• Flexible Work Schedules and Family-Friendly Leave Policies: We understand that life happens, and that flexibility has tremendous value. 

• Wellness and Fitness Programs: Some programs allow a certain number of paid work hours per week. Other programs may supply reimbursements for certain expenses like gym memberships up to a cap.

• 11 Paid Federal Holidays: Spend time with loved ones instead of at work. Employees who must work on holidays may make extra!

• Paid Vacation Time: Recharge without missing a paycheck. If are a full-time permanent employee and you have less than 3 years of federal service, you typically earn 4 hours of annual leave per pay period. There are 26 pay periods per year. Find the full list of how you can earn leave by visiting the Office of Personnel Management's Annual Leave webpage.

• Paid Sick Time: Take care of yourself without worrying about the office.

• Paid Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks of paid leave for childbirth, adoption placement, or foster care placement.

• Employee Assistance Programs: These services can vary and generally include assessments, counseling, and referrals for personal and or work-related concerns, such as stress, financial issues, legal issues, family problems, office conflicts, and alcohol and substance use disorders. They also help management with advanced planning for situations, such as organizational changes, legal considerations, emergency planning, and response to unique traumatic events.

• Health, Vision, and Dental Insurance Options: Choices change annually. 

• Life Insurance: You pay two-thirds of the total cost, and the Government pays one-third. Your age does not affect the cost of Basic insurance.

• Retirement: A three-part retirement program consisting of the Thrift Savings Program, a pension, and Social Security.

• Awards: Our awards program allows supervisors to recognize employees who go above and beyond to positively affect the agency with their performance.

• Flexible Spending Accounts: This special account saves you money by allowing you to set aside funds from your paycheck without paying taxes. You can then use that money to pay for certain out-of-pocket health care costs like deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and some drugs.

• Commuter Subsidies: Save money by using mass transit to commute to and from work. Eligible employees may receive a tax-free monthly benefit equal to commuting costs up to a capped amount.

You might be wondering what career growth in the Forest Service looks like. Here are a few ways you can grow your career working with the Forest Service.

Individual Development Plans

An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a tool to help you as an employee in achieving your personal and professional development goals. IDPs help you and your supervisor set expectations for learning objectives and skills that align with your career progression. IDPs should be seen as a partnership between you and your supervisor. You have the opportunity to express your learning needs or wants, while your supervisor can provide the resources and feedback to help you accomplish those goals.

Detail Assignments

A detail is a temporary assignment to a different position for a specified period, the employee is expected to return to their regular position at the end of their detail assignment. Details allow you to gain experience in a different position that directly aligns with your personal career goals, such as an IT Support Specialist on detail as a Web Developer. There is no change in pay during your time on a detail.

Temporary Promotions

A temporary promotion is when an employee is assigned to a higher graded position for a specified period of time, the employee is expected to return to their regular position at the end of their temporary promotion. When you apply for a temporary promotion, you must meet position qualifications in order to be eligible for temporary promotion. An example of a temporary promotion would be a Forestry Technician who has served in their position for at least a year and is now on a temporary promotion as a Supervisory Forestry Technician.

Career Ladder Promotions

A Career Ladder Promotion occurs when an employee is placed into a position with promotion potential to the next higher grade(s). Career Ladder positions are meant to help you grow your experience and skills in a specific career path. When in a career ladder position your must meet time in grade in each grade level of the ladder and be considered fully successful at each grade level to be eligible for promotion. An example of career ladder promotion would be a Biological Science Technician hired as a GS-05/06 with full promotion potential to a GS-07. The Biological Science Technician would start as a GS-05 until they have met the time-in-grade requirements and are considered fully successful at GS-05, then move on to the next grade level until they have met the full promotion potential.

Pay Schedules

• General Schedule

  The General Schedule is the primary federal pay scale, particularly for employees in professional, technical, administrative, or clerical positions. The system has 15 grades, starting at a GS-1 and going up to GS-15—there are 10 steps within each grade.

  • GS- 1 or GS-2: mostly high school level interns working seasonal positions.

  • GS-3 or GS-4: college level internship positions, student jobs, entry-level technicians or lower level administrative work.

  • GS-5 to GS-7: advanced entry-level administrative positions, technical trainees or technical mid-level trainees, must have 1 year specialized experience or degree.

  • GS-8 to GS-12: mid-level technical positions and first level supervisory positions.

  • GS-13 to GS-15: top-level technical and supervisory positions. 

• Alternatives Pay Schedules

  The Forest Service also uses two other government regulated pay scales:

  • The Federal Wage System (FWS) is a pay plan for people who are usually paid by the hour. The goal of the FWS is to make sure that Federal trade, craft and laboring employees are receiving the same rate of pay as private sector employees in the same locality area who perform similar duties.

  • The Senior Executive Service (SES) consists of executive positions, including managerial, supervisory and policy positions classified above GS grade 15 or equivalent positions in most Executive Branch agencies of the federal government.

Step Increases

Each GS grade has 10 steps. Step Increases also known as Within-Grade Increases (WGIs) are periodic increases in a GS employee’s rate of basic pay from one step of the grade to the next higher step of that grade. WGIs only apply to GS employees occupying permanent positions and will be earned upon meeting three requirements established by law:

1. The employee’s performance must be at an acceptable level of competence. To meet this requirement, an employee’s most recent performance rating of record must be “fully successful” or an equivalent rating.

2. The employee must have completed the required waiting period for advancement to the next higher step.

   • Steps 1 to 2, 2 to 3, and 3 to 4: 52 weeks (1 year) of creditable service in current step.

   • Steps 4 to 5, 5 to 6, and 6 to 7: 104 weeks (2 years) of creditable service in current step.

   • Steps 7 to 8, 8 to 9, and 9 to 10: 156 weeks (3 years) of creditable service in current step.

3. The employee must not have received an equivalent increase in pay during the waiting period.

Cost of Living

Salaries under the GS system have two parts: base pay and locality pay adjustment. The GS base pay is adjusted to accommodate the cost of living in more expensive geographical locations. So, if you were a GS-7 biologist in San Francisco you make more money than a GS-7 biologist in Atlanta because the cost of living is higher in San Francisco.

You may receive additional pay called a locality pay adjustment, depending on where you work in the United States. In some areas such as Alaska, Hawaii and California, locality pay can be 10-25% higher than other locations. You can visit the OPM Salaries & Wages webpage to view the current year's pay tables for your desired career location.

Special Rates

The Forest Service may pay a higher base rate for some jobs to recruit and keep top talent. Often, the base pay is higher for positions that are considered hard to fill, and are mostly in the scientific, technical, and medical fields.