Phase2 Salary

General Discussion for SMART Scholarship Recipients
Guest

Phase2 Salary

Post by Guest »

For those just awarded the smart scholarship how do you know what your phase 2 salary will be? Should it be on the awards page?

Guest

Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by Guest »

Most SF's are pretty consistent as to what the SMART scholar gets hired as. The only difference I know of is if your SF is a lab, like AFRL.

Fellow students I know get started as follows:
BS usually starts at GS-7
MS usually starts at GS-9
PhD usually starts at GS-11. The salaries and locality additions can be found online on a .gov website (probably OPM). Also, a BS would normally go up to GS-9 after a year and a GS-11 after around 2 years.

Though now, some SF's are moving to Acq Demo or the labs are on lab demo instead of the GS system. The two demos get much closer to what a company would pay you right out of college. These pay scales are less documented than the GS system. In Acq demo, a BS would likely be hired as an NH-01. And from what I have seen in the labs, one year of graduate school work is "required" to be hired at a DR-01. These are for the air force systems.

Definitely find out what system the SF you have in question is currently on... The demo systems are much better when it comes to being comparable to a salary at a major company out of school.

Guest

Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by Guest »

I better get higher than nh01 because the start of that band is only 18000 a year. Hopefully I end up at a gs location

Guest123

Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by Guest123 »

Guest wrote:I better get higher than nh01 because the start of that band is only 18000 a year. Hopefully I end up at a gs location
It's likely a high NH-01. They seem to reserve NH-02 for master's or that plus a bit of work experience.

Guest1234

Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by Guest1234 »

A GS 11 is kind of low for someone with a PhD. Does the GS 11 salary also take into account someone who has work experience?

salaryyyy

Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by salaryyyy »

Guest wrote:
Most SF's are pretty consistent as to what the SMART scholar gets hired as. The only difference I know of is if your SF is a lab, like AFRL.

Fellow students I know get started as follows:
BS usually starts at GS-7
MS usually starts at GS-9
PhD usually starts at GS-11. The salaries and locality additions can be found online on a .gov website (probably OPM). Also, a BS would normally go up to GS-9 after a year and a GS-11 after around 2 years.

Though now, some SF's are moving to Acq Demo or the labs are on lab demo instead of the GS system. The two demos get much closer to what a company would pay you right out of college. These pay scales are less documented than the GS system. In Acq demo, a BS would likely be hired as an NH-01. And from what I have seen in the labs, one year of graduate school work is "required" to be hired at a DR-01. These are for the air force systems.

Definitely find out what system the SF you have in question is currently on... The demo systems are much better when it comes to being comparable to a salary at a major company out of school.
Does it vary if your major is on that generally pays well ?
such as computer engineering or computer science ...
do you still start at gs 7 regardless ?

Guest1234

Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by Guest1234 »

I am I the same boat. Currently MS Computer Science st 85000!

Question

Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by Question »

Why don't they tell you phase 2 salary up front?

kbl2017
Posts: 339
Joined: Mon May 15, 2017 10:48 pm
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Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by kbl2017 »

Question wrote:Why don't they tell you phase 2 salary up front?
Because it could change in the next two years, or they assume we know the GS scale.

guestttttt

Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by guestttttt »

SMART has zero control over your phase 2 pay. It's completely up to your SF. Contact YOUR SF for specifics, as they are the only one that will be able to answer the question accurately.

DOD_Quizzes_LOL

Re: Phase2 Salary

Post by DOD_Quizzes_LOL »

Question wrote:Why don't they tell you phase 2 salary up front?
They don't want you to know. It lowers the offer acceptance rate because the salaries are so bad.

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