Posted: 8/14/2014 7:48:17 AM EDT
| Is each "step" only gained by time in grade? Or can you start a job as a new hire as say a GS10 Step 5? |
| I started as 12 step 1, now a step 9. The step ladder is designed over a 20 career to make to step 10. That being said, I've been in 11 yrs and received 3 QSI's from annual evals. I get step ten in 2016 and will be maxed out unless I take a 13 position. Did I answer it? Or just F it U? |
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Steps can be part of the salary negotiation portion of the hiring process. We tend to focus on bringing new employees on at the midrange. An employee increases steps annually through step 4, two years through step 7, and three years through step 10. These are referred to as WGI's (Within Grade Increases). For a truly superior performer, a QSI or Quality Step Increase can be used for meritorious advancement to the next higher grade, irrelevant of where the stand in their time in grade. |
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Hell if I know. I mean, I should know. Pay can be somewhat negotiated I believe. Years ago I went from a straight GS-7 to a GS-5 step 4 (or thereabouts). For me it meant living closer to family and a decent full time job with mobility. The actual pay rate was equaled out. I don't believe it's an automatic process though. For instance I don't think I could say F all the BS - Im stepping down and quitting this GS-9 step 7 position - and ask someone to hire me on as a GS-5 Step 12 or whatever. Clear as mud? Consult the relevant OPM manual. I dare you. cheers, |
| On your anniversary you go up one step regardless, in some branches up to GS 11 is automatic; in my branch up to GS 12, then you move side ways like GS12/1, GS12/2 every year on your anniverssary right up to GS12/4, then every two years on your anniversary. Now, if you make supervisor you go up to GS13 and so on |
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The job will be coded as a certain GS grade (GS-7,9,10, etc).
The steps increases are annual for the first 4 years. After that they are bi-annual. Quality step increases (QSI) can be given based on performance. Starting at a pay level other than step 1 is normally part of the job negotiations. |
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Random question, lowest GS position I've seen posted is a GS-4. Just out of curiosity, anyone know what kind if their are GS 1-3 positions and what kind of jobs they are? The lowest I've ever seen is GS 3. Not saying there aren't ones and twos out there, just uncommon. A fair number of job series will start as threes then advance. |
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Steps can be part of the salary negotiation portion of the hiring process. We tend to focus on bringing new employees on at the midrange. An employee increases steps annually through step 4, two years through step 7, and three years through step 10. These are referred to as WGI's (Within Grade Increases). For a truly superior performer, a QSI or Quality Step Increase can be used for meritorious advancement to the next higher grade, irrelevant of where the stand in their time in grade. Apparently this guy knows what he's talking about. 
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Random question, lowest GS position I've seen posted is a GS-4. Just out of curiosity, anyone know what kind if their are GS 1-3 positions and what kind of jobs they are? I was once a GS-4. I know that the lower grades exist, but I've never actually seen one. |
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Random question, lowest GS position I've seen posted is a GS-4. Just out of curiosity, anyone know what kind if their are GS 1-3 positions and what kind of jobs they are? Summer hires. Ie life Gaurd. And usually if you have a promotion to the next grade level you go to the step that's equivalent to your next wgi or more. Ex: Gs-09 step 6 would probably promote to a gs-11 step 2. Have to look at the scale to be sure, but that's the idea. |
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There are about 17 different handbooks that govern this stuff. Basically, your starting grade and step within grade are determined when you're hired based on the job, your education, and your experience. After that you get periodic step increases (every year or every 2 years depending on the job) by not being a fuck up, and you can theoretically get additional step increases for being particularly awesome, even before it's time for your periodic increase.
