Youngest GS-15?

[Anonymous]

Who cares? GS-15 pay is chump change here in DC.

[Anonymous]

$160k a year is chump change?!? Especially when you factor in a 40 hour work week and the benefits (leave, pension, health). If you ask me, the people working 60+ hours a week in private sector and making $200k with no pension are the ones working like dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$160k a year is chump change?!? Especially when you factor in a 40 hour work week and the benefits (leave, pension, health). If you ask me, the people working 60+ hours a week in private sector and making $200k with no pension are the ones working like dogs.

While I agree with you, many 15s aren't making $160k a year. It takes a long time to climb the ladder. I'm a 15-2 making less than nearly all the employees I supervise, who have all been there much longer than me and are 14-10s. (I started with the agency as a 13 and was a 14-3 before promotion.) It will be another decade at least before I'm making the top amount.

With regard to OP's question, a lot depends if it's supervisory or not. If you join DOJ straight out of law school, you can be a nonsupervisory 15 in about 4 or 5 years, or around age 30. Also depends on the agency; my small agency mandates waiting periods between grade promotions and has very few nonsupervisory 15s, but also doesn't have many GS-15 supervisors either. I was 36 when I was promoted to a supervisory 15 position, and I'd been acting in the position for a couple years before official promotion. That seems to be fairly standard at my agency. The supervisory 15s get promoted somewhere between 35 and 40 and hang on to the positions for 5-10 years, which means anyone a little older or younger who missed out on the opportunity is unlikely to ever get it as long as they stay with us.

[Anonymous]

We have a GS15 who graduated from high school in 2008. She has no special skill set.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$160k a year is chump change?!? Especially when you factor in a 40 hour work week and the benefits (leave, pension, health). If you ask me, the people working 60+ hours a week in private sector and making $200k with no pension are the ones working like dogs.

While I agree with you, many 15s aren't making $160k a year. It takes a long time to climb the ladder. I'm a 15-2 making less than nearly all the employees I supervise, who have all been there much longer than me and are 14-10s. (I started with the agency as a 13 and was a 14-3 before promotion.) It will be another decade at least before I'm making the top amount.

Are any of your 14 step 10s non-supervisory? If so, you should pursue the supervisor differential...OPM Personnel Actions, Chapter 17, Pay and Step Changes, Rule 24, 5 U.S.C. 5755

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:30 year old female who is SES here.

What agency and what degrees do you have?

[Anonymous]

I was a GS15 Executive Officer at 28.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$160k a year is chump change?!? Especially when you factor in a 40 hour work week and the benefits (leave, pension, health). If you ask me, the people working 60+ hours a week in private sector and making $200k with no pension are the ones working like dogs.

While I agree with you, many 15s aren't making $160k a year. It takes a long time to climb the ladder. I'm a 15-2 making less than nearly all the employees I supervise, who have all been there much longer than me and are 14-10s. (I started with the agency as a 13 and was a 14-3 before promotion.) It will be another decade at least before I'm making the top amount.

Are any of your 14 step 10s non-supervisory? If so, you should pursue the supervisor differential...OPM Personnel Actions, Chapter 17, Pay and Step Changes, Rule 24, 5 U.S.C. 5755

Thanks, I'll check it out. They're all non-supervisory. It's an office of attorneys. A supervisor and 10 line attorneys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$160k a year is chump change?!? Especially when you factor in a 40 hour work week and the benefits (leave, pension, health). If you ask me, the people working 60+ hours a week in private sector and making $200k with no pension are the ones working like dogs.

While I agree with you, many 15s aren't making $160k a year. It takes a long time to climb the ladder. I'm a 15-2 making less than nearly all the employees I supervise, who have all been there much longer than me and are 14-10s. (I started with the agency as a 13 and was a 14-3 before promotion.) It will be another decade at least before I'm making the top amount.

Are any of your 14 step 10s non-supervisory? If so, you should pursue the supervisor differential...OPM Personnel Actions, Chapter 17, Pay and Step Changes, Rule 24, 5 U.S.C. 5755

Thanks, I'll check it out. They're all non-supervisory. It's an office of attorneys. A supervisor and 10 line attorneys.

Actually, looking at the statute, it only applies if at least one employee who makes more than the supervisor is not under the General Schedule. As it happens one of my employees isn't ... but he's likely to retire pretty soon. Also, it's at the agency head's discretion, and I know my agency head wouldn't go for it. So not going to help me ... but still a good thing to know about. Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

I think 34 was the youngest I have seen at my agency. That said, we do have an absurd number of non-supv GS-15s at my agency as well. You'll find that this sort of grade inflation is common in DC, but not so much outside of the region. A GS-14/1 at my agency as a GS-12/1 in other locations (Dallas, Chicago etc). My agency does it for retention purposes, but it tends to give employees an inflated sense of importance.

[Anonymous]

SES 4 at 34.

[Anonymous]

GS 15 at 40 in our house

[Anonymous]

I was early 30s when promoted to GS15; early 40s when I moved to SES. Might have moved to SES sooner but kids in the middle.

[Anonymous]

I was 30

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who cares? GS-15 pay is chump change here in DC.

Yes, my spouse and I are maxed out 15s. Close to 330k combined, with four day a week telecommuting. #blessed.