The Foreign Service Officer’s salary is dynamic and ever-changing. Along with your promotion, each assignment can bring different danger pay, hardship pay, and cost-of-living adjustments that affect what you take home.
Depending on international geopolitics, the strength of domestic and national currencies, and the size of your family, to name a few, your salary can rise or decline between posts.
With this resource and interactive maps, this FSO Salary Guide is a comprehensive introduction to how your income is determined and the three primary modifiers that affect it between posts.
Updated: January 6, 2023
It’s been three years since the last update, and a lot changed! I hope you find this information helpful. As before, feel free to access the salary calculator, which you will find a link (button) below.
FSO Salary Ladder
Every organization has a system in place to track seniority. The Foreign Service is no different.
To understand this guide, you must first learn the foundation before adding layers. Let’s dive in.
You are a brand new Foreign Service Officer. After over a year of going through the application process (test, essays, orals, clearances, and the Register), you finally received an offer to join the State Department.
Congratulations!
Among one of the many thoughts running through your mind, you may begin to think about salary. Just how much will I make?
The Foreign Service allocates salaries based on a ‘ladder’ system of grades and steps.
As an incoming entry-level FSO, you are eligible for one of three grades
- FP-4
- FP-5
- FP-6
FP-4 is the highest (most senior) of the three grades.
Within each grade, there are 14 steps. Step 1 is the lowest step of each grade, and step 14 is the highest.
In short, the lower the grade number, the more senior you are. The higher the step number, the more senior you are within that grade. Your salary follows this progression: within a grade, the higher the step, the higher your pay.
In table form, it looks like this:
As your Foreign Service career progresses, your promotions will follow “up” this ladder.
Takeaway 1: FP-4 is the highest of three entry-level FSO grades (4, 5, or 6).
Takeaway 2: Within each grade, there are 14 steps. Step 1 is the lowest step of each grade, and step 14 is the highest – the higher the step, the more senior within that grade.
Determining FSO entry grade and step
Now that you understand the basics let’s determine the grade and step you could enter as a brand new Foreign Service Officer.
This is the most significant chapter, so pay close attention!
The Department of State’s Bureau of Global Talent Management, Office of Talent Acquisition determines entry-level FSO grades and steps in two parts, the level of education attained and your qualifying experience.
Education and "Qualifying Experience"
First, we need to determine your level of education and the number of full years of Qualifying Experience (QE) you have attained. The image below shows how different combinations affect your grade and step.
The level of education achieved is straightforward. However, there are some nuances you will want to review in the above link.
But how is QE determined? You can find a lengthy definition of QE in the Bureau of Talent Management, and I recommend checking it out. But here is the crux of the definition:
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.
Each year of QE is equal to one additional step.
Your QE rounds down if you do not have a full year of professional experience. For example, 2.5 years of experience is considered two years of QE.
However, if the addition of QE would put you at a step higher than 14, your step is 14, and you do not move to the next grade.
To best illustrate a salary from now on in this guide, we will need the help of Sarah, the newest member of the FSO family.
Sarah is in her early thirties, works as a consultant making $69,000, is single, has no children, earned her Master’s degree, and has two years of QE.
Let’s determine what her grade and step are!
First, education. With a Master’s Degree, Sarah will either enter as a grade 4 or 5.
Second, QE. With two years of QE, Sarah falls in the 0-5 ‘full years of QE’ row and column.
Putting it all together, Sarah attains the grade FP-5. We add her two years of QE to the minimum step in the range (i.e., 5) to determine her step.
Sarah’s grade and step are thus FP-5/Step-7.
Take a moment and look at the image above to get an idea of your grade/step if you enter the Foreign Service today.
Takeaway 3: You can determine your entry-level FSO grades and steps by combining education achieved and years of QE attained.
Attempt to match salary
Once you calculate your grade and step, the Bureau of Global Talent Management will attempt to match your current salary.
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.
So what does this mean?
If your initial grade and step result in a loss of salary, you will advance within a grade until you reach a step that corresponds slightly higher than your current salary.
However, if your current salary is higher than the step 14 salary within the grade you were assigned, you will be set to step 14. One does not advance to the next highest grade.
If you think about it, that’s cool for the State Department to make this adjustment.
To help explain this further, let’s look at Sarah once more, who currently makes $69,000, and determine how this may affect her salary.
For further illustration, below is the 2023 Foreign Service Salary Table Base Schedule, effective January 1, 2023.
From the steps we completed above, we know Sarah’s grade and step are FP-5/Step-7.
Knowing this, we can determine her base salary as $60,493. You can see this by looking at the below table (red highlighted box).
But wait! Sarah’s current salary is $69,000. Working as an FSO would mean a loss of $8,500… right?
Wrong.
Fortunately, DOS matches her salary to the next highest step. In this example, Sarah’s salary step will raise to step 12 within FP-5.
So we’ve figured it out! Sarah’s salary is $70,128.
Nope, wrong once more.
Let’s return to the description above.
The candidate’s salary rate is then set at that grade and step as provided in the Foreign Service “Overseas Comparability Pay” Salary Schedule.
Let’s look at the “Overseas Comparability Pay” table and add a red box around the appropriate step and grade.
Considering “Overseas Comparability Pay,” at FP-5/Step-12, Sarah’s salary is $85,318.
And there we have it!
Sarah’s new entry-level grade and step are FP-5/Step-12, with a salary of $85,318.
Go ahead and determine how salary matching affects you!
Takeaway 4: The Bureau of Global Talent Management will attempt to match your current salary by increasing your step level. The maximum is step 14 within your assigned grade.
PART 3: Promotions
Once in the system, you may wonder about the general process of moving between grades and steps, a.k.a. being promoted.
First, you are considered for promotion once a year. Your promotion depends on the needs of the Department, how well you perform, and your potential.
There is an exception: if you enter the Foreign Service as an FP-4/Step-14, you are only eligible for promotion (grade or step) once you are tenured (the first tenure review is after 36 months). You may receive a salary increase within those three years.
Second, for promotion between grades, it is not a requirement to be at step 14 to advance to the next grade.
Third, when you are promoted between grades, you are promoted to a different step level than you currently hold. For example, all other things equal, if Sarah receives a promotion, she is not promoted to FP-4/Step-12.
Instead, when you go up a grade, your step level is found by finding the step that matches your current base salary the closest and then going up two steps or 6%, whichever is greater (3 FAH-1 H-2325 Effect of Promotion on Basic Salary).
For Sarah, within the next grade, the step that closely matches her current base Grade/Step is FP-4/Step-5 (base salary at FP-5/Step-12 is $70,128, base salary at FP-4/Step-5 is $74,656.
The following table helps illustrate this movement:
We must then compare our two options and choose the greater of the two: (1) go up two steps or (2) 6%.
A 6% raise is $74,592.
A two Step increase (FP-4/Step 7) is $74,656.
The two Step increase is greater, promoting Sarah to FP-4/Step 7.
Takeaway 5: You are considered for promotion once a year.
Takeaway 6: If promoted to a new grade, the step you are assigned will correlate with your former step salary, not the step number.
In the following three chapters, we will discuss the three most common allowances affecting all FSOs.
Foreign Service Officer Danger Pay Allowance
Unfortunately, not all assignments are safe, and some carry extra danger.
I bet if you think hard, you’ll figure out a few of them.
The State Department thanks you for taking on these dangerous assignments by bumping your pay.
Thanks, Uncle Sam!
PART 1: What is danger pay allowance?
You may be familiar Danger pay allowance may be the monetary supplement most of you have heard of.
Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen… get sent to one of these countries, and the question of whether or not you will be paid more for it will cross your mind.
And the answer is YES.
Which posts are dangerous, not just difficult, is an important distinction. Additionally, the State Department defines danger pay with the understanding that this designation can change depending on the current state of affairs in that country.
For post danger pay allowance designation, it must be:
Danger pay may be authorized at posts where civil insurrection, civil war, terrorism, or wartime conditions threaten physical harm or imminent danger to the health or well-being of employees. It will normally be granted at posts where the evacuation of family members and/or nonessential personnel has been authorized or ordered, or at posts at which family members are not permitted.
Further, to earn danger pay, you must first spend 4 cumulative hours at that post. After the four-hour mark, you will receive a danger pay allowance for the full day.
This means if you fly into Yemen from Egypt, do three hours of work, and then are wheels up before the four-hour mark, you do not receive danger pay.
Danger pay designation, and the amount of allowance, is reviewed annually.
For more information, visit the FAQ concerning danger pay.
PART 2: Danger pay allowance rates
You can view the Department of State Danger Pay Allowance Table if you want a complete listing.
Takeaway 7: Danger pay allowance, if given, is set at 15%, 25%, or 35% of overseas comparability pay and is initiated when most employees stationed in a post are under conditions that threaten physical harm due to political upheaval.
A disclaimer regarding the maps
The allowances allocated to the countries on this page’s maps are where the U.S. Embassy, or the predominant U.S. diplomatic mission, is located. For example, Bamako, Mali, has a danger pay allowance of 25%, which is attributed in the map above. However, the danger pay may differ if you are posted elsewhere in Mali. This applies to all allowance discussion on the maps that follow.
