The general schedule (GS) is the Federal Government’s main pay system. It sets pay rates for employees in most white-collar positions that are not at senior executive or other senior levels.
The general schedule consists of 15 grades, or salary levels. Each grade includes 10 steps through which you advance, based on satisfactory job performance and length of service.
There are two parts to the pay received under the GS:1) The base schedule is the base rate for all positions covered by the GS (by grade and step), and2) The locality schedule which provides additional pay for all positions based on geographic location. If your position is not located within one of the established locality pay areas, then your position is covered by the locality pay schedule for “Rest of U.S."
The Federal Wage System (FWS) is a uniform pay-setting system covering federal employees paid by the hour.
The FWS consists of 15 grades. In each pay grade, there are five step rates, with the second step based on the going rate in private industry.
To learn more, see:
Please contact the HR Representative in your offer letter to learn about your pay system.
Federal pay systems are established to ensure fairness and uniform compensation for federal employees at comparable levels of skill, experience, and responsibility within a defined geographic area.
The general schedule (GS) is the Federal Government's main pay system. It sets pay rates for employees in most white-collar positions that are not at senior executive or other senior levels.
There are two parts to the pay received under the GS:
To learn more, see Salaries & Wages
Overtime refers to payments made to federal employees who work in excess of their standard schedule. Be aware that:
Compensatory time, or "comp time," is time off with pay for irregular or occasional overtime work.
