Government Pay Grades
TTS team members are hired for specific position descriptions at aspecific grade level from the federal General Schedule (GS) (excludingSenior Executive Service positions). The GS system is a pay system for civilian employees inthe federal government; evaluation and compensation varies by gradelevel. The qualification requirements for each position at a specific GSlevel are based on education, background, accomplishments, andexperience. The specific requirements will always be listed in the jobposting. Salaries of federal employees are public information, and yoursalary may become publicly available on sites such asFederalPay.org. Findout more about the GS system from the Office of PersonnelManagement.
Understanding Grade Levels
Federal employees on the general schedule range from GS-1 to GS-15. GS grade levels specify a fixed compensation range for a particularposition, in particular geographic localities, within the federalgovernment. Understanding the relationship between GS grade level,location, and compensation is important to understanding how salarieswork at TTS.
Each GS grade level contains a series of 10 steps. New employees areusually hired at Step 1 of a GS grade. However, in specialcirc*mstances, agencies may authorize a higher step rate for anewly-appointed federal employee based on a special need of the agencyor superior qualifications of the prospectiveemployee.
Use this OPM General Schedule (GS) SalaryCalculatorto help you understand how GS level, step and locality affectcompensation. The 2024 salary cap for all GS employees is $191,900 per year. Youcannot be offered more than this under any circ*mstance.
Raises and Bonuses
A step increase is the most common kind of raise for GS employees, andthe amount of time between step increases is dependent on the step. As aGS employee, you have to wait one year to increase to a step 2, 3, or 4.You must wait two years before increasing to step 5, 6, or 7. Lastly,you must wait three years before increasing to step 8, 9, or 10. Thismeans that if you join TTS at step 1, you’ll proceed to step 2 thefollowing year. If you join TTS at step 6, it will take two years toprogress to step 7.
Bonuses are generally assessed after the year-end review process in lateSeptember and are awarded based on your performance review results. Youmust be a TTS employee for at least three months to get a performancereview. Bonuses are awarded as either a small percentage of your annualsalary or through allotment of additional paid leave.
Benefits and Leave
The benefits package for federal employees includes medical, vision, anddental insurance, FSA accounts, life insurance, paid leave, and theThrift Savings Plan (the government version of a 401K) with up to fivepercent matching. Our telework policy affords increased flexibility, andemployees who use public transit to commute may claim commuter benefits.
TTS also supports employees’ ongoing professional development byproviding training opportunities and encouraging employees toparticipate in conferences, consortia, and other industry events.
The TTS Handbook has more informationabout working at TTS, including:
