Federal Soup 2.0

I am in a GS-4/5/6/7 position. Is it possible to go from the GS-4 to GS-6 or from the GS-5 to GS-7? Might there be some criteria to do so and what step would you be placed?

If the position is a 1 grade interval series, then I doubt you can skip grades (based on the fact you state it is a 4/5/6/7 position suggests it is).

A 2 grade interval series would go 5/7/9/11. After GS11, all series are 1 interval promotions (this refers to competitive service. Some excepted service pay systems, such as DCIPS allows for skipping of grades).

There's no way to jump like that if you stay in the same job with a defined 4/5/6/7 career ladder (which is actually good that the ladder goes to GS-7, a lot of GS-4 jobs don't have promotion potential or are like 4/5 or 4/5/6).

To jump grades like you want, you'd have to apply for another job. Even applying for another job, you would have to consider time in grade restriction (one year at the next lower grade of the position) if you're applying to an internal announcement or a status announcement as a current federal employee. So to jump from GS-5 to GS-7 as a status candidate, you would need to apply for another job that was a two-grade interval position (5/7/9 -- more professional positions) once you'd spent a year as a GS-5, that you qualified for at the GS-7, such as through meeting the criteria for Superior Academic Achievement and having a bachelor's degree. If you previously worked for the government at a higher grade, you could jump more easily, but if you've never had that time in grade, then no.

You aren't subject to the time in grade restriction if you apply to an All US Citizens announcement, but you still need to meet the qualifications.

There are a lot of Tax Examiners at my agency, the IRS, keeping the country running, with promotion potential only to GS-6 or GS-7 (even Contact Reps only max out at GS-8), so it's not as unusual as the previous poster thinks.

Edited by user Wednesday, April 21, 2021 11:36:10 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified