Re: Salary Caps

Sounds like NSPS to me

Re: Salary Caps

It sounds like you are making $70 an hour. STOP being a baby

Re: Salary Caps

OPM has been asleep at the wheel regarding proper salaries - I only hope the next Administration appoints someone more on the ball. I don't know that GS-15 is an "Executive" salary. It certainly isn't SES. It used to be a top salary for high level managers, but due to grade inflation more and more rank and file analysts, appeals officers, etc are getting 15s. It is no longer management salary, and it should be reflected as such, perhaps by creating GS-16 thru 20.

Re: Salary Caps

The worst part about salaries - at least in the IRS - is that employees with technical skills; i.e., college and professional degrees such as accountants, CPA, attorney, engineer, etc. are now being surpassed in grade by a tsunami of uncredentialed "management analysts." The GS-343 "Management and Program Analyst" is the new pork barrel job in the IRS. You have a GS-5 Secretary that you like? Put her on the GS-343 PD and move her up to a GS-9, even though her job stays exactly the same. Want to help out your friend, the GS-9 Customer Service Rep? Switch him over to GS-343 Analyst and give him a 13. The GS-343 goes all the way from GS-5 to GS-15, which no educational requirements, so now technical employees such as Revenue Agents and Attorneys are making less than clerks and semi-professional employees, who were fortunate enough to have some corrupt manager looking out for them. We have a 29 year GS-5 secretary for a Program Manager who was just put on a GS-343 grade 13!!

Re: Salary Caps

WOW...........what would you do if you were a lowly GS 10, 11 or 12? Smacks of GREED.

Re: Salary Caps

The pay caps will not be changed until enough of the civilian senior leadership have left for more lucrative positions outside government services.

Re: Salary Caps

If you're not getting paid enough as a 15, get a better job.

Re: Salary Caps

I agree, why is it that non-professional job series without poisitve education requirements are allowed to go beyond a GS-12? There is no way that an accountant, attorney, or engineer should be being paid the same as a person without a college degree or any specialized technical knowledge! Furthermore, the GS system in general needs to be discarded as quickly as possible. Simply put, this system definitely favors time over performance. As long as you show up and do at least a medicore job, you'll likely get step increases/promotions. People really have no incentive to be high performers under the system. This is a major issue and needs to be fully addressed by OPM and and hopefully the new administration. They first need to put some true HR/Human Capital professionals at the helm of OPM!

Re: Salary Caps

Having a degree and using it is one thing but having a degree in a field that is irrelevant to your job performance is another. I'll take experience any day over a framed piece of paper.

Re: Salary Caps

To hear someone complain about not making enough money as a GS-15 Step 10 makes me sick. I am a GS-6 step 2 in an area that has an extremely high cost of living and we do not even get that much of a COLA each year. If you do not think that you are making enough money than quit so we can hire about 20 GS-3's.

Re: Salary Caps

You are a GS-15 and you're complaining, give me a break! I am starting over again at GS 7 after a layoff. I can't believe you even posted your comment. While the grunts do all the work, management sits around figuring out how to allocate their contributions in TSP.

My advice to you is to quit complaining. If you'd like, trade jobs with a GS5 or GS7, maybe that'll make you feel better.

Re: Salary Caps

Stop your whinning Mr. GS15 step 10. You make around $145,000/yr. Your pay is quite good, you need not complain. I'm a GS-15 in Washington, and I have high living costs, but I don't go around crying about a ridiuclous pay cap or the relation between 14 and 15pay. If you don't like your pay, go to the private sector.
I hate cry babies.

Re: Salary Caps

in our agency 15/5-10 are all subject to the pay cap. 15/4 will probably hit it next year, and 14/10 will the year after that.

Re: Why some below Rest of U.S.?

when I did a lateral transfer from Cincinnati to Washington DC in December 2003 I got hit with a pay CUT, due to a lower COLA in DC, which was absurb given that the cost of housing is double what it is in the Cincy - No. Ky. area. It looks like OPM finally made an adjustment. But you guys in Cincy have nothing to complain about. For years you were making a higher rate of pay, despite an enviably low cost of living.

Re: Tables will still not be applicable for DoD

Actually, what DoD has said is that half of the (expected) 2.5% Jan 08 GPI will be paid to those under NSPS as increase in base salary with the other half being put into pay pools for pay out based on performance. In Jan 09, none of the GPI will go into base salary increases in NSPS, all of it will go into pay pools for distribution. It is presumed that the monies allocated for locality pay increases for GS will be divided up and allocated by DoD into local market supplement increases.

Re: Tables will still not be applicable for DoD

Given all the lies thus far, it would not be wise to asdsume anything with regards to NSPS implementation. What most are fearful of is the prospect of only receiving the '08 (and subsequent raises) in the form of bonuses rather than salary increases. If this happens, DOD civiliahns will fall quickly behind. Not only are TSP matching funds and retirement applicable to raises but in no time at all, a NSPS equivalent to GS-13 at DOD will be in line with a GS-11 elsewhere. Since outside HR offices will have no idea how to convert NSPS titles into traditional GS-series (fgor time in grade eligibility), they will likely defer to annual salary which means you'lll have to take a downgrade to leave DOD. Its it any wonder, the wind has been sucked out of the civilian morale sails in the Pentagon?

Re: Locality Pay

Bread went up at least 10% this past year, milk 15%, energy (gasoline – heating) 30-50%. This is effect has been cumulative. The basic formulas to calculate COLA’s have been flawed for over a decade. I’m not about to argue sprinkles on my desert when I can’t even buy a hot meal.

Re: Pay Raise

I live in the DC area. A 30 year old single family house will cost you 400 to 500 thousand dollars. To rent an appartment inside the beltway it will cost 1800 to 2500 per month. To buy an appartment inside the beltway will cost you 450 to 600 thousand dollars. If you live within 20 miles of DC your commute will be one hour to 90 minutes one-way. The local taxes are twice that of most states and everything you buy has an area tax adjustment. When I lived in Missouri my salary was 35,000 per annum and I live much better than I do now and my salary if over 100,000 dollars per annum. Local defense and government contractors make twice the going government salary and out number federal employees 10 to 1. This is what drives the cost of living in the DC area to almost unreachable levels. If the government seat wasn't here along with my job I wouldn't even consider living here.

Re: Pay Raise

DOS Admin, I remember reading somewhere that at least one junior congressman was living in his office because he could not afford to buy or rent in or near DC. From what you're telling us, most U.S. citizens can't either. The situation is reminiscent of Versailles in the late 18th century. How can they keep in touch with their constituents when they've holed up in an enclave of privilege?

Re: Pay Raise

Speaking from the perspective of a 22 year old new employee living inside the beltway, I would like to shed some light on the state of younger bureaucrats in the DC area. First: you will not be able to live by yourself. period. You will need at least one roommate to be able to afford a one bedroom in a neighborhood close enough to public transportation (forget even attempting to own a car). Second: while retired USAF is out of touch with his assessment of DC neighborhoods (most are perfectly safe), he is correct in stating that nothing is available for less than 1500. I recently looked at a studio apt that was, literally, under a freeway, and rent was $1750 + utils. Still, I am thankful that I only need one roommate (living in Shaw for 1500). If I had the political ambitions of some of my friends I'd be living in a studio with six others while I worked as a staffer for some idiot in Congress. Believe me, this area is ridiculously out of sync with the GS program and the RofUS.