Determining Pay Increases in Job Classification Plans The federal government's General Schedule (GS) is an example of a job classification plan in which pay rates are based, in part, on compensable factors such as knowledge and skills. Jobs are grouped into 15 classifications, ranging from GS level 1 through level 15 as well as the level or degrees of compensable factors (e.g., follow procedures vs. establishing procedures). Over time, employees receive pay increases according to length of service (Steps 1-10) and progression through the steps assumes a minimum of acceptable performance. The pay increase from step to step equals the within-grade increase (WGI) amount. The waiting periods within steps are: Steps 1-3: 1 year in each step Steps 4-6: 2 years in each step Steps 7-9: 3 years in each step Salary Table GS (Annual Rates by Grade and Step) Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10 WGI Varies 1 18,785 19,414 20,039 20,660 21,285 21,650 22,267 22,891 22,915 23,502 21,121 21,624 22,323 22,915 23,175 23,857 24,539 25,221 25,903 26,585 23,045 23,813 24,581 25,349 26,117 26,885 27,653 28,421 29,189 29,957 25,871 26,733 27,595 28,457 29,319 30,181 31,043 31,905 32,767 33,629 28,945 29,910 30,875 31,840 32,805 33,770 34,735 35,700 36,665 37,630 32,264 33,339 34,414 35,489 36,564 37,639 38,714 39,789 40,864 41,939 35,854 37,049 38,244 39,439 40,634 41,829 43,024 44,219 45,414 46,609 39,707 41,031 42,355 43,679 45,003 46,327 47,651 48,975 50,299 51,623 43,857 45,319 46,781 48,243 49,705 51,167 48,297 49,907 51,517 53,127 54,737 56,347 57,957 59,567 61,177 62,787 53,062 54,831 56,600 58,369 60,138 61,907 63,676 65,445 67,214 68,983 63,600 65,720 67,840 69,960 72,080 74,200 76,320 78,440 80,560 82,680 75,628 78,149 80,670 83,191 85,712 88,233 90,754 93,275 95,796 98,317 89,370 92,349 95,328 98,307 101,286 104,265 107,244 110,223 113,202 116,181 2,979 105,123 108,627 112,131 115,6351 19,139 122,643 126,147 129,651 133,155 136,659 3,504 Varies 768 862 965 3 4 5 1,075 1,195 1,324 1,462 1,610 1,769 2,120 2,521 52,629 54,091 55,553 57,015 10 11 12 13 14 15 Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Available: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/18Tables/html/GS.aspx, accessed January 17, 2018 The number of years it would take an employee to advance from her starting position in Grade 11- Step 1 to Step 10 if she demonstrates acceptable performance is years
