GS Scale

[BarXone]

I remember seeing random posts within threads of attempts of trying to explain the gs scale. It's hard to understand not actually working in a federal agency to understand.

So, I looked up some things to clarify what I was curious about and came up with this:

"WITHIN-GRADE STEP INCREASES: Each pay category is identified by a grade 1 through 15 and within each grade are ten steps. Based on performance and time in grade, employees are eligible to go up steps within their grades. After one year (52 weeks) you can go from Step 1 to Step 2, 3 and then to Step 4. For Steps 5,6, and 7, it takes 2 years (104 weeks); after 3 years (156 weeks) you can go to Step 8, 9, and 10. You top out at Step 10 and try for the next higher grade."

I thought I remember people saying you move a full grade in a year. Example 5 to 7 after a year.. 7 to 9 after some more time and so forth.. (or atleast something along those lines)

This explanation would mean you'd be stuck on grade 5 for over 3 years?
And do you start off at step 1 in each grade (including at the time of entry level hire)? Ex. GS 5, Step 1
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Please, explain for the lay

[richcecil]

First..yes you could be stuck in a grade for a year.

Now: The GS system is an arcaic system that is rapidly going away. Most 0083 (police) agencies have come up with similar grades, but adapt thier need for promotions and locality pay in them.IE: Pentagon PD has the AD scale, Capitol has the CP, GPO has the PG scale. The DOD has begun to move to a Pay for performance scale. :p

I envision soon someone sueing to get all Police scales on track with one another.

[Swat1]

The government sets general guidelines for each job series. For 1811 criminal investigators the pay scale generally works like this assuming the hiring was entry level:

GS-5 Year 1
GS-7 Year 2
GS-9 Year 3
GS-11 Year 4
GS-12 Year 5
GS-13 Year 6 (this is the journeyman grade)

Once you hit GS-13 you start moving up steps as you described above until you hit step 10 OR you promote to GS-14 where it starts all over again.

Swat1*

[BP348]

The government sets general guidelines for each job series. For 1811 criminal investigators the pay scale generally works like this assuming the hiring was entry level:

GS-5 Year 1
GS-7 Year 2
GS-9 Year 3
GS-11 Year 4
GS-12 Year 5
GS-13 Year 6 (this is the journeyman grade)

Once you hit GS-13 you start moving up steps as you described above until you hit step 10 OR you promote to GS-14 where it starts all over again.

Swat1*

What he said only USBP journeyman level is GS-11 :mad:

With most agencies you move up a "grade" each year until you get to the journeyman level. They you move up a step each year with in that grade. Well until you hit the step 4 mark and then it takes longer to get to steps 5 & 6 and still longer to get 7, 8 & 9 but that's a different post.