Guest wrote:Guest wrote:$83k+ moving exp (PCS)
PhD
Army
GS 12-7
No furlough (civil service)
Hired 2013
Update: 3 years in
$97K, GS 13-6
Update: 4 years in
$102K, GS 14-1
Guest wrote:Guest wrote:$83k+ moving exp (PCS)
PhD
Army
GS 12-7
No furlough (civil service)
Hired 2013
Update: 3 years in
$97K, GS 13-6
Guest wrote:Some perspective for the Army GS-14 who keeps telling us his salary.
I left SMART before Phase 2. I had a phd in electrical engineering an an offer from the army for a gs-11 ($57k at the time).
I went to a contractor developing technology that will be fielded by the next generation warfighter... today's tech is too old to be wasting brain cells on. I started at $110k/year. 5 years in and I'm not a gs-14, but I'm telling gs-15s what they should be spending their program dollars on and routinely briefing ses and 1 and 2 stars on future technology. I have better benefits than the civilian army employees, and a better work-life balance than anyone at my old sponsor facility.
Leaving smart was the best decision I could have ever made. For the highly educated, dod is just not a great employer (great customer though...).
Guest wrote:Some perspective for the Army GS-14 who keeps telling us his salary.
I left SMART before Phase 2. I had a phd in electrical engineering an an offer from the army for a gs-11 ($57k at the time).
I went to a contractor developing technology that will be fielded by the next generation warfighter... today's tech is too old to be wasting brain cells on. I started at $110k/year. 5 years in and I'm not a gs-14, but I'm telling gs-15s what they should be spending their program dollars on and routinely briefing ses and 1 and 2 stars on future technology. I have better benefits than the civilian army employees, and a better work-life balance than anyone at my old sponsor facility.
Leaving smart was the best decision I could have ever made. For the highly educated, dod is just not a great employer (great customer though...).
Guest wrote:There are many people unhappy with their jobs and many who are. The unhappy ones are the ones who post on here. I'm particularly happy because of three reasons.
1. I work for a facility that does actual research, almost completely in-house, and I've been given latitude, trust, and resources to build whatever research program I want as long as I can connect it to actual public need. I'm on track to get my GS15 in about a year and a half and already starting discussions on my path to ST. I have more influence on national R&D in my field by virtue of my position with the DoD than any single academic professor in the world. I chair international committees on advancing my field and sharing technology. When I speak at any level of my Agency, people listen and consider my input. Part of that is my personal skillset and passion, and part of it is the opportunities afforded me by my SF. I make less than my academic colleagues, but not much less and they work way harder than I do chasing after NSF scraps. I harness funds directed from congress to advance R&D and end up with so much money its sometimes difficult to figure out how to spend it all appropriately.
2. I don't owe a dime to anyone for my PhD, and I made upwards of $60K during the three years of my Phase 1.
3. I would never have considered working for the DoD if not forced to by this program. I'm extremely happy with my position and opportunities and am not considering leaving ever.
Having said all that, I don't think the program had anything to do with 1 or 3, not really. It was all luck and my choosing a good SF to put on my application. Honestly, even the one that selected me didn't research what they said on their website, so I got a job researching something completely outside my (then) interest areas. I just happened upon a great SF with a great branch chief and a lot of opportunity to contribute to an emerging research area. I recognize most people don't fall into a luck puddle like I did. But, DoD service is largely what you make of it and you can always move around within the DoD until you find what you're looking for.
Army GS14 Dude wrote:Guest wrote:Some perspective for the Army GS-14 who keeps telling us his salary.
I left SMART before Phase 2. I had a phd in electrical engineering an an offer from the army for a gs-11 ($57k at the time).
I went to a contractor developing technology that will be fielded by the next generation warfighter... today's tech is too old to be wasting brain cells on. I started at $110k/year. 5 years in and I'm not a gs-14, but I'm telling gs-15s what they should be spending their program dollars on and routinely briefing ses and 1 and 2 stars on future technology. I have better benefits than the civilian army employees, and a better work-life balance than anyone at my old sponsor facility.
Leaving smart was the best decision I could have ever made. For the highly educated, dod is just not a great employer (great customer though...).
Different strokes for different folks. First, this is the "OFFICIAL POST YOUR PAY THREAD," so it seems odd that you make it seem weird to "keep telling us his salary." I'm trying to provide information for prospective candidates of this program, in part to counterbalance all the negative information given by people on this forum. I am one of a few dozen SMART Scholars at my SF who are all very successful and very happy. It seems like people would want to know both sides. I'm sorry your experience didn't work out so well. I'd like to reference my other post on the forum to give you more of my perspective.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1618&p=10691&sid=f0226da18692027c0c6bc17e6595d832#p10691Guest wrote:There are many people unhappy with their jobs and many who are. The unhappy ones are the ones who post on here. I'm particularly happy because of three reasons.
1. I work for a facility that does actual research, almost completely in-house, and I've been given latitude, trust, and resources to build whatever research program I want as long as I can connect it to actual public need. I'm on track to get my GS15 in about a year and a half and already starting discussions on my path to ST. I have more influence on national R&D in my field by virtue of my position with the DoD than any single academic professor in the world. I chair international committees on advancing my field and sharing technology. When I speak at any level of my Agency, people listen and consider my input. Part of that is my personal skillset and passion, and part of it is the opportunities afforded me by my SF. I make less than my academic colleagues, but not much less and they work way harder than I do chasing after NSF scraps. I harness funds directed from congress to advance R&D and end up with so much money its sometimes difficult to figure out how to spend it all appropriately.
2. I don't owe a dime to anyone for my PhD, and I made upwards of $60K during the three years of my Phase 1.
3. I would never have considered working for the DoD if not forced to by this program. I'm extremely happy with my position and opportunities and am not considering leaving ever.
Having said all that, I don't think the program had anything to do with 1 or 3, not really. It was all luck and my choosing a good SF to put on my application. Honestly, even the one that selected me didn't research what they said on their website, so I got a job researching something completely outside my (then) interest areas. I just happened upon a great SF with a great branch chief and a lot of opportunity to contribute to an emerging research area. I recognize most people don't fall into a luck puddle like I did. But, DoD service is largely what you make of it and you can always move around within the DoD until you find what you're looking for.
To the easy paycheck person, I probably put in 50-60 hours a week and travel 25% of the time. If that's easy then I'm glad I'm not married to you.
- "Army GS14 person"
Guest wrote:Started Fall 2015
Pay: $60,400
Degree Level: BS
Branch: USMC
Facility: MARCORSYSCOM
Pay System / Level: NH-02/03 Ladder (should hit 03 in about two years)
Effects of Furloughs: None
Guest wrote:Guest wrote:Started Fall 2015
Pay: $60,400
Degree Level: BS
Branch: USMC
Facility: MARCORSYSCOM
Pay System / Level: NH-02/03 Ladder (should hit 03 in about two years)
Effects of Furloughs: None
Just a quick update on this:
Made NH-03 after two years, pay is now $79,644 (equivalent to a GS-12 Step 01). Also got converted to a competitive, Career Conditional appointment.
2017cohort wrote:Guest wrote:Guest wrote:Started Fall 2015
Pay: $60,400
Degree Level: BS
Branch: USMC
Facility: MARCORSYSCOM
Pay System / Level: NH-02/03 Ladder (should hit 03 in about two years)
Effects of Furloughs: None
Just a quick update on this:
Made NH-03 after two years, pay is now $79,644 (equivalent to a GS-12 Step 01). Also got converted to a competitive, Career Conditional appointment.
What was your major ?
2012_cohort wrote:Pay: about $64,000
Degree Level: Ph.D., Physics
Branch: DoD
Facility: Probably overkill, but leaving this blank due to OPSEC.
Pay System / Level: GG11 step 3
Effects of Furloughs: None
I was hired as a GG11 step 1 in 2014, with the understanding that I was bring hired into a GG13 billet and would be noncompetitively promoted once per year based strictly on my performance. Unfortunately that same year, a major budget crunch hit. After that, "noncompetitive" got reinterpreted by a national-level leadership that watched the Hunger Games and thought it would make a great HR strategy. They instituted tiny promotion quotas and after almost three years I'm still a GG11.
On the other hand, my commitment has expired and frankly the defense contractor job market for STEM types with clearances is so good that essentially by accident I got an offer that doubled my salary. I will thus shortly be leaving government employment. Which I genuinely have mixed feelings about - my SF is an extremely interesting, enjoyable, and (by government standards) caring place to work. If pay had been even remotely competitive with the rest of the market, I'd have probably stayed several more years.
Guest1234 wrote:Started work at the beginning of FY 2017.
Pay: ~$77,000
Degree Level: Master's (completed)
Branch: Air Force
Facility: AFRL
Pay System / Level: DR-01
Effects of Furloughs: None
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