MYTH BUSTERS
#1
The “Political Science major” myth
#2
The “Washington” myth
#3
The “low pay” myth
There are many careers that match a variety of undergraduate majors. Federal agencies do not just need Social Sciences majors. In fact, some of the highest need areas are public health and medicine, engineering, the sciences, business and accounting and information technology.
Jobs are not just located in Washington D.C. In fact, 84% of federal jobs are OUTSIDE of the D.C. metro region, with 50,000 jobs abroad!
Entry level salaries are competitive with many industries. Plus, Federal employees advance quickly with the possibility of increasing their salary by 150 percent in just 2-3 years! Job security, work/life balance and additional financial benefits such as assistance with loan repayment are a plus as well!
CITY
Atlanta Chicago Dallas NYC San Fran. D.C.
GS-5
$32,039 $33,639 $32,418 $34,582 $36,309 $33,269
GS-7
$39,687 $41,669 $40,156 $42,837 $44,976 $41,210
GS-9
$48,545 $50,969 $49,118 $52,398 $55,015 $50,408
GS-11
$58,734 $61,667 $59,428 $63,397 $66,562 $60,989
The federal government utilizes the General Schedule (GS) pay scale and Banded Systems to determine salary. Grade GS-4 GS-5 GS-7
Qualifying Education Associate’s or 2 years above high school Bachelor’s degree or 4 years above high school Bachelor’s degree with either: upper third of class standing, 3.0 GPA; 3.5 GPA in major, honor society membership GS-9 Master’s degree (or equivalent) **GS-5 and GS-7 are considered “entry level”**
#3
The “bureaucracy” myth
Young federal employees get to work on substantive issues that affect the future of our country. For students who want to make a difference, the federal government is arguably the best place to contribute!