Foreign Service Officer Hardship Post Allowance
Citizens in the U.S. are fortunate to live in a country with a higher standard of living than others, and their people have grown accustomed to a higher standard of living.
A designation of hardship allowance is much more common. However, unlike danger pay, hardship doesn’t mean life-threatening.
For example, is the country’s pollution too toxic? If it is, then here is a bonus for you.
PART 1: What is hardship post allowance?
The Office of Allowances provides post hardship differential:
For service at places in foreign areas where conditions of environment differ substantially from conditions of environment in the United States.
A review of hardship post differential occurs at least biennially.
PART 2: Hardship post allowance rates
Like danger pay, hardship post is a taxable allowance and ranges from 0-35% of overseas comparability pay.
If Sarah were stationed in Sierra Leone, her hardship post allowance would be 25%. With a salary of $85,318, a 25% allowance comes to $21,330.
Take a look at the map and let me know your thoughts on the hardship allowance.
You can view the Department of State Hardship Post Allowance Table if you want a complete list.
Takeaway 8: Hardship post allowance ranges from 0-35% of overseas comparability pay and is broadly based on unhealthy living conditions, measured at least biennially.
Foreign Service Officer Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA)
Compared to the rest of the world, the U.S. is fortunate to have inexpensive goods.
Some countries are expensive to live in, especially considering the geographic location (e.g., islands) or currency conversion.
Gas costs how much?! Oh my, here’s some extra $$$.
PART 1: What is a Cost-of-Living Allowance?
A cost-of-living allowance (COLA) differs from the previous two allowances by not being a percentage of your overseas comparability pay, and it is also not taxable.
Instead, COLA is a percentage of spendable income, which is the portion of salary used to purchase the goods and services in the cost of living “market basket.”
The market basket is an index of categories comprising percentage weights comparing the costs of goods and services in foreign posts to the prices of goods and services in Washington, D.C.
COLA is granted to an FSO officially stationed at an overseas post where the cost of living, excluding housing and education, is “substantially higher than in Washington, D.C.” (at least 2.5% more).
More information on the rules and stipulations concerning COLAis online.
The “market basket” includes the following categories and their corresponding percentages:
- Food at Home (Grocery Store Items), 17%
- Food Away from Home (Restaurants & Fast Food), 13%
- Tobacco/Alcohol, 4%
- Clothing (Laundry & Clothing Purchases), 7%
- Personal Care (Salon, Beauty, and Grooming Items), 3%
- Household and Operations (Household staff, Internet, and Cleaning Supplies), 14%
- Medical (Over-the-counter and out-of-pocket medical expenses), 6%
- Recreation (Sports, Entertainment, and Movies), 12%
- POV and Public Transportation (POV expenses and Transportation), 24%
How is the post allowance determined?
Washington, D.C. is the base of 100. When the overall cost of goods and services at the foreign location are at least 2.5% above those in Washington, D.C. (index 102.5 or higher) then a post allowance is established. The expenditure pattern is based on the average Washington, D.C. family living in the foreign area. This family consists of three to four persons with an employee’s salary of a GS-12, Step 6 (or FS-equivalent).
A majority of posts have a COLA.
Fun fact: Eritrea and Switzerland have the highest COLA at 110% of spendable income!
You can view the Department of State COLA Table if you want complete listings.
PART 2: Spendable income
Now that you know how percentages are derived and how COLA compares internationally, let’s look at how your spendable income is determined.
Your salary and family’s size determine your annual spendable income.
Let’s revisit Sarah once more. Sarah’s salary is $85,318. She is single with no children.
Given the information we have on Sarah, her annual spendable income is $33,600.
PART 3: COLA Example
If Sarah were posted in Australia, her COLA would be 15% of her spendable income ($33,600), which comes to $5,040. This income is added to her pay and is not taxable.
Takeaway 9: COLA is a percentage of your spendable income and is not taxable.
Takeaway 10: As your base pay increases and (possibly) the number of persons in your family, so will your annual spendable income.
Hardship pay, danger pay, and COLA - putting it all together
Just like a puzzle, we now have a better understanding of what goes into the FSO salary by putting together a little bit of information.
Let’s see the image we create by combining everything we have learned into one final map.
We’ve now discussed the three significant allowances that affect a Foreign Service Officer’s salary: Hardship pay, danger pay, and Cost-of-living.
Quite a bit of information!
From reading the sections above, you know how each allowance is allocated and how the countries compare.
This information is already interesting, but viewing the entire picture makes for an exciting analysis.
The map below compares the diplomatic posts that take the information above and adds it up.
One last time, to our new Foreign Service Officer Sarah:
Sarah has just completed the first part of her training in Washington, D.C., and on ‘Flag Day,’ she finds out she is moving to Nairobi, Kenya.
Exciting!
Let’s determine her salary (at minimum) from the information we have learned above.
| Base Salary | Amount | Explanation |
| Base Salary: | $70,128 | FP-5/Step-8 |
| Overseas Pay: | $85,318 | Overseas Comparability Pay |
| Allowances | Amount | Explanation |
| Danger Pay: | $0 | No danger pay |
| Hardship Pay: | $17,063 | 20% of overseas pay |
| COLA: | $1,680 | 5% of spendable income: $33,600 |
| Total | $103,846 | Overseas Pay + allowances |
The combined map below will help to visualize all this information. We use Sarah’s details to map the information.
When you scroll over a country, you will see two outputs. The first would be Sarah’s annual salary if stationed there. The second is the percentage increase in salary compared to her overseas comparability pay.
I find this dynamic map very interesting and hope you do too. There is just so much information! For instance, these four countries have the same salary and are in different parts of the world: Algeria, Greenland, India, and Indonesia.
Also, just in case you are wondering, the six posts with the highest percentage increases are:
The complete list
| Rank | Country | Salary | % Inc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central African Republic | $168,480 | 97.47% |
| 2 | South Sudan | $151,029 | 77.02% |
| 3 | Syria | $145,040 | 70.00% |
| 4 | Somalia | $145,040 | 70.00% |
| 5 | Lybya | $145,040 | 70.00% |
| 6 | Afghanistan | $145,040 | 70.00% |
There is a lot of information found in salary comparisons. For a complete review and an opportunity to calculate your salary, look at this spreadsheet:
Conclusion
Well, that does it. Feel free to bookmark this page so you can reference it later.
I put this resource together because I could not find one location discussing all the information above. Instead, many sources described only separate parts. Now, a comprehensive guide exists.
I am not an employee of the State Department. To my knowledge, the information above is accurate as of the posting date. I am happy to support general questions, but please communicate with the Office of Talent Acquisition or the Office of Allowances for specific inquiries.
Having read this guide, you should now understand how to determine your base salary, overseas comparability pay, and the three primary allowances that affect all FSO salaries.
However, there are additional allowances that will alter your salary between posts.
Three examples not discussed in this guide are:
- Education allowance (if you have children, then their education is covered overseas)
- Difficult-to-staff incentive differential
- Quarters allowance (free housing overseas or a generous stipend)
If you are not in the Foreign Service but interested in joining, I hope this information has been helpful (learn more about becoming a Foreign Service Officer)! I look forward to your insights if you are in the Foreign Service.
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This is extremely helpful! Financial literacy and transparency is so vital and at times, difficult to find. This helps me so much as I plan my path to become an FSO. Thank you for all the in-depth explanations, examples, and calculations!
This was SUPER helpful. As I look toward my retirement from the Army (I’m a FAO) I have seriously considered becoming a FSO. Now that I know what salary I would be making in my current post, but as an FSO ($137k vs $171K as an FSO) my decision to retire sooner is WAY easier!
Can you touch on Service Needs Differential or Diffiult-to-staff Incentive Differential?
I may have missed it in the comments or in the article… What does the black line in the table between steps 9 and 10 mean?
It’s my understanding that it has to do with annual step increases, and that once you hit step 9 (or 10?) you only get these every two years. Is that correct?
Superb content as always! Thank you very much for making the 2023 update! I wanted to flag that the Salary Calculator button/link is nowhere to be found (I have tried Firefox and Edge) as of 2/9/2023.
I recently switched jobs and want to double-check my math, so I’d love to be able to use that feature. If we need to be subscribed or some such in order to use the tool, please note that in the main body of the text. Much appreciated, looking forward to using the Salary Calculator!
I’m a 38 yo geologist working in petroleum with a PhD and 11 years experience including some military time. I make about 200k a year but ~60k is stock options. I guess I would come in as a 4/14 (probably econ or political track?) and there isn’t really any way to get a salary match? That’s fine, no problem but I wonder if I could use that as a negotiating tool to get assigned to Iraq for the first tour (dream station for me). I’m really hoping with my petroleum background and GWOT tours I’ll be able to stay primarily in the Middle East, love the people there. Great Blog!
I’m a 38 yo geologist working in petroleum with a PhD and 11 years experience including some military time. I make about 200k a year but ~60k is stock options. I guess I would come in as a 4/14 (probably econ or political track?) and there isn’t really any way to get a salary match? That’s fine, no problem but I wonder if I could use that as a negotiating tool to get assigned to Iraq for the first tour (dream station for me). I’m really hoping with my petroleum background and GWOT tours I’ll be able to stay primarily in the Middle East, love the people there. Great Blog!
