Department of State employees are compensated based on government-regulated pay scales. So, unlike workers in the private sector, pay scales ensure that all government employees receive equal pay for substantially equal work within each local pay area (barring geographic differences or the level of difficulty of the position.) While the government uses at least six different pay scales, the majority of Civil Service employees are paid using the GS (General Schedule) pay scale, while Foreign Service employees are paid based on the FS (Foreign Service) pay scale. So, what’s the difference? The General Service pay scale for Civil Service employees features 15 pay grades, GS-1 (lowest) – GS-15 (highest) with 10 steps within each grade. The Foreign Service pay scale for Foreign Service employees features nine pay grades, with 14 steps within each grade. No matter what your position is with the Department of State, whether it’s Civil Service or Foreign Service, your level of education and professional experience will determine your pay grade and step. For more information on pay scales, please go to: https://www.state.gov/resources-bureau-of-global-talent-management/.
Locally Employed Staff: U.S. missions compensate Locally Employed Staff based upon prevailing practice in that country. This means that the total compensation, which includes salary and benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, and allowances, is based upon comparable rates that local employers are paying their employees in jobs of similar scope and complexity. As a result, Locally Employed Staff should receive pay packages and benefits that are competitive with local compensation scales. In addition, locally Employed Staff are traditionally paid in host country currency, unless the prevailing local practice is to compensate all Locally Employed Staff in U.S. dollars.
Our workforce must stay on the cutting edge through professional development and distance learning that fosters the diplomatic, technical, managerial, and leadership skills needed to meet the challenges of the future. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) offers a wide variety of professional training classes for foreign language, leadership and management; as well as assistance for personnel (and their eligible family members) transiting between domestic and overseas assignments or into retirement. Career Planning & Training Resources
- CDRC: The center provides career development assistance and counseling to the Department’s Civil Service employees and Foreign Service family members. Professional counselors are available to provide individual and confidential counseling by appointment.
- Training Continuum: Training helps to develop the competencies needed at each level of a career with the U.S. Department of State. Supervisors and employees work together to choose courses based on the skill set required to perform at the highest level in one’s current position, as well as for advancement to the next stage. The Department has developed the following training continua available to employees:
- Training Continuum is a roadmap to professional training and personal development
- Leadership and Management
- Training Continuum is a one-stop shop for employees seeking to develop their leadership and management skills.
- MBA: These classes provide training for U.S. Department of State employees and their family members. The courses integrate information and theories from various disciplines, including accounting, economics, finance, marketing, production operations, and strategic management.
- MSSI: The Joint Military Intelligence College (JMIC) offers Department employees a free after-hours postgraduate intelligence program, which includes courses in Information Operations; Strategic Warning and Analysis; Graduate Research and Writing; Intelligence Collection: Evidence for Analysis; National Security Structure; and Policy and International Security Environment. Upon completion, students earn a Master of Science of Strategic Intelligence Degree, the only one of its kind in the United States.
- Civil Service Mentoring: Civil Service employees are eligible to apply as protégés or mentors, with Foreign Service employees also eligible to apply as mentors. Ultimately, this program gives employees a chance to work one-on-one with senior employees to learn more about the Department and its career opportunities. Participants commit to meet with each other for two-four hours a month for one year.
Civil Service Transition Programs
- Mustang Career Mobility: This program is for talented Civil Service and Foreign Service Specialists vying for appointments as Entry-Level Foreign Service Generalists in any one of the five tracks: Consular, Economic, Management, Political or Public Diplomacy. The program also provides expedited entry for those who pass the Foreign Service Officer Assessment (FSOA) and who successfully update or obtain their security, suitability and minimum medical qualification standards.
- CS to FS Hard-to-Fill: This annual exercise provides opportunities for Civil Service employees to work overseas in hard-to-fill positions at various embassies or consulates. The (CS) to (FS) Hard-to-Fill Program is designed to help meet critical overseas staffing needs, while providing a unique career opportunity for Civil Service personnel. Some program participants have even used it as a first step towards qualifying for a career in the Foreign Service.
