FSO: SOP 134A4

BUREAU OF GLOBAL TALENT MANAGEMENT
OFFICE OF TALENT ACQUISITION

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES NOTICE (SOP) NO. 134A4

(This SOP replaces and supersedes SOP 104A dated 1/29/03 and all previous versions, as well as replaces and supersedes SOP 134A3 dated 7/16/15 and all previous versions)

SUBJECT: Salary Standards for Entry-Level Foreign Service Officer Career Candidates effective February 28, 2022

PURPOSE: To provide procedures for determining the entry-level salary for Foreign Service Officer Career Candidates in accordance with 3 FAM 3121.1-1.

AUTHORITY: 22 USC 3964 and Section 404 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 authorize the Secretary to assign all Foreign Service personnel “to appropriate salary classes in the Foreign Service Schedule.”
3 FAM 3121.1-1 governs salary assignments for Foreign Service Officers.

PROCEDURE:

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for determining the entry-level salary (grade and step) that the candidate is offered, based on the candidate’s qualifying experience, education, and current salary. Salary review/appeal procedures are covered by Salary Review Procedure SOP No. 134D.

Determination of Entry-level Grade and Step

A candidate’s grade and step are based on the combination of their level of education and their years of qualifying experience (QE), as provided in the chart below:

For the relevant education level and range of qualifying experience, one step above the minimum is added for each year of qualifying experience above the minimum, up to the maximum within the range indicated above. For example, a bachelor’s degree plus nine years of qualifying experience receives FP-5, Step 10.

Education: To be considered, a degree must be conferred prior to appointment by a nationally accredited college or university. The accrediting institution or association must be one recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. A degree received after the Registrar has sent a Confirmed Offer of Employment Letter (that is, an offer to join a specific orientation class with a specified starting date), but before the candidate has been sworn in as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) to the Foreign Service, will be credited for grade and salary determination upon submission of evidence of the degree to the Registrar. Education completed at foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet education requirements if the candidate can show that the foreign education is comparable to education received in the United States.

Calculation of Qualifying Experience (QE)

An additional step may be granted for each year of qualifying work experience. Qualifying experience is calculated up to the effective date of the Appointment Offer (i.e., class starting date). In no case will more than 40 hours of qualifying experience be credited for anyone-week period, regardless of the type of work performed, the number of jobs held, the hours worked or the employment status (self-employed or other). Qualifying experience that is part-time work will be prorated. When a candidate’s qualifying experience is totaled, no credit will be given for periods of less than one year, e.g., a total of four years and eleven months of qualifying experience is credited as four years.

For the purpose of this SOP, a candidate’s qualifying experience can be in any field, but does not include clerical or wage-grade work, or any other work not usually requiring a bachelor’s or higher degree. According to OPM TS-107, professional work requires knowledge in a field of science or learning characteristically acquired through education or training equivalent to a bachelor’s or higher degree with major study in or pertinent to the specialized field, as distinguished from general education. Work is professional when it requires the exercise of discretion, judgment, and personal responsibility for the application of an organized body of knowledge that is constantly studied to make new discoveries and interpretations, and to improve data, materials, and methods.

Therefore, the employee’s primary duty must be, or must have been, the performance of work requiring advanced knowledge, defined as work which is predominantly intellectual in character, and which includes work requiring the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment. Advanced knowledge must be in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction. To be credited, any volunteer work must meet these conditions. Acquisition of a foreign language is not in itself treated as qualifying experience or advanced knowledge. Additionally, credit for supervisory oversight is awarded only where management or supervision is a part of an individual’s official job duties.

Military Service: Work performed by active-duty U.S. military commissioned officers is considered qualifying experience; work performed by U.S. military personnel who are not commissioned officers is not considered qualifying experience unless it meets the above definition of qualifying experience.

Training: Credit towards salary calculation for periods of qualifying training can be included if the candidate received full salary during the training. In computing salary level, any training considered as QE cannot also be counted in another part of the calculation, for example as educational credit.

Internships: Credit towards salary calculation for an internship can be applied if the internship is:

a. Work that would be considered qualifying experience as defined above.
b. Not part of an academic requirement (e.g., the internship is neither required nor is it part of an advanced degree program).

In computing salary level, any internship considered as QE cannot also be counted in another part of the calculation, for example as educational credit.

Salary Matching Considerations

Once the candidate’s grade and step are determined based on education and qualifying experience, the Registrar will compare the candidate’s “current salary” (defined below) with the base salary at the projected grade and step. If the candidate’s current salary is higher than the candidate’s projected grade and step salary as provided in the Foreign Service “Base” Salary Schedule, the candidate’s starting salary will be raised to the step in the grade for which they are qualified that is closest to, but not less than, their current salary. If the current salary is too high to be matched in the Foreign Service grade for which the candidate is qualified, step 14 of that grade is the starting salary. The candidate’s salary rate is then set at that grade and step as provided in the Foreign Service “Overseas Comparability Pay” Salary Schedule.

For purposes of this SOP, “current salary” means base salary earned for at least 90 days prior to appointment as a Foreign Service Career Candidate. Candidates must submit proof of their current salary, e.g. a copy of 90 days’ worth of earnings statements; a signed statement on letterhead from the Human Resources Office of their most recent employer; (for federal civilian employees only) an SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action for most recent promotion, cost of living adjustment, or within-grade-increase; and/or other appropriate personnel documentation.

For candidates with current or previous federal employment, only base salary will be considered for the purposes of salary matching. Locality pay or other special differentials will not be considered part of “current salary”. The highest federal base salary held for at least 90 days may be considered for purposes of salary matching regardless of how long ago the position was held.

For all other (non-federal) candidates, there must not be a break in service of more than 45 calendar days between the candidate’s most recent employment and the date of appointment as a Foreign Service Career Candidate for salary matching considerations to apply.