Does this apply to FSS (Foreign Service Specialists) or exclusive to FSO? The tables, the grades, the math…
Thank you.
FSS/FSO same same.
Is this true? I thought there were some FSS that start at higher than FP-4? I believe RMO’s for example start higher than FP4?
I think there’s a mistake in your table at the end. You’re calculating 25% for her hardship instead of 20%. $21,330 / $85,318 = 25%.
Also, I do not think this paragraph is correct. This rule only applies to TDY, not a permanent posting:
“For hardship post differential to begin, an FSO must be stationed and living at a post for at least 42 continuous days. On the 43rd day, hardship post differential will start, and the FSO will also be paid the differential for the previous 42 days.”
Source:
§ 591.235 When do COLA and post differential payments begin?
(a) Agencies begin paying an employee a COLA or post differential on the effective date of the change in the employee’s official worksite to an official worksite within the COLA or post differential area or, in the case of local recruitment, on the effective date of the appointment.
(b) For an employee detailed to temporary duty in a post differential area and who is otherwise eligible for a post differential, agencies must begin paying a post differential after 42 consecutive calendar days of temporary duty in the post differential area.
Also accurate here. I’ve decided to remove the language. Best to simplify the guide since this is an overview. Much appreciated.
You’re right! Thanks for the catch. Corrected.
COLA is now updated monthly and a cable goes out with the new amounts. Unfortunately this makes it very hard to double check the departments math (which you absolutely must do, as they make pay mistakes all the time!). The updates are also published here: https://aoprals.state.gov/
Hello! Great post and thanks for sharing. I wanted to ask what counts as qualifying experience? Is there a list? For example I work as an insurance agent at a company that only hires people with a bachelor’s degree. You are required to make judgements based on legal information fro
each state you are licensed in. I’m licensed in 30 states. Would they count this as qualifying experience? Because you could probably get a job doing the same thing without a degree at another company. Do we have to prove the company only hires those with a degree?
Is all the salary information the same for DS agents? Does law enforcement count as qualifying experience?
Thanks for the guide
It is slightly different for agents. We all start at FP6 (the steps vary wildly based on your experience and education). And then after a year you move to FP 5, and after 18 months you move to FP4. Those two moves are all but guaranteed unless you have put yourself on some sort of probation. After that, it is competitive. We also get an extra 25% LEAP (Law Enforcement Availability Pay).
ok but what if you have two master degrees? one in international affairs and one in business? does it make a difference? or will they ony count the first master degree?
Checking the same box multiple times does not change the calculation.
Thank you. I did not see any explanation on the overseas comparability pay [OCP](when it is applied nor how it is calculated). My own (insufficient research) says that OCP = 20.xx% of your base pay. The rate (20.xx%) is 2/3 of the Washington DC locality rate (which is about 30.yy%). but really, I am not certain. Can anyone please correct me?
OCP is designed to correct an anomaly in the existing law and place all federal employees posted abroad on an equal footing in terms of salary with those serving in Washington, D.C.
The 2023 rates can be found here: https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/CS-Overseas-DETO-Salary-Schedule-2023.xlsx
It looks like the salary calculation excel sheet is broken. Any chance you could update the link? Thanks so much for these resources, Jack!
Thanks for letting me know, Mary! Fixed!
Does Qualified Experience mean that you need to be working in the field that you got your degree in?
Hello, I just started working for the VA Hospital near me (this week) as a Registered Nurse. Does this raise / pay increase apply to nurses working at VA? We are on a different pay scale vs non-nurses. Couldn’t get a straight answer today during oreintation.
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Can you remove the protection on the spreadsheet, as some of the % in there are not accurate anymore for some countries, for proper calculations?
Thanks!
The explanation of the education component is NOT entirely accurate. For example, not all masters degrees count towards the grade. Only applicable masters seem to count (I don’t really know how to precisely define “applicable”). For example, I have a Masters in Teaching (MAT), but that did not get me inserted into FP-5. I was still evaluated as an FP-6.
I’m planning on taking the 2020 exam. Not sure where I would stand financially as I’m an oddball candidate.
No college at all but I’ve been successful in the business world. I started 3 companies over the last 10 years and my current salary is 200K+ not including bonuses. I know I’ll never make that kind of money as an FSO, but where would I fall? I have ample experience managing large groups of diverse professionals, balancing large budgets, negotiations, and assembling effective group compositions to create efficient teams.
I think my unique skill set and life experience would make me a valuable FSO, but with no college and just my life experience, how would I be viewed? Would someone like me even have a chance at getting in?
You would be, as you say, an oddball, but it’s not impossible to get in. There are people without degrees currently serving in the FS; they got in and so could you. The last time I checked the stats most people had a Bachelor degree and the next largest group had a Master degree…very few had no degree or PhD.
This post is wonderful! Thank you so much for laying it out like this. Fabulous rabbit hole to get lost in while waiting for Final Suitability Review and having fun planning out future possibilities 🙂
Aside from annual inflation adjustment on the salaries, how can someone who comes in as a FP-04 step 14 get addition money each year during the 3 years before tenure?
In the regular GS system, once a person hits Step 10 that’s it. Every annual bump is from inflation adjustments only if promotions or other higher grade opportunities aren’t available.
With a master degree and 10 years plus experience, the salary still high.
Compare to recent salary working in country.
Thanks for the update. I was just looking at the old post about a week ago, and I got the email today about the update. Thanks for your continued hard work.
V/r
Jason P
I am currently employed by the Legislative Branch and about to finish my 20th year of service. Would my current salary of $128,000 from the U.S. Senate carry over to the State Department as a new foreign service officer?
Very helpful! I liked the clear information and unassuming expose. Thank you.
13+ years of experience in another USG agency. BSc, MBA, and almost done with my Doctorate. Interested in joining DOS as Generalist. Currently at a high GS-13, is there the possibility to be recruited as FS-2 at a mid-grade? Thanks.
None. Welcome to Entry Level Officer if you manage to get through the hiring process. You will be maxed at EL which is a FS 4 step 14.
Don’t take my word for it – but you have an MBA, so you could look into special roles GSO, HRO, FMO and possibly move into a generalist Mgmt cone role (in 10 years), without going all the way back down to FS-4.
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I’m considering joining the foreign service. I have a master’s degree and 8 years of experience — does that mean I would start at FP-4/Step 13? That seems quite high — is it realistic?
Why would that seem high? These salaries, particularly at the lower end of the scale, are quite low for starting salaries for younger people with little work history and only a bachelor’s degree. Typical starting salaries for recent college graduates is now in the range of $45-50k nationally. For someone with advanced education and time in the workforce (especially on the coasts) the salary for FP-4/Step 13 is not terribly high unless compared to helping professions with lower pay structures.
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Thank you so much for posting this guide! My dream is to become a Foreign Service Officer. Currently, I am a federal employee at the GS-7 level, but (by the end of this year) I will be converted to a GS-9. Does this give me step up in the pay grade scale? I obtained my bachelor’s degree in 2016, and I joined the government a couple of months ago—I plan to take the FSOT in October.
I just join the FS. I actually got back to 70,002 plus 12% (8640.24) = 80,642.24.
I work as a contractor for Forest Service, Can you assist me in finding something more permanent in foreign service and how hard is it to get this type of position?
Just few quick comments, one was mentioned above, but I’ll confirm it. As Coralie Hynes mentioned, promotions are a 2 step increase (or 3% increase twice, if you’re step 13 or 14) in your -current- grade. Then you find the lowest step in the next grade that is above that amount. So in your example:
Sara is promoted from 5.8, she looks at the step 5.10 (58,314) and then finds the lowest step in grade 4 that is still higher (4.3). That matches your example, but people promoted from grade 5 step 1-6 would only go to 4 step 1 (not 4 step 3). Step 5.14 promotes to 4.9.
Also, you do not have to be tenured to be promoted. Generally you get tenured first, but it is not required. I know a GS Specialist who got denied tenure at his 2 year mark, promoted that same year, and then gained tenure this 3rd year.
Finally, “base salary” for COLA calculations includes OCP. So in your example above, Sara would receive $26,900 in COLA, not $23,700.
Do you have information on pay adjustments (if there are any) for converting from civil service to foreign service? I’m thinking of applying to the IMS position but am currently a GS-14. The IMS pay scale is considerably lower. Do you know where I can find information on what adjustments are available?
Federal employees with no-gap-in-service are given pay matching within grade. A GS-14 would come in as a grade 5, step 14. You are also eligible for Skills Incentive Pay (SIP) after 6 months instead of the normal 12 months.
Is there any age requirements to get into the FSO?
At least 20 years old and no older than 59 years of age on the day the candidate submits the registration
At least 21 years old and not yet 60 on the day the candidate is appointed as a Foreign Service Officer
Fantastically helpful post. Thank you so much!
I am curious, does military experience count towards QE? Also, do you know if the military retirement system is the same as the FSO retirement system?
