Schedule C provides details on the fees associated with the plan and is typically only provided in the event the reportable fees exceed $5,000.
What is a Schedule A for federal employees? ›
Schedule A is a special appointing authority that agencies can use to non-competitively appoint individuals, including eligible veterans, who have a severe physical, psychiatric, or intellectual disability.
Is GS 11 a good salary? ›
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $392,500 and as low as $153,500, the majority of Gs 11 salaries currently range between $215,000 (25th percentile) to $360,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $384,000 annually across the United States.
What is the difference between GS and GG? ›
First, a few basic terms: General Schedule or “GS” employees account for the majority of positions within the U. S. civil service and federal agencies. General Grade or “GG” are used to denote Defense Department Intelligence positions.
Can you negotiate GS steps? ›
Q: Can people negotiate their salary at all grade levels, or just at higher grades? A: In many cases you can negotiate higher steps and salaries, especially at higher grades (GS11 and above).
How does wage grade work? ›
Under the FWS, your employer bases your pay on what private industry is paying for comparable levels of work in your local wage area. Employees are paid the full prevailing rate at step 2 of each grade level. Step 5, the highest step in the FWS, is 12 percent above the prevailing rate of pay.
What is the difference between FS and GS pay scale? ›
So, what's the difference? The General Service pay scale for Civil Service employees features 15 pay grades, GS-1 (lowest) – GS-15 (highest) with 10 steps within each grade. The Foreign Service pay scale for Foreign Service employees features nine pay grades, with 14 steps within each grade.
What is the difference between GG and GS? ›
The pay scales are essentially the same for the GS (Government Schedule) position. GS positions are considered competitive service. GG positions are usually found in Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS) positions which are considered Excepted Service Positions.
What defines a pay grade? ›
Pay grades are the exact monetary compensation a person earns at a job that uses a pay grade system. This type of payment system is structured and preset, and it does not involve salary negotiation. Pay grade systems have multiple steps or levels, each of which has transparent requirements.
