How about the (outside of DC) lower worker bees who are capped at GS5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s?

Grade creep is outside of DC as well. I work in a small rural post of duty for the IRS and have been a possible recipient of grade creep. When I moved to this POD there were 5 Revenue Agents. 1 grade 11 and 4 grade 9s. It is a 5/7/9 ladder starting position. To qualify you are within two classes of qualifying for the CPA exam, so a lot of accounting and a degree is required. Now, although there are only two of us we are grades 12 & 13. Has the position changed? Yes, some. Before, the RAs worked mainly in town with some over night travel. Now almost all the work is out of town with over night travel. Although we don't travel all the time (although the Boss used to say we should - that has changed with budget cuts), we were gone 4 - 10 working days a month. We used to have specialist work more of the special issue cases, no more. We have to do it all with help from someone over e-mail from another part of the country. So, you could say there are higher grades for the same job, but it isn't exactly right either.

I'm glad IRS has a 5/7/9 ladder. My agency does NOT. In fact, when other agencies skip a grade, we do not. If you have to take a lower grade job for any reason (choice, transfers, whatever), they make you take a pay cut. I have had to fight for every grade increase. Ready for retirement any time!

When I started as an RA in 1973, the ladder was 5/7/9/11. Were you an office auditor? or did you start earlier than me? If you are in LB & I or LMSB then you should be a 13. I assume the work is much more technical and complex than when you started.------In SBSE I would say the work is more tedious than complex. There are some technical issues such as passive losses, but I haven't seen a 531 or a liquidation issue in years. We are starting to do corporations, but the issues are much easier.

It is most obvious when you move between organizations. You can see like-type positions with significant grade difference. The HR people seem to be one of the worst abusers. They govern job classification and feather their own nest quite well. Trying to maintain pay parity for your employees is a race to the “top” where we all lose.

Salaries offered by private corporations are always higher than those offered by the Federal Government for equivalent occupations, in many major metropolitan areas, particularly in the Washington, D.C. metro area. In addition, health benefits, life insurance, 401K match, and other benefits offered by private corporations are similar and competitive to those offered by the Federal Government. With a lockstep Federal payscale that has been frozen for 2 years, not to mention that, for years prior to the current pay freeze, salary surveys by the Paymaster have repeatedly concluded that Federal workers are paid up to 25% less than workers doing similar jobs in private corporations. No doubt then that in order to compete for and retain skilled and talented workers, there has been a need to rank occupations in the higher pay grades in order for base salaries to keep step. Folks, Federal employment is not slavery nor is it charity. Federal workers need to be paid market salaries.