Top Law Schools

Could someone explain the AD pay scale for USAOs to me?

I’m coming in as a third year attorney at AD-23, making more than minimum but less than Q2 25%. In one year, I’ll still be AD-23, but will I automatically move up to Q2 25% (like a step increase), or is that discretionary?

Once I’m a fifth year attorney, I’ll automatically go to AD-25, but does the office have the discretion to move me down to minimum so that I’m making less than what I make currently as an AD-23?

Is everything discretionary? GS scale is much different and I can’t find a lot of explanation of AD scale. Thanks

I don’t think you automatically move up to 25% like a step increase, but you can; it depends on how much money there is for raises and how your office chooses to handle that. While in a multi-year grade I think I got a small raise one year and a bonus instead of a raise the second (or vice verse).

I have never heard of anyone getting less when they moved up a grade - it should always be more. You won’t be in each grade long enough to move very high up scale to get to a high enough salary that the minimum to 25th percentile on the next grade up is lower. Everyone I know gets paid around the 25th percentile when they move up a grade.