Hyperborea
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
So, what do the ratings mean? Who is a GS-1? A mail room clerk? How about a GS-15?
Age To Hit $100 K in Savings
- Thread starter Tommy_Dolitte
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So, what do the ratings mean? Who is a GS-1? A mail room clerk? How about a GS-15?
Brat
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
A GS15 is typically a "Regional Director" type management position, I have never met a GS1. Grades 9-11 (career ladder paths are often odd numbers) are usually professional or semi-professional positions. I retired a few years ago but I doubt that the system has changed much. There is a poster who is a current OPM employee. If she sees this and I am in error I hope she will correct me.
Keep in mind that pay is adjsted for cost of living for positions in some locals (such as San Francisco, New York, or Alaska). The grade a job is placed in is arrived at by OPM looking at skills and responsibilities (primarilly). Where a skill is hard to find and the market is above the grade OPM may add a premium to the job, but it won't change the grade.
Keep in mind that pay is adjsted for cost of living for positions in some locals (such as San Francisco, New York, or Alaska). The grade a job is placed in is arrived at by OPM looking at skills and responsibilities (primarilly). Where a skill is hard to find and the market is above the grade OPM may add a premium to the job, but it won't change the grade.
It is a generalized denotation that reflects the complexity/degree and/or training/education required to do your job, NOT your work load level (a common misunderstanding even amonst some federal employees).
It also has functional equilivants in the military:
GS-14/15 - Colonel
GS-13 Lt. Colonel
GS-12 Major
GS-11 Captain
GS-9 1st LT
GS-7 2nd LT,
etc
In line with GS-7 being a 2nd LT, that is about when you'll start seeing an undergraduate degree being a requirement for GS-7 or higher, though there are certainly exceptions to that, esp for GS-5/6s that are promoted internally to 7 or higher.
Generals 1-5 star are SES 1-5.
I got in the system as a GS-9 promotion potential 11 (which i got in a year). After putting in a year as an 11, i applied to a 12 job and got that. Its actually pretty easy to just keep going up, up, up if you're willing to move. But i like where i'm at now, so I might not be so aggresive about moving from now on. But at 33, i'm content with a 12 for now
.And yes, i agree salary isnt everything. I'd take my salary and my work hrs/time off, over my dad's life (he made from 100K/year to 300/year now, but works 55-60hrs/week and can be called at home). Yes that's a lot of money, but what good is it when you're at work 6 days a week and can even be called on Sunday? He's about to retire with 2 mil liquid but gollie jee - he worked his ass off from 28 to 59 (what he is now). You just cant take the stuff with you.
This website is absolutely right about one thing; your time is absolutely priceless, including while you're working too.
J
John Galt
Guest
I always had workaholic tendencies, but they really kicked in when I ran the show (whether I owned it or not). Prior to semiretirement I was "on call" 24/7 and it all seemed quite normal. I am sure (knowing what I know now) that I could have stuck it out until I hit
$1,000,000. Bottom line, I now am making up for all those years of "busting my pick" by just loafing.
John Galt
$1,000,000. Bottom line, I now am making up for all those years of "busting my pick" by just loafing.
John Galt
I agree that a grad degree pays for itself, and I minimized (eliminated) the time lag by going to school at night while working my career during the day...Unless you are a masochist like me I don't recommend this...it is also not so good for family life. The good feature of this is that I didn't have any time to spend the money that I earned.
