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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am a PhD scientist who left NOAA as a GS-13 due to a lack of opportunities beyond that level. I dd a postdoc at NASA/Goddard and came into NOAA as a GS-12/13. That means my first year I was a GS-12 and on the one year anniversary was promoted to GS-13. After that there were step increases but zero opportunities for real advancement. When I was a postdoc I thought as you did - that I would never want to manage anyone. It may not be for you but I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand at this time because you may change in the future and realize that there are positives to being a leader. Of course, there is a difference between management and leadership![/quote]

I also work for NOAA but under a different line office and use the Commerce Alternative Personnel System (CAPS) pay structure. Our fed scientists come in as ZP-4's which is the equivalent of a GS-13 step 1 up to a GS-14 step 10. CAPS is performance based, so if you're incredible at your job or kiss a lot of butt, you'll do very well very quickly.  I've heard old stories of scientists and IT personnel going from a low GS-13 to GS-14 step 10 equivalent in under 10 years. It's not difficult to get a 5% pay increase each year based on your performance.

The major knock is that some of the IT personnel never graduated from college and still make the same amount of money as a PhD scientist... And sometimes get higher yearly pay increases.

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I'm very familiar with CAPS. In fact the inability to jump form A GS-13 to a ZP-5 is the principle reason why I left NOAA. I even wrote a report detailing the negative impact on the National Weather Service Federal Workforce given the inequality of opportunity that having two different pay systems within the same agency creates. In short, two people can start in two different positions, one at GS-13 the other at ZP-4. After one year the ZP-4 is eligible for a ZP-5 (which is equivalent to a GS-15), but not the GS-13 - even if said 13 has kicked ass and taken names. My resume blew away some GS-14's and even some 15's in my field but I could not make the cert for  ZP-5 based solely on the fact that I was a GS-13 so I left for greener pastures and a place that values my accomplishments and has compensated me as such.[/quote]

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