Have interview for AUSA position - question re starting pay Forum

[midwestls]

I'm fortunate enough to have an interview next week for an AUSA position. I'm familiar with the pay grid and differential pay and there is obviously a wide differential in potential starting pay listed in the ad (like $50k to $135k).

Does anyone know how much discretion there is in starting salary? Must they simply slot you on the grid based on years of legal experience or do they have some discretion on what they start a candidate at?

Thanks in advance for any feedback you can offer.

[rinkrat19]

Someone else can probably answer for AUSA jobs specifically, but typically govt hiring doesn't have a ton of discretion. If you're entry-level, you start at the bottom of the pay scale.

Fed jobs are in such demand that they don't have to tempt a candidate with a higher salary; they know they'll have their pick of entry-level applicants willing to take the bottom pay rate. Paying someone more than they're qualified for is wasteful and likely against a lot of rules.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/career-cent ... lan-charts
http://www.justice.gov/usao/career-cent ... nformation

[Anonymous User]

What grade you fall into is determined solely by years of experience, and there's no discretion about that. However, there's a range for each grade, and they don't have to start you at the bottom of that. (You're looking at the AD scale, right?) So AD-21 (0-3 years experience) goes from roughly $45k to $77k, and they have discretion to decide where you fall within that. (If you are an AUSA, there's discretion but it's bounded by your annual review rating.) The caveat is that I think how each office handles that is up to the USA and so it can vary. I have heard of offices that set everyone at the max for their grade, and offices that never set anyone at the max. Your USA likely has decided what salary they intend to offer a new AUSA and it's probably not at the bottom of the range. I have the impression that there isn't really room for negotiation at that point, but that may vary also.

[DELG]

Someone else can probably answer for AUSA jobs specifically, but typically govt hiring doesn't have a ton of discretion. If you're entry-level, you start at the bottom of the pay scale.

Fed jobs are in such demand that they don't have to tempt a candidate with a higher salary; they know they'll have their pick of entry-level applicants willing to take the bottom pay rate. Paying someone more than they're qualified for is wasteful and likely against a lot of rules.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/career-cent ... lan-charts
http://www.justice.gov/usao/career-cent ... nformation

Where does locality pay fit into this?