Current Feds with PhDs: what GS/step level

[Anonymous]

I am being considered for a direct hire position in DoD. What grade/step level are you at if you have a PhD and 7 years of post-PhD experience?

[Anonymous]

13 or 14. Possibly more if you can swing it with specialized experience. I was hired as a 12 with 3 years exp.

[Anonymous]

I'm a 13.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a 13.

And then, honestly, try to become a 15 as soon as possible. That's a lot of education and experience to be stuck in 13/14 land for too long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a 13.

And then, honestly, try to become a 15 as soon as possible. That's a lot of education and experience to be stuck in 13/14 land for too long.

That is true by one yardstick. Here's another. I get a six figure salary to do research with family friendly hours. Given how many of my friends from grad school got hosed in the tenure process and had to move to podunk (or left the profession), I'm doing fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a 13.

And then, honestly, try to become a 15 as soon as possible. That's a lot of education and experience to be stuck in 13/14 land for too long.

That is true by one yardstick. Here's another. I get a six figure salary to do research with family friendly hours. Given how many of my friends from grad school got hosed in the tenure process and had to move to podunk (or left the profession), I'm doing fine.

Agreed! I wasn't remotely suggesting otherwise. The hours are great, the pay is good (and very good at the SES level), and the job security is certainly better than being subjected to the whims of the tenure process.