Reply to Q for GS-15s (federal employees)

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[quote=Anonymous]Dear all:  
Hello. I've enjoyed reading this forum as a source of information.  Now I've got a quick question for any GS-15 federal employees.

I'm a divorced mom (age 42) with 3 kids who works full-time.  I'm dating a divorced dad (also age 42)  with one child who works full-time as an attorney at a federal government agency.

Things are going well in our relationship, and we are starting to talk about building a life together as a blended family.  One of the conversations we are having is about each other's financial situation. I work for a large company, and feel my job is relatively stable, although that's never a sure thing in the private sector and so I don't make any assumptions.  I work in an industry that is doing OK, and so I've had decent bonuses in recent years, which has made me feel pretty loyal to my company.

My boyfriend was advising me about the GS system, and he indicated that he is now "maxed out" in terms of pay.  He is a GS-15 (step 10), which is a pay similar to what I'm making ($155,000 year in salary).  We feel blessed to have these salaries and feel very fortunate.  I didn't want to pepper him with questions, but I was surprised to learn that there's a certain ceiling that you hit, and that there are no possible options for making more once you reach that point (unless you take a different job outside of the federal government).  I asked if there were some options for senior leadership, and he said that he does aspire to one of those jobs (in the SES), but he indicated that the salary bump is pretty small.  (On the other hand, the benefits of federal employment that he has described seem great -- the annuity, the matching 401(k), and 4 weeks of vacation time (he's been there 12 years).  It also seems to be a satisfying job with smart people and a good work environment.

I was wondering if I was correct to understand the part about the ceiling?  Is there no possible increase at all at this point?  If so, does the federal government do anything to incentivize employees to go the extra mile such as bonuses?  Do people tend to leave once they get to this ceiling, or do they stay becasue of the benefits and job security and other advantages?  To me, I like having something to shoot for, but my boyfriend says that there are other advantages to the job, and he has "mostly" come to terms with the lack of potential for pay increases. He said his colleagues grumble a bit about it, but what can you do.  I welcome any input on this topic., and whether others have also come to terms. Thank you.[/quote]

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