pay package

pinktermite · Nov 9, 2015

Remember that your pay involves stipends that should be broken down in the contract. They should send it to you. Add that in to the reply here and we can give you a better analysis. Looks about right for Ky but you might do better shopping around. Hourly rate looks wnl as well. You can look up the stipends on the gao website and compare that to what you are getting as well. They should give you all the information you request. If they don't then move on.

8-ball, BSN · Nov 9, 2015

Ok once they give me a contract I can look it over and post here this was just a basic email with a few options and they are all pretty close I just have to pick one...I have another agency sending me pay packages as well waiting to hear from them.

BTW what is GAO website?

NedRN · Nov 9, 2015

KY doesn't pay well for most travelers (or staff). So I'd say it is in the ballpark. I doubt you are being lowballed, but our opinions don't really matter here - the only way to know for sure is to get quotes from other agencies.

PanTravelers calculator is supposed to encourage you to get all the numbers for this very reason! Really, the only thing that is missing is health insurance (may not be provided) and travel pay (usually $500 to $800 round trip or less if a short distance). If there was a completion bonus, I'm sure they would have mentioned it, and license reimbursement is usually a trivial amount.

Your weekly stipend is for both housing and M&IE. You can multiply it times 12 weeks, and put the resulting number in the housing box in the calculator and your results will be good. Well... not "good" - it will still be on the low side. However, your housing costs will be low, helping to make up for it.

KY income taxes are not low by the way as you might think. Often there are school and locality taxes in addition to state income taxes. I'd tend to avoid it for both the low pay and the filing headaches. Ohio is the same way and I'd avoid it if I could. Unfortunately, I live in Ohio!

8-ball, BSN · Nov 9, 2015

Thanks Ned

NedRN · Nov 9, 2015

Oh, GOA? You probably mean GSA. That is where you look up maximum allowed stipends. Googling "per diems" is the easiest way to find the right place.

pinktermite · Nov 10, 2015

yeah GSA. Not gao. Autocorrect is a real pain. Didn't mean to confuse. You can verify a lot using those tables to see if your stipends are matching what you are offered in the contract. My company always gives me 100% of the housing and Meals & Incidentals. And adjusts everything else like taxable salary to meet their bill rate.