Got PhD. Got hired as a 13-10. Got to 14-6 a year later. Got to 15-3 a year later. Promotions in my job are automatic unless you’re absolutely awful. Now chilling and enjoying my job not worrying about promotions. It’s a good life

I was hired as a GS-14 step 7 by the Department of Homeland Security, but my salary is almost 210K. I got an offer for GS-15 step 5 at NASA, but that would be a 25K pay cut. So it depends on the pay band.

OMB has entered the chat …it’s really agency specific but the reality should be the more advanced you get on GS scale the more you realize you have to learn.

I did this, from 7 to 14 in 7 years.
A total of 4 positions in the same agency, hopping from one ladder to another. Doing a lot of what pp did - just working really hard, being visible, being creative, able to do things others at those pay grades in my agency typically can’t.
I have no interest in becoming a 15.
It is not common. Most of my coworkers from 7-12 are still in those positions or just above.

Anonymous wrote:I know there's no guarantee that a person would ever be a 14 or 15. In any case, someone in my office went from a 9 to a 14 in less than 5 years. That seems very quick, doesn't it? (This is mostly through competing for positions, not having a position with a wide grade range.)

I went 11 to 15 in 4. But I’m an attorney, and that is kind of normal for us.

Depends on your job series. For lawyers, 14 is a journeyman level.

Anonymous wrote:It took me ten years to go from 9 to 14, then another 12 years to get to a 15. But it’s virtually impossible to get a 14 at my agency now, most new hires don’t even have a good oath to a 13. Meanwhile they worry about lack of succession when senior people retire. Can’t have it both ways.

This system is pretty crazy. So some agencies put young professionals on a track that gives them a grade promotion every year (9-14). Other agencies don't? Why would a Phd be stuck at a 13 but someone with lesser educational credentials gets "automatic" promotions up to a 14? No place else is someone guaranteed a yearly promotion except the government.

It took me ten years to go from 9 to 14, then another 12 years to get to a 15. But it’s virtually impossible to get a 14 at my agency now, most new hires don’t even have a good oath to a 13. Meanwhile they worry about lack of succession when senior people retire. Can’t have it both ways.

Anonymous wrote:Something's wrong here. I have a PhD in Engineering and I've been a 13 for 6 years now as an Air Force employee. I work with 13s, 14s, and management 15s every day. I really think that elusive technical 14 isn't going to appear. And, all upper level positions are advertised internally through email announcements now.

Fed engineer here. DOD drastically underpays engineering, many “lateral” roles from NASA go from 14 to 13 when going to NRL for instance.

They can do this because the security clearance is a very lucrative exit option when you leave or retire to private.

If you want to stay Fed, look at NASA, NIST, etc

Anonymous wrote:I started as 9, then got an 11-13 ladder. Stagnated at the 13 for over 3 years, got my 14 at 6.5 years in.

I'm an attorney. I don't see a 15 in my future unless I get into management as non-supervisory 15s are a hard find at my agency. I don't have much interest in being a manager.

Why don't you move to an agency that values its attorneys? DOJ, FTC, and others have lots of non-supervisory 15s.

Anonymous wrote:Definitely sounds like it depends on the agency and the position.

I have a ph.d., was hired at an 11, promoted to 12 about 5 years later. I see absolutely no potential for any more promotion unless I completely change jobs, and there are a number of others in the same standstill as I am. We are told the money isn't there.

This is a bit shocking to me.

OP, are you willing to share in which field you earned your PhD degree ? Or your specialty area ?

I went from 7 to 14 in 4.5 years

7 - 6 months
9- 1 year
11 - 1 year
12 - 1 year
13-1 year
14 - 14 years before I got my 15. So you never know

Something's wrong here. I have a PhD in Engineering and I've been a 13 for 6 years now as an Air Force employee. I work with 13s, 14s, and management 15s every day. I really think that elusive technical 14 isn't going to appear. And, all upper level positions are advertised internally through email announcements now.

I started as 9, then got an 11-13 ladder. Stagnated at the 13 for over 3 years, got my 14 at 6.5 years in.

I'm an attorney. I don't see a 15 in my future unless I get into management as non-supervisory 15s are a hard find at my agency. I don't have much interest in being a manager.

Anonymous wrote:I know there's no guarantee that a person would ever be a 14 or 15. In any case, someone in my office went from a 9 to a 14 in less than 5 years. That seems very quick, doesn't it? (This is mostly through competing for positions, not having a position with a wide grade range.)

This was me a few years ago, it was easier then, but I also loved my job, worked way more hours than anyone else, did good work, pleased customers, volunteered for various duties (put myself out there), and I knew how to talk to my superiors/ knowing when to say something is just as important as knowing what to say. it's harder now. I'm in a new position with less responibilities. I have poor management. And I've stopped caring. I do good work, but I leave on time and don't go above and beyond. I'll never make it to a 15.