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NIST
Pay Systems
Most NIST employees are covered by the NIST Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS). This system includes white collar employees engaged in scientific and technical, administrative, technician, or clerical work. These employees are grouped and paid according to career path. An employee's occupational series determines which career path applies to the position; the pay band within the career path determines an employee's salary. There are four career paths at NIST:
Click here to see a chart of NIST Career Paths and corresponding General Schedule grades. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required. Get Acrobat Reader. If you cannot access these files, please contact Human Resources.) Executive-Level PaySenior Executive Service (SES) employees are paid under a system established by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 for managers and supervisors in positions above GS-15 through Executive Level IV. The former six levels of SES pay established under 5 U.S.C. 5382 (i.e. ES-1 through ES-6) were abolished and replaced by an open pay range. In addition, locality pay is no longer extended to SES members nor is the annual comparability increase. Pay increases are granted through performance only. Additionally, SES members may not receive more than one pay increase in any 12-month period. The new SES range has a minimum rate of basic pay equal to 120 percent of the rate for GS-15, step 1, and the maximum rate of basic pay is equal to the rate for level III of the Executive Schedule. For 2009, this pay range is $117,787-$177,000. Total compensation for SES employees is subject to the aggregate pay limitation set by law ($227,300 in 2009). ST-3104 positions are specially designated positions involved in high-level scientific research activities. ST-3104 pay is determined by the Office of the Secretary of Commerce. The ST pay system is ungraded. The basic pay range is between 120 percent of GS15/1 and Executive Level III and locality pay ranges do not apply after April 2009. For 2009, the pay range for NIST STs is $143,735-$162,900. Total compensation for ST positions is subject to the aggregate pay limitation set by law which is equivalent to the EX-1 ($196,000 in 2009), until certification of the ST performance system at which time, the aggregate pay cap would rise to the same level as SES members which is $227,300 in 2009.General ScheduleThe General Schedule (GS) is the name of a payscale used by the majority of white collar personnel in the civil service of the federal government of the United States. The GS was enacted into law by the Classification Act of 1949, which replaced a similar act of the same name enacted in 1923. The GS pay scale is intended to keep federal salaries equitable among various occupations ("equal pay for equal work"). It includes most professional, technical, administrative, and clerical positions in the federal civil service. Federal Wage SystemFederal Wage System employees (sometimes referred to as blue collar workers) are paid under the Prevailing Rate System. These positions are often called "Wage Grade" or "Wage Board" jobs with pay plans designated as WG, WS, WL, WP, WI, WN, WD or WT. Experts and ConsultantsAgencies may appoint a qualified expert or consultant to an expert or consultant position that requires only intermittent and/or temporary employment. Such an appointment is excepted from competitive examination, position classification, and the General Schedule pay rates. Experts and consultants may be paid a rate not to exceed the daily equivalent of the highest payable rate in the General Schedule (GS-15, step 10), excluding locality pay, unless a higher rate is specifically authorized by statute.
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