Your Pay
You are paid according to guidelines established by the Federal "pay system". This system is designed to ensure fairness and consistency in pay throughout the Federal workforce. Consequently, your pay is set based upon government-wide criteria which take into account:
- the grade of the position that you occupy;
- your years of experience (or steps) within that grade level, and
- the salary table appropriate to your position.
Your pay and the procedures by which it is calculated are set government-wide by Federal law.
Your Pay Grade
Your pay "grade" is the level at which you are paid. With the exception of about 70 senior level positions, grade levels at NASA range from GS-1 through GS-15.
The duties of your position are determined by NASA management. The pay grade of your position is set according to government-wide position classification standards and is generally dependent upon:
- the difficulty of the assigned duties of your position,
- your level of responsibility in accomplishing these duties,
- the knowledge required to perform your duties, and
- any special qualifications required by your position such as a medical or law degree or pilot qualification.
Your Duties Determine Your Grade
The assigned duties of the position determine the grade level. Although they may be important in determining your performance: your qualifications, your potential for advancement, or awards -- such things as the amount of work you accomplish, the quality of the work you accomplish, your length of service, your personality, your degree level, or your time in a position do not count in determining the grade level of your position. The assigned duties of the position determine the grade level.
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Your Pay Step
Within each grade level, there are 10 steps or levels. Pay increases associated with step increases are intended to recognize experience and longevity in your position. The average step increase is roughly equivalent to 3 percent of your basic salary. If your performance is rated as satisfactory or "pass", you will be granted within-grade step increases in pay at the following intervals:
- Steps 1 through 4 occur at one-year intervals.
- Steps 5 through 7 occur at two-year intervals.
- Steps 8 through 10 occur at three-year intervals.
Note: If you have periods of leave without pay (LWOP), it may delay the effective date of your next Within Grade Increase.
If You are Promoted to the Next Higher Grade
If you are promoted to the next higher grade, you will receive an increase of at least as much as two steps at your current grade. For example, if you are a GS-6 step 5 on the general schedule and you are promoted to the GS-7, your new salary on the GS-7 scale must meet or exceed the pay of a GS-6 step 7 on the general schedule. In this example, using existing salary tables, you would advance to the GS-7 step 4 pay level.
The Effect of Locality Pay in a Promotion
In setting pay if you are entitled to receive locality pay, the locality pay is first removed, the pay/step is then adjusted on the general schedule; then the locality pay adjustment is made at the new pay/step.
Your Salary Table
You are paid according to a salary table appropriate to your occupation, geographic location, and/or other specifically determined factors. The salary tables show the salary for each grade and step and are set by law. Most employees are paid according to the "general schedule" or salary table. Some employees such as medical doctors (clinical), medical doctors (research), GS-11 and below engineers, and employees at other locations are on different salary tables. You will receive a new salary table each time there is a change in the salary table for your position. Current pay tables are available through your Human Resources Office or the understanding your pay page.
Other Pay Changes
In addition to pay changes resulting from promotions (grade increases) and step increases, the following adjustments will also change your pay:
Locality Pay Adjustment
Your basic pay is adjusted based upon the geographic location of your position. Locality pay is set by law and corresponds to the "cost of labor" (not the "cost of living") in a geographic area. If you change duty stations, your locality pay will be adjusted to that of your new duty station.
Annual Comparability Increase (ACI)
Congress usually grants a government wide "cost of living increase" for most Federal employees. In recent years these adjustments have occurred in January and have averaged 1-2 percent of basic salary.
Notification of Pay Changes
You will receive a Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, each time:
- your grade level changes;
- your receive a step increase;
- you receive an adjustment in your locality pay; or
- you receive an annual comparability increase (ACI)
Also, your biweekly leave and earnings statement will reflect the new amount. |
