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Salary Information for MPAs/MPPs


SALARIES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: 2012

The federal government has a General Schedule (GS) pay scale that is based upon grades and steps. In the two tables below, you see how much an individual earns at each grade and step. When individuals enter the federal government after earning their undergraduate degrees, they will usually enter as a GS-7. On the other hand, the lowest grade at which a person who has completed a masters program, such as an MPA or MPP, will enter is a GS-9 (and many enter at higher grades). Federal employees' salaries tend to advance about 2 steps per year.

In the tables below, the GS-7 pay rates for 2012 are highlighted in blue, while the GS-9 pay rates are highlighted in red. Comparing the GS-7 and GS-9 pay rates illustrates the higher salaries associated with MPA/MPP degrees.

The first table below shows the base General Schedule pay rates for 2012. The second table shows the 2012 General Schedule pay rates for the Washington, DC area. 

2012 Federal Employee Pay Tables*
RATES FROZEN AT 2010 LEVELS
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2012

Annual Rates by Grade and Step

Grade

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

7

33979

35112

36245

37378

38511

39644

40777

41910

43043

44176

8

37631

38885

40139

41393

42647

43901

45155

46409

47663

48917

9

41563

42948

44333

45718

47103

48488

49873

51258

52643

54028

10

45771

47297

48823

50349

51875

53401

54927

56453

57979

59505

11

50287

51963

53639

55315

56991

58667

60343

62019

63695

65371

12

60274

62283

64292

66301

68310

70319

72328

74337

76346

78355

13

71674

74063

76452

78841

81230

83619

86008

88397

90786

93175

14

84697

87520

90343

93166

95989

98812

101635

104458

107281

110104

15

99628

102949

106270

109591

112912

116233

119554

122875

126196

129517

 

* Source: U.S. Office of Personal Management; see 
http://www.opm.gov/oca/12tables/html/gs.asp

Pay Rate if enter without MPA/MPP (GS-7)
Pay Rate if enter after completing MPA/MPP (GS-9)


2012 Federal Employee Pay Table-
Washington, DC/Baltimore*

INCORPORATING THE 1.5% GENERAL SCHEDULE INCREASE AND 
A LOCALITY PAYMENT OF 24.22%

FOR THE LOCALITY PAY AREA OF WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE-NORTHERN VIRGINIA, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA

(See http://www.opm.gov/oca/12tables/html/dcb.asp 
 for definitions of locality pay areas)
(TOTAL INCREASE: 2.42%)
RATES FROZEN AT 2010 LEVELS

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2012
Annual Rates by Grade and Step

Grade

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Step 10

7

42209

43616

45024

46431

47838

49246

50653

52061

53468

54875

8

46745

48303

49861

51418

52976

54534

56092

57649

59207

60765

9

51630

53350

55070

56791

58511

60232

61952

63673

65393

67114

10

56857

58752

60648

62544

64439

66335

68230

70126

72022

73917

11

62467

64548

66630

68712

70794

72876

74958

77040

79122

81204

12

74872

77368

79864

82359

84855

87350

89846

92341

94837

97333

13

89033

92001

94969

97936

100904

103872

106839

109807

112774

115742

14

105211

108717

112224

115731

119238

122744

126251

129758

133264

136771

15

123758

127883

132009

136134

140259

144385

148510

152635

155500

155500


* Source: U.S. Office of Personal Management; see

http://www.opm.gov/oca/12tables/html/dcb.asp 

Pay Rate if enter without MPA/MPP (GS-7)
Pay Rate if enter after completing MPA/MPP (GS-9)




 Average Salaries of Municipal Officials*
A survey of the average salaries of full-time municipal officials was conducted in 2009 by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Position

Average Salary

Chief admin officer / city manager

       106,408

Chief elected official

51,918

Chief financial officer

87,173

Chief law enforcement official

82,015

Chief librarian

67,101

Clerk

56,565

Economic development advisor

83,261

Engineer

90,570

Fire chief

83,009

Health officer

71,247

Human resources director

80,336

Human services director

76,683

Information services director

88,312

Parks and recreation director

76,587

Parks superintendent

58,946

Planning director

80,852

Primary assistant manager / CAO

98,439

Public safety director

87,997

Public works director

80,214

Purchasing director

69,037

Recreation director

64,926

Risk manager

73,751

Treasurer

60,576

* Source: National League of Cities; see http://www.nlc.org.


 

ADDITIONAL WEBSITES OFFERING SALARY INFORMATION

JobStar
http://jobstar.org/tools/salary/sal-prof.cfm                                               
JobStar provides links and descriptions of salary surveys or summaries.  Evaluate information in terms of currency, geographic coverage and application to your individual situation.

US Labor Department's Occupational Outlook Handbook
http://stats.bls.gov/oco/                                                                      
Published by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Occupational Outlook Handbook is a source of career information. The Handbook is revised every 2 years and describes working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations.

 

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