General schedule

Pay scale for federal employees in the United States

General Schedule

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Formed	1949
Dissolved
Type
Jurisdiction	United States federal government
Status
Headquarters

The General Schedule (GS) is the predominant pay scale for federal employees, especially employees in professional, technical, administrative, and clerical positions. The GS includes the majority of white-collar personnel positions. It was established in 1949 and is administered by the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Structure

The General Schedule is divided into 15 grades (GS-1 to GS-15). Each grade is further divided into 10 steps. Employees typically advance one step within their grade every one to three years, depending on their performance and length of service. The pay for each step within a grade is higher than the previous step, providing a structured pay increase system.

Pay Adjustments

Pay adjustments for the General Schedule are determined by the President of the United States and are based on recommendations from the OPM. These adjustments can be influenced by factors such as inflation, cost of living, and comparisons with private sector pay. Locality pay adjustments are also made to account for differences in the cost of living in various geographic areas.

Locality Pay

Locality pay is an additional compensation provided to GS employees based on the geographic area in which they work. The United States is divided into locality pay areas, and employees in higher-cost areas receive higher pay adjustments. This system ensures that federal employees in expensive areas are compensated more than those in less expensive areas.

Promotions and Advancements

Federal employees can be promoted to higher grades based on their performance, experience, and the availability of higher-grade positions. Promotions usually result in a significant pay increase and greater responsibilities. Employees may also receive within-grade increases, which are step increases within their current grade.

Related Pay Systems

In addition to the General Schedule, there are other pay systems for federal employees, including the Federal Wage System (FWS) for blue-collar workers, the Senior Executive Service (SES) for top-level executives, and various pay systems for specific agencies or occupations.

See also

• Federal Wage System
• Senior Executive Service
• United States Office of Personnel Management
• Pay scale
• Cost of living