If you get promoted up a grade, then you start at whatever the step is within that grade which results in higher pay than your old paycheck. There are all sorts of byzantine rules and complications to this, but that's the basic idea. |
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The lowest I've ever seen is GS 3. Not saying there aren't ones and twos out there, just uncommon. A fair number of job series will start as threes then advance. Quoted:
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Random question, lowest GS position I've seen posted is a GS-4. Just out of curiosity, anyone know what kind if their are GS 1-3 positions and what kind of jobs they are? The lowest I've ever seen is GS 3. Not saying there aren't ones and twos out there, just uncommon. A fair number of job series will start as threes then advance. We had someone hired as a GS-1 during George W. Bush's administration. It came about from a welfare to work program. Hired in a minority, black female single mother with absolutely zero work experience in an entry level position. Her job was answering phones in a front lobby. She would sign up for overtime working much higher grade positions and they allowed her to work them kind of as an on the job training. I think she moved up to other positions but I retired before she ended up being my supervisor
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Is each "step" only gained by time in grade? Or can you start a job as a new hire as say a GS10 Step 5? As a new hire you can be started at any step within the grade. If you get a promotion to a new grade you will go to the step equivalent that equates to a 2 step pay raise. Example I was hired as a GS 5 STEP 10, in six months I was promoted to a GS 7 STEP 3 |
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Steps can also be gained annual reviews I've been told I have a friend who was a GS 9 step 4 or 5. He took a GS 7 job with a different agency and they started him as a GS 7 step 10 the first 4 steps are yearly(if you don't fuck up, if you fuck up you don't get it), , the next 3 steps are every 3 years, the last are like 5 years. so by the time you are step 10 you have been doing your job for 20 years. you can get quality step increases for awesome job performance, though some agencies do on the spot one time cash bonus vs the every paycheck thing. For instance you take your personal funds and take a EMT class and equip the back of your personal car with a great first aid kit. 6 months later you are walking into the office after lunch and you see a coworker get hit by a car and you grab your first aid kit, using your personal acquired knowledge you save a life(while on the clock), you can get 500 bucks(yes then take taxes out, you get a total of 350 ), best part is the emt class was 2k. (< true story). BUT another agency can have a guy take an excel class and make a pretty database tha tgets used once a year for inventory, and he gets a Quality step increase, meaning 2k a year every year for the rest of his career. Sure am glad I got an EMT cert instead of the excel class. |
If you really wanted that GS-1 position working at the Commissary you missed the boat. 
Position and Grade: Salesroom Worker (GS-1) Organizational Unit: Sales and Warehouse Unit Commissary Management Section Division of General Services Department of Management Issue Date: 28 April 2014 Application Deadline: 27 May 2014 Type of Appointment: Fixed term extrabudgetary (subject to a probationary period of 1 year) |
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<------ Fed for over 20 years Basically, when you first start in Federal Government, you will start at the GS rating the job was announced at and which you qualify for at a "Step 1". it goes up to "Step 10". Steps #2,3 and 4 come along pretty quickly with a favorable performance review. Steps #5,6 and 7 typically come two years apart and are dependent on your performance rating. Steps #8,9 and 10 are at three year intervals. If you are promoted into a job with a higher GS rating your "step" level goes back to the next higher pay rate than you were currently making at you old GS rating. In other words you can go up and down on the "step" scale as you progress through the GS scale during you career. None of this should be confused with COL increases, across the board pay increases or special awards. |
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I was once a GS-4. I know that the lower grades exist, but I've never actually seen one. Quoted:
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Random question, lowest GS position I've seen posted is a GS-4. Just out of curiosity, anyone know what kind if their are GS 1-3 positions and what kind of jobs they are? I was once a GS-4. I know that the lower grades exist, but I've never actually seen one. Most of the jobs that would be GS1-6 are Non Apropriated Funds (NAF) jobs. Lots of NAF slots in Force Support areas on military bases. Also when NSPS was disbanded many people were convered to a step 10 on the GS pay scale. |
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Most of the jobs that would be GS1-6 are Non Apropriated Funds (NAF) jobs. Lots of NAF slots in Force Support areas on military bases. Also when NSPS was disbanded many people were convered to a step 10 on the GS pay scale. Quoted:
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Random question, lowest GS position I've seen posted is a GS-4. Just out of curiosity, anyone know what kind if their are GS 1-3 positions and what kind of jobs they are? I was once a GS-4. I know that the lower grades exist, but I've never actually seen one. Most of the jobs that would be GS1-6 are Non Apropriated Funds (NAF) jobs. Lots of NAF slots in Force Support areas on military bases. Also when NSPS was disbanded many people were convered to a step 10 on the GS pay scale. NAF has their own pay scales, they are not on the GS scale. Payscales |
| My first GS position post military was offered as a 13 step 1, I countered with a solid military pay history so they upped it to a step 10. Took a step down to a GS-12 and they had to bring me on as a step 10 again as I had an established salary history. If you can prove a salary history upon entering GS, you can have some negotiating power, does not always work however... |
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A vacancy will be advertised at a set grade, but the level of step can be negotiated with the agency.
What others said about the advancement to steps 2-4, 5-7, and 8-10 are true: 1 year, 2 year, and 3 years. However, they are NOT automatic. The employee must have "satisfactory" performance rating for the required years to get them. If an employee is promoted a grade, they must be promoted to a step equivalent to a two step increase pay increase of their previous grade/step ranking. Example: GS-12, step 5 gets promoted to GS-13, but with enough steps so that his new pay is equivalent to GS-12, step 7. If budget cutbacks occur and the agency downsizes, and the employee is retained, but at a lower grade, the agency will - usually - invoke "save pay" and give the employee enough steps in the lower grade to match his older salary. Example: GS-14, step 2 is forced to take a GS-12 job, but is made a GS-12, step 10. |
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Random question, lowest GS position I've seen posted is a GS-4. Just out of curiosity, anyone know what kind if their are GS 1-3 positions and what kind of jobs they are? I was once a GS-4. I know that the lower grades exist, but I've never actually seen one. Most of the jobs that would be GS1-6 are Non Apropriated Funds (NAF) jobs. Lots of NAF slots in Force Support areas on military bases. Also when NSPS was disbanded many people were convered to a step 10 on the GS pay scale. NAF has their own pay scales, they are not on the GS scale. Payscales I was referring to the lack of low level GS jobs and the greater number of NAF jobs. |
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Tell me more about "IT Pay" Quoted:
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Don't forget IT pay as well as extra pay for living an a high rent area. This can come out to 25% more pay.  Tell me more about "IT Pay" Up to GS-11 there's a separate scale for IT workers to make the salaries more competitive with those in the private sector. |
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Quoted: Up to GS-11 there's a separate scale for IT workers to make the salaries more competitive with those in the private sector. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Don't forget IT pay as well as extra pay for living an a high rent area. This can come out to 25% more pay. Tell me more about "IT Pay" Up to GS-11 there's a separate scale for IT workers to make the salaries more competitive with those in the private sector. It is for 2210 series jobs. They failed. However, the closer you get to the brass the higher the payscales go for the same basic job. |
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Quoted: Apparently this guy knows what he's talking about. Quoted: Quoted: Steps can be part of the salary negotiation portion of the hiring process. We tend to focus on bringing new employees on at the midrange. An employee increases steps annually through step 4, two years through step 7, and three years through step 10. These are referred to as WGI's (Within Grade Increases). For a truly superior performer, a QSI or Quality Step Increase can be used for meritorious advancement to the next higher grade, irrelevant of where the stand in their time in grade. Apparently this guy knows what he's talking about. |
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Quoted: Federal Program Manager. I hire and fire people all the time. Yes, GS's can be fired. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Steps can be part of the salary negotiation portion of the hiring process. We tend to focus on bringing new employees on at the midrange. An employee increases steps annually through step 4, two years through step 7, and three years through step 10. These are referred to as WGI's (Within Grade Increases). For a truly superior performer, a QSI or Quality Step Increase can be used for meritorious advancement to the next higher grade, irrelevant of where the stand in their time in grade. Apparently this guy knows what he's talking about. Competitive service as well, as long as you aren't lazy about documentation. There's also a probationary year for new hires. Most turds can't help but reveal themselves, they can hold it together for a few months, but about 8 months in, you'll have a pretty good indication of what they're like. Any, I repeat, any hint of issues during the probationary year, fire them. |
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Quoted: True. Excepted service are easy to get rid of. Competitive service as well, as long as you aren't lazy about documentation. There's also a probationary year for new hires. Most turds can't help but reveal themselves, they can hold it together for a few months, but about 8 months in, you'll have a pretty good indication of what they're like. Any, I repeat, any hint of issues during the probationary year, fire them. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Steps can be part of the salary negotiation portion of the hiring process. We tend to focus on bringing new employees on at the midrange. An employee increases steps annually through step 4, two years through step 7, and three years through step 10. These are referred to as WGI's (Within Grade Increases). For a truly superior performer, a QSI or Quality Step Increase can be used for meritorious advancement to the next higher grade, irrelevant of where the stand in their time in grade. Apparently this guy knows what he's talking about. Competitive service as well, as long as you aren't lazy about documentation. There's also a probationary year for new hires. Most turds can't help but reveal themselves, they can hold it together for a few months, but about 8 months in, you'll have a pretty good indication of what they're like. Any, I repeat, any hint of issues during the probationary year, fire them. |
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I was hired as a full time intern at a GS-3.
At that time, it was $5.50 per hour. 10 years later as a GS-12 step 5 I was RIFed during the Clinton downsizing. A few years later my position opened up, advertised as a GS 9-12. I was a shoe-in, except HR screamed EEO and they hired a girl fresh out of college with no experience at a GS-7. Such bullshit. |
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It is for 2210 series jobs. They failed. However, the closer you get to the brass the higher the payscales go for the same basic job.
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Don't forget IT pay as well as extra pay for living an a high rent area. This can come out to 25% more pay. Tell me more about "IT Pay" Up to GS-11 there's a separate scale for IT workers to make the salaries more competitive with those in the private sector. It is for 2210 series jobs. They failed. However, the closer you get to the brass the higher the payscales go for the same basic job.
DC's got some bloat in 2210's. A lot of that has to do with contractors in the area making double. End result is a lot of GS-12 and GS-13 worker bees that would be handing out bowling shoes somewhere else. |