My first paycheck as a GL-7 was around $1,840 after taxes, TSP, health insurance, and other deductions. The exact amount will depend on your duty station and locality pay, which can make a big difference.

Not as bad as I was thinking. Are you doing EFLETC or full academy? I’m lined up for EFLETC, wondering if that means we will be available to start getting AUO when EFLETC is done.

Every 2 weeks?

I did the full academy.

Yes.

Eeek

Damn. That’s about half of what a make per week now. I may need my head examined for taking this pay cut

But once you get through the academy and are able to earn AUO and such you'll make more

I’m in the same boat lol I make more than that weekly

GL-7 step 1? Location?

GL05 get lower. 😭

Base pay for 2 pay periods, base pay + AUO pay period 3-12 and OT over 40 makes for a nice paycheck.

No one wants to work 40 hours of OT a pay period every pay period just to survive lol

No it’s OT after 40 hours not 40 hours of OT.

Search bar function yall. After 3-4 years you are making VERY decent money.

Word to the wise , hit FLETC with some savings

Expect to make almost 4K biweekly has a GS12-2 ! Getting my step 3 next pay period 🤭

I wonder how this paycheck is surviving for those who have kid(s) and a mortgage or rent???

You gotta be kidding?

Bruh, what??? Are you at fletc or currently at an office? Thats horrible pay..

Lmao getting downvoted when I’m right is hilarious

Clearly you are not understanding what he is saying if you’re reading his comment as having to work 40 hours of OT. We are working 2-3 hours of OT a day once our AUO is signed off after academy. Which will mean about 10 hours of OT/FLSA a week. Hence OT over 40 as we are required to automatically work 40 hours a week like any job, add in the 10 hours which is the over 40 part

In the mental health world, we call it Self-destruction. It's a problem that people get admitted for that, taking a higher risk for less reward..lol

what people don’t understand is the longterm stability this job offers. depending on where you go, you will be making $130k plus a year and this is like working the bare minimum, once you hit your 12 etc. not only that, but the retirement with TSP etc. if you play your cards right, you will end up with $1 million plus in your TSP account. You get benefits and all sorts of other deals working with the government.

What step?

You guys don’t know who much you get paid before you sign on?

Your tentative and ojo have your position and grade in it, steps may differ once your onboarded I assume. It should say GL-1801-XX and assume it’s step one of that grade.

It’s the uncertainty that’s eating at everyone. I can testify to the fact you will not have a better paying job working in the federal government. I am a GS-12 step 10 my base is close to $132k + 25% AUO + Night differential + Sunday premium pay + OT over 40 which can be up to $45k that makes for a very good living. I will make close to 195k from now until next September. That is fact not conjecture. Oh I almost forgot…$50k bonus, not hard to think about. Stay or go but you have the facts before you.

1840 for 2 weeks not bad?

Thanks for laying it out like this, it's really helpful. I applied in August and I'm hoping to get a TJO soon, but I'd be leaving a sales job where I make between $140k-190k per year (the last 2-3 years have been around $140k due to the company/industry, which is another reason why I want to do this). I have a Master's Degree, no prior LEO or military, but serve in my state defense force (FL). I have no idea where they would slot me in terms of starting pay and that will be a giant factor on whether I could accept an offer if it comes.

The most you will be offered is a GL-9 anything higher would require prior LE experience. Having a masters degree definitely helps with getting the GL-09 and of course you have to consider COLA which is cost of living allowance. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2025/law-enforcement-officer/

So if I started as a GS-7 (is that different from a GL-7?) it says I will get $56,899 in Corpus Christi for example and I’d start as a step 1 right? Also I will get COLA on top of base pay? I do t see a separate scale for that. Is there also a BAS or BAH like in the military?

I wouldn’t count on that if I were you. Yes generally speaking if you look at every job announcement on the federal government side, or at least in the law-enforcement side, such as 1801 and 1811 series, a masters degree is supposed to give you starting pay at the GL-9. But I already talked to HR and asked about that. I haven’t finished on boarding yet because I had to push back my on boarding date. But when I asked HR on the phone about it, they said because the announcement is capped out at a GS-7 that is the highest you can get if you don’t have prior federal pay grades under your bill. They said that it doesn’t really matter if you have a masters or not, if you didn’t have a prior government pay grade that was at that level, than you’re getting what the maximum is for the announcement that you applied for. for me personally, I’m sitting here with almost a decade of military experience, including deployment to combat zones, law-enforcement related duties, national guard state counter narcotics task force, civil unrest and riot control, presidential inauguration, etc. I have a bachelors degree with a above a 3.0 GPA and a masters degree that I completed with a 3.8 GPA. They’re still trying to give me a GS-7 step one. You can try to talk with them when you’re on boarding at the HR department at your office and see what they can do and they will try to work with you, but essentially they said that there’s not much leeway for them unless you have prior government pay grades that are higher than the announcement.

so we have to survive that until 45 days till graduation?

i got a mortgage to pay and its around 6300 a month. idk if i can take such a pay cut if i go now. lol nj is something else.

if you’re able to afford a mortgage of $6300 a month, what are you doing applying to other jobs lol? i mean at the end of your career with this agency, you will be able to afford one of those mortgages but at the start, no. i say you’re just fine where you’re at my friend. enjoy!

Military policies change way faster than I'd like to accommodate. So civilian fed job is where I'm seeking .

i mean depending on how much you have saved, i would maybe give it a shot, if that’s really your end goal. plus 50k bonus. hopefully you can get your va rating as well. and ERO has a very good family/work life balance. so you might want to consider the sacrifice but way out your options. Nonetheless, i’d say it’s a good problem to have. God bless brotha

If it's in my path to get just offer . Weighing it all in and I honestly thought it was gonan take least two months to even hear back from auto generated response letters.

This feller is correct. The job announcement is pretty specific locked in GS-7 is max starting for this job unless you have some prior I believe fed government pay scales and you’re transferring. It’s an entry role and this is the pay gents

How long did that take?

What would it be for GL-5?

Dude, this is a LEO position. My first department there would be 2 week pay periods for special events that I would clock 165 Hrs. 14 days straight, 12-16 hour shifts.