Can someone help ballpark a fed salary?

[Anonymous]

I interviewed for a fed attorney job (DOJ); it would help me tremendously to ballpark the salary. They said the two factors would be my time out of law school and my current salary. I'm 11 years out of law school, and I currently make $125,000 at my non-profit job. I have an expertise that the agency is looking for.

Any helpful input on how I can estimate what my salary would be? TIA

[Anonymous]

Well DOJ is on the GS scale so you should probably start there. The position has to be advertised at a specific grade level - my guess is that with 11 years of experience you're likely applying for a 13, 14, or 15 grade level position. If the job is in DC it will pay 95, 112, or 131 respectively.

[Anonymous]

What grade was it posted as?

[Anonymous]

the posting should have the GS level and you can find the salary tables with locality online. it is not a mystery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well DOJ is on the GS scale so you should probably start there. The position has to be advertised at a specific grade level - my guess is that with 11 years of experience you're likely applying for a 13, 14, or 15 grade level position. If the job is in DC it will pay 95, 112, or 131 respectively.

Few people are brought in as a GS 15, so I would go more with the 95k or 112k.

[Anonymous]

OP here: it's posted as a 14 or 15, but I was told that I could negotiate what step I come in at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here: it's posted as a 14 or 15, but I was told that I could negotiate what step I come in at.

here is the table - between 14/1 to 15/10... lower steps of 14 is my guess.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2017/DCB.pdf

[Anonymous]

you can negotiate the step by proving your current salary. They will usually match you to the step above your current salary.

So you would be a 15, step 1 (131K). Be sure to negotiate vacation time if your current place offers more than 2 weeks.

[Anonymous]

If you have a choice between 15/low steps vs. 14/high steps, take the 15/low steps.

[Anonymous]

Steps are years of experience (there's a system), figure out how many steps equal your years of experience and go from there.

[Anonymous]

Agencies have the ability to match your non-Fed salary but you need to ask about it well before your start date, the request had to be completed and approved by HR and you usually have to provide pay stubs to prove your current salary.

The email you got from USAJOBS should tell you what grade you qualified for - if it was 14, $125 is around a step 5. If you qualified for the 15 you'd probably start at step 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well DOJ is on the GS scale so you should probably start there. The position has to be advertised at a specific grade level - my guess is that with 11 years of experience you're likely applying for a 13, 14, or 15 grade level position. If the job is in DC it will pay 95, 112, or 131 respectively.

Few people are brought in as a GS 15, so I would go more with the 95k or 112k.

At DOJ, that isn't necessarily true. I have a friend 7 years out of school recently brought in at 15/10. She and I were both surprised at the 10, though. She came straight from Biglaw which was a big factor. Even if you have had similar Biglaw salaries in the past, if you have taken an interim pay cut elsewhere, you are in a weaker position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well DOJ is on the GS scale so you should probably start there. The position has to be advertised at a specific grade level - my guess is that with 11 years of experience you're likely applying for a 13, 14, or 15 grade level position. If the job is in DC it will pay 95, 112, or 131 respectively.

Few people are brought in as a GS 15, so I would go more with the 95k or 112k.

At DOJ, that isn't necessarily true. I have a friend 7 years out of school recently brought in at 15/10. She and I were both surprised at the 10, though. She came straight from Biglaw which was a big factor. Even if you have had similar Biglaw salaries in the past, if you have taken an interim pay cut elsewhere, you are in a weaker position.

Nothing good about 15/10 unless she plans to move out. She's "stuck" now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have a choice between 15/low steps vs. 14/high steps, take the 15/low steps.

Why? She could get a bump up when she gets promoted to 15 down the road (two step rule) if she comes in as a 14.

[Anonymous]

Your current salary helps to determine your step but not your grade.