Calculating Gov RN Pay Scale

Specialties Government

Updated:   Published

Specializes in ICU.

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I am trying to figure out if it is worth working for the DHA/VA instead of a civilian hospital. How can we figure out where we should be on the pay scales when getting our first position? Is this something where we can trust the hiring manager to work through with us or should we know exactly where we are at and have the documents to back it up? What happens if you get hired in only to realize you're significantly underpaid?

I have 5 months left on my mobilization and am starting my job hunt now, hopefully for a PacNW position. 

For my scenario:

Experience as an ADN:

  • 3 years Med/Surg
  • 1 year PCU
  • 1.5 years ICU

Additional health care experience

  • 6 yrs active duty as an enlisted Medic (68W), plus 9 yrs in the reserves
  • 1.5 yrs civilian CNA (through nursing school in a hospital)

Thank you for anyone who answers, constructive criticism is welcomed.

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Am reeeally fuzzy on this, but aren't civil service salaries public record???

I think they used to be.

Can't think of anything for civilian facilities.

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

The VA uses a GS system similar to rank pay in the military. You want to know what GS you would be. I'm not expert but it seems you need a BSN to qualify for the lowest level. Try searching for this... Nurse Series 0610 (opm.gov)

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Specializes in retired LTC.

There used to be something called 'Veterans' Preference' where veteran applicants went to the 'top of the list'. Does it still exist today??? Seriously, am just asking. Haven't heard that term in a long time.

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Specializes in Occupational Health.
16 hours ago, nurse2033 said:

The VA uses a GS system similar to rank pay in the military. You want to know what GS you would be. I'm not expert but it seems you need a BSN to qualify for the lowest level. Try searching for this... Nurse Series 0610 (opm.gov)

There are currently 3 grades with subsets. Each grade and subset has specific education and experience requirements. The Department of Veterans Affairs lists the grades as, 

Nurse I Level I - An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional nursing practice/experience required.

Nurse I Level II - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 1 year of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor’s degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience; OR a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with no additional nursing practice/experience.

Nurse I Level III - An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR an ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a BSN with approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master’s degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no additional nursing practice/experience.

Nurse II - A BSN with approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a Bachelor’s degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Master’s degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has doctoral degree in a related field with no additional nursing practice/experience required.

Nurse III - Master’s degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience; OR a Doctoral degree in nursing or related field and approximately 2-3 years of nursing practice/experience.

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Specializes in ER/School/Rural Nursing/Health Department.

That's interesting. When I got my ADN we were told we wouldn't be eligible to apply at our VA/VA Nursing Home without a BSN.  I'll have to look into that now.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

You are not on the GS pay scale. Nurses are title 38 employees. The onboarding and promotion process is very subjective. You won’t know where you fall until you apply and submit a proficiency to the NPSB. ADNs can come in as a level 2 nurse but would need a waiver. 
 

Having a BSN and/or MSN means nothing. Again, it’s all based how you get boarded by the NPSB based on how you wrote to the 9 dimensions.  I’ve seen ADNs higher than BSNs etc and so forth.

Good luck 

23 hours ago, RuralMOSchoolRN said:

That's interesting. When I got my ADN we were told we wouldn't be eligible to apply at our VA/VA Nursing Home without a BSN.  I'll have