Hi, thank you so much for this wonderful guide! It’s been very helpful to me and others in the same boat.
About the promotion-related salary increases…Have you confirmed the math with an FSO or with DOS? I just read the regs and it looks like the 6% and “two-step” calculations are done in the current grade (i.e., the one from which you are promoted, not the next one to which you were promoted). I don’t think it changes the result in your example, but the numbers are different. But, if you take the example of a person getting promoted from a 4-4…. Doing the calculation the way you explain, that person would end up with a 3-3 (a 19% raise). However, if you do the calculation according to the regs, that person gets a 3-1 (a 12.9% raise).
I’m a first-timer, here, so maybe worth confirming with another party?
Wow! This is the best resource I have seen on this topic. Thank you for creating a comprehensive guide that we can all rely on to clearly lay out the information we need. This site has been immensely beneficial for me and I look forward to seeing what you post next!
Great resource. Worth a lot of money, what you have put together. Thank you, and please keep it updated.
Great Resource! Thanks for putting this together. I noticed most of the information is from 2014. Any chance for updates to current allowances? Also, I would be cool if there were a setting on the maps to manually enter current pay step/grade and COLA amounts to do personal research.
I have this as one of my goals for this year and will definitely work on it. Also, I do like your idea for an input method for people, I will try and work on that for the next iteration of this post. Thanks!
Great resource! The map isn’t working for me. Do you have one that works?
You need to allow the page to run the scripts for the maps. Depending on what browser you use the place where you do that will differ. In Chrome (what I use) a small shield icon will appear in the address/search bar that you can click on and tell the page to run the scripts. You may need to refresh after that in order for the maps to show up. But that’s what I did and the maps work just fine for me.
Is this the same scale for consular officers? I have seen some conflicting information about the differences between the consular career track and the others. Thanks!
Hi Cassie, I did not read anything that differentiated between the cones, so it should be the same. Thanks for asking!
Ok great! Thank you
There is no difference. An FS generalist is a FS generalist.
Hi – Excellent and exceptional concept. I work with the Office of Allowances, and most of the info here is good, and it is especially nice that you provide links to the source material. I see just two problems with the information here – one is minor, the other is major.
The minor issue is that you link to the DOD’s Retail Price Schedule info for COLA surveys. The State Department uses their own survey system, their own business rules, and establishes their own list of items. This is minor because the differences between the items in the DOD and DOS surveys are trivial, and at least the DOD link gives you an idea of how the data is gathered.
The major issue has to do with how you have reported the allowance pay here. The maps are definitely super cool. However, most allowance pay is based on locations, not countries (not even Posts). For example, you have listed that the UK receives COLA of 80% of spendable income. That isn’t really true. As of the date of this comment, London (which is an official Post) receives 70%. But if your assignment is in Liverpool, then you’re getting 42%. If you’re in Bath, you receive 25%. You can see these rates by clicking your link to the Office of Allowances’ “Post (Cost of Living) Allowance” chart. This is true not only for COLA pay, but for all allowance pay. It all depends on the exact location to which you are assigned, not the country, and not even necessarily the Post (unless, of course, you are indeed assigned to the Post city).
Again though, you’ve done a fantastic job with the presentation. The Department’s Foreign Service Institute should hire you to present this to all new Foreign Service Officers and Specialists!
Thank you for the comment! I am happy to hear a positive review from the Office of Allowance!
For the first problem you mention, that’s good to know! If you send me the link I will try and make the appropriate updates!
As for the second, you are absolutely correct that allowances very by location within a country. In order to show the information the best way possible, I decided to only crunch the numbers for where the major diplomatic mission within the country is. A note is made in the second disclaimer, under the very first map, discussing this. Also, this post is over a year old and I am sure some of the percentages have changed by now.
Thanks again for the note! I’m happy to help if you want to pass my name along! 🙂
Fantastic post. Thank you!
Regarding current professional salary that may need to be matched as a base entry salary as a FSO. Is this amount based on your gross monthly salary or you salary after taxes are taken out?
Excellent guide! Thank you for writing it! I was finally able to understand how it works out there 😀
I am the wife of an fso and have never understood how or what he gets paid–this is amazing. I wonder if you know what percentage you get as a special assistant in DC? I heard you get 15% extra–is that on top of the 22.4% for locality in DC? Thanks!
I’m a high school student’ by recently realized that I want to be an FSO. This guide was super helpful.
Sarah, excellent job in laying out all the components of the ‘bigger picture’ of FSO compensation. Just a question – do you know if pension and the Thrift Savings match is computed on the base or on the base+allowances? If on the base, these allowances still serve as a good opportunity for folks to invest add’l retirement funds outside the TSP. Another perk is student loan repayment- that’s huge for anyone still paying these down.
It’s computed on base salary only.
The best article I’ve seen so far explaining FSO pay. Great job!!!
Hi Jack,
I’ll echo everyone else and say great job! Also, “nextyearatFSI” alluded to this, but the table that State uses to match salaries isn’t the “base salary” table that you used, but rather the “overseas salary” table. The overseas increase is 16.52% so it’s a significant difference.
This information is buried but you can find it here: http://careers.state.gov/work/benefits/fso#salary
and here:
https://careers.state.gov/faqs/faqs-wiki/foreign-service-salary-matching-pay-tables-danger-pay-overseas-moving-expenses-and-taxes
Nevertheless, awesome job! Good luck with the whole crazy process.
From my contact I spoke with in HR/REE, the final appointment salary for part two is presented based on the overseas pay chart not base schedule for matching and what grade/step you’d be
This is super informative and detailed. Could you clarify if this same salary determination methodology for State FSOs applies to USAID FSOs? Again, very much appreciate your insights.
Wow. This is such a great guide. Thank you so much!!!
This is excellent. I have one question, though. My understanding is that promotions from one grade to another (say, from grade 6 to grade 5) did carry an increase calculated by looking two steps higher than your current step in your current grade, then placing you in the closest step (rounded up) in the higher grade. Otherwise, full-grade promotions would carry a very small salary increase. Am I wrong in this? Did it used to be that way and has changed?
Jay your absolutely right. Thanks for looking out and letting me know! I’ve made the update to the guide and have referenced the section on FAH.
I found this post via Shawn’s Foreign Service Test blog. I love the maps. This is a very good post and it looks like it took you a while to make it that comprehensive and clear.
I was wondering though if the allowances were not added to the base salary rather than the full salary after locality pay. The calculation of the COLA seems to have one zero too many.
Like Shawn mentioned, the salary is almost the tip of the iceberg. Some hardship places won’t be hardship for you and Europe is a hardship for a bigger portion of FSOs than you would think – for various reasons. Also promotions are VERY different depending on your cone and working conditions too, like after tenure overtime does not exist for generalists but does exist for some specialists …
Catherine – Culture Shock at travelingcat22.wordpress.com
Jack, this is very awesome. I’m on the Consular Register now and looking through this just made my day. You made this so easy to understand, thank you for putting this all together!
Thanks Sarah and I’m happy to hear you found it useful! Feel free to pass it on to others. It would be great if you can let me know if the process diverges at all once you are offered a position from the Register! All the best and hope you hear soon from State.
Great post. One topic of interest I didn’t see addressed is pay setting for current Federal employees choosing to enter the FS. Particularly, pay setting for DC vs non-DC workers.
Hi RF, you’re right that wasn’t touched on and is something I can definitely add in the future. I do know different cities within the US have different locality pays. For instance DC is 24.22%, San Francisco I believe is around 35%, and Memphis is lower than DC, which all affect salary. Most likely you use the base schedule for federal employees ( http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/14Tables/html/GS.aspx ) and are either (1) your current base salary is matched to the FSO salary, or (2) you go through the same steps as above to determining FSO base salary for entry level FSOs, which I think is more likely. If you have an idea just let me know, I am happy to add a section on it.
Did you make those dynamic maps yourself? They’re amazing. Is there any way to adjust them for different grades and steps? That would be amazing, too.
Thanks Joe! The skin and bones of the map is by amcharts. They provide dynamic Javascript maps and graphs- customer service is also really helpful. Thankfully I have some background in Java, CSS, and HTML and was able to alter the details to suit the needs of this post. I am actually really excited with the way they turned out!
As for changing them to show different grades and steps, I think that’s a great idea! It’s just a little out of my knowledge (at the moment) though. Definitely will keep it in mind as this blog grows.
This is an incredible post. I found it through Shawn’s Foreign Service Test page. Good luck with getting into the FS. I’m still trying to get in there myself. Thanks for the comprehensive guide. I think you would make a stellar Management Officer (if that is your preferred track) because of the way you explained this detailed information.
Thanks zzdiplomat! It continues to be a goal to get into the FS. I have to wait until June to take the test again and will hopefully move on to the next round. Perseverance my friend… I actually go back and forth on the management and political track. A lot of the work I do now is management, but my background is political science. Will have to think deeply about it before June. If there is any way I can help as we both work towards being FSOs, just let me know.
Great write up! I’ve linked to you here: http://www.foreignservicetest.com/fs-salary-benefits/
Thanks again Shawn!