Explain government job grade levels

[cmf21]

Any anyone explain government jobs grade levels. Looking for a job and am utterly confused by their grade level system. What qualifies you for a gs-6 level or a gs-5. Graduate work, work experience, what?

I was thinking about applying for a job with a gs-6 level but when I fill out the appliaction, it seems to me I have no experience for that level. It keeps asking for information related to previous job/jobs for that position. Totally confused.

 

[huberm]

it will say in the job announcement what experience at that level is, usually on the "qualifications & Evaluations" tab.

 

[Baked]

It's education level. You would know that if you did a quick search on google.

 

[huberm]

Originally posted by: Baked
It's education level. You would know that if you did a quick search on google.

no it isnt

 

[Christobevii3]

At my city job, you get reviewed each year. If you do good on all the criteria you go up a grade and thus get a small raise.

 

[pstylesss]

Originally posted by: Christobevii3
At my city job, you get reviewed each year. If you do good on all the criteria you go up a grade and thus get a small raise.

He is talking about the Feds

 

[IronWing]

Took awhile to find it but...behold....and be bored...
http://www.opm.gov/fedclass/html/gsseries.asp

 

[RaistlinZ]

Check out the pay scale:

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2203744&enterthread=y

GS is somewhat based on education too, according to this:

-----------------------------------------

GS levels by education

* GS-1: No high school diploma
* GS-2 (GS-3 for clerk-steno positions): High school diploma
* GS-3: 1 year of full-time study after high school
* GS-4: Associate degree or 2 years of full-time study after high school
* GS-5 or GS-7: depending on agency policy and applicant's academic credentials Bachelor's degree or

4 years of full-time study after high school

* GS-7: Bachelor's degree plus 1 year of full-time graduate study
* GS-9(GS-11 for some research positions): Master's degree or 2 years of full-time graduate study
* GS-9: Law degree (J.D. or LL.B.)
* GS-11(GS-12 for some research positions): PhD. or equivalent doctorate or advanced law deg

------------------------------------------


What I don't get is how they determine what grade/step to promote you to. Why does a GS grade 7 Step 9 ($40,204) make more than a GS grade 8 Step 5 ($39,839)? Depending on the type of promotion one gets they might be better off going up to the next Step instead of the next Grade. Can someone explain?


Also... I got offered a gov. position recently. I didn't see a description for GS8 listed on that link, but for those wondering it's probably Bachelor's Degree with 2 or more years experience, or something similar. I have my B.S. degree and 7+ years experience and was put at GS8 Step 9 to start.

 

[Fenixgoon]

you don't need a phd to get high level GS positions though. my dad, just retired, had an MS in mechanical engineering and was a GS15. my brother is currently a GS 12 with a BS, i think.

 

[Drekce]

I am a computer engineer working for the Fed Gov. I am currently the equivalent of a GS-13 Step 1 (my org is on a pay system called NSPS now, we don't use GS). I have an MS and about 6 years in the job. I started as a GS-7 Step 4.

There are lots of GS-13 people that I work with that have only a BS, so that post about education level is kind of silly. The grade varies greatly based on your field (engineers are generally higher), location and organization.

 

[cmf21]

I'm looking at a gs-6 to start but it's confusing. It says you need like 6 months graduate work for that level or something plus it keeps asking experience questions related to gs-6 and 7 levels for the job. I've never had a government job before so I think I can skip that page of questions but I'm not sure if it's going to make me look like I have no experience at all or what but do have 12 yrs of non related work experience. It's so confusing but I think I understand most of it now.

 

[CrimsonChaos]

Education and/or experience. Not necessarily both.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

Federal GS levels are closely correlated with the Hay Point System of Compensation Analysis.