Question for Goverment Employees

[Anonymous]

I work for the goverment now, and I am in the GS system, i got a job offer with another agency that work with paybands I believe my payband is going to be YA-2. I was due for a promotion in March but I dont think it is going to transfer to this new job. So, my question is What is the difference between Payband and GS? I really want this new job,because I will be moving back home but I dont want to get stuck making what I am making now for a lot longer.

[Anonymous]

Not much is different.

This is long so I guess post again if you have questions.


I work in a payband, but not in the YS system. Anyway, they're all pretty much the same idea.

I am a Government Employee with 6 years experience. I am now an ND/04. That means that I am equivalent to a GS 12/13. Of course, in the GS system, I wouldn't be a 13, but the salary levels for the payband go up to the top level of the 13-10. My salary is somewhere in the GS 12 area, so if I were to transfer to a GS job, they would take my salary and use the closest step to my salary to place me. So, if I made (and I'm just throwing a number, this is not my salary and not the right salary for the level and step I'm using) $50K and a GS 12/4 made $48K and a GS/5 made $51K, I would be put at a GS/5....the band closest ot my original salary without going under.

In the GS system you get an automatic step increase every 3 years, I think. In the paybanding you don't get that. Most people never get past the 12/13 level of their band, just as most people don't ever get promoted past a 12 or 13 grade in GS. At the end of the fiscal year you have an evaluation with your supervisor. They are alotted a certain amount of "points" based on the salary of your branch. The points equate to dollar, so if your branch has a lot of high level people, the points are worth more. The higher level band you are in, the higher the point value. So, for my job an ND/04 usually equates to somewhere around $1K per point. Your supervisor gives you between 0 and 4 points. So, let's say you get 2 points for the year (4 is uncommon but does happen). That means you get a $2K raise to your BASIC pay, plus whatever adds to it by your locality. They put it in before the COLA is added at the beginning of the next calendar year.

SO, the point is that you get a raise nearly every year in addition to the COLA, but you do not get "promoted". The vast majority of people never leave the equivalent of the ND/04 band where I work. I do think it's easier ot make more money this way because you don't need approval or promotion to move into a 13 salary.

I would take the pay band job if you like it. There are so many agencies going to this system that where you are currently probably will eventually as well and it really doesn't make a difference.

As far as I know, my current job went to paybanding to offer a higher salary to new employees. They couldn't compete with a GS/7 salary for technical people but could in paybanding.

[Anonymous]

PP again.

Don't think you can't negotiate a Government salary. Tell the new job about your upcoming promotion and what the increase would be and see if they'll match it. They don't care usually because they pay the same for you either way. An ND/04 costs the government something like $180K no matter how much the employee makes (trust me, I make no where near that amount!). The most they will say is that they can't do it for you. I would be surprised if they would be irritated by the request.

[Anonymous]

thanks a lot for your response, this job requires a higher clearance that what i have so I am sure that will take a few months, maybe I will get my promotion before I am due to go. thanks again