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> I don't know if this is a problem in the US... With respect to STEM career fields, that's a gratuitous no. For an idea of what a grunt GS-12/13 engineer's s

> I don't know if this is a problem in the US... With respect to STEM career fields, that's a gratuitous no. For an idea of what a grunt GS-12/13 engineer's salary in Silicon Valley (highest locality adjustment in the country) looks like, see [1]; management is at GS-14/15 level. For the sake of completeness, other locality rates can be found here[2]. Keep in mind that it takes 18 years to progress from Step 1 to Step 10. Not all federal organizations apply the GS scale (the NSA may be one), but they don't deviate far from it either. [1] https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/18Tables/html/SF.aspx https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries... [2] https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2018/general-schedule/ https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries...

fern12 9y ago
>Keep in mind that it takes 18 years to progress from Step 1 to Step 10. This is true in some cases, but not all. I was hired at the GS-11/2 level without any prior government/military experience. A coworker of mine worked as a contractor for a few years, and was hired as a GS-15 last year. This is all in Silicon Valley (although he has a tech background, while I do not).
- metaphor 9y ago
  To be sure, the time it takes to progress from Step 1 to 10 has no bearing on the grade and step in which an employee is hired at. If your colleague was hired into GS-15 Step 1, then it would still take this person the same 18 years to progress up the ladder to Step 10, assuming no irregular increases in pay. If coming from private industry, entry step is often negotiable; prior industry salary serves as basis, so it wouldn't surprise me if this person started at Step 10 (not that it matters after Step 5 based on Bay Area locality). In any case, GS-15 is a management position.
  - hiram112 9y ago
    Not all GS-15 are management positions.

fern12 9y ago

>Keep in mind that it takes 18 years to progress from Step 1 to Step 10. This is true in some cases, but not all. I was hired at the GS-11/2 level without any prior government/military experience. A coworker of mine worked as a contractor for a few years, and was hired as a GS-15 last year. This is all in Silicon Valley (although he has a tech background, while I do not).

metaphor 9y ago
To be sure, the time it takes to progress from Step 1 to 10 has no bearing on the grade and step in which an employee is hired at. If your colleague was hired into GS-15 Step 1, then it would still take this person the same 18 years to progress up the ladder to Step 10, assuming no irregular increases in pay. If coming from private industry, entry step is often negotiable; prior industry salary serves as basis, so it wouldn't surprise me if this person started at Step 10 (not that it matters after Step 5 based on Bay Area locality). In any case, GS-15 is a management position.
- hiram112 9y ago
  Not all GS-15 are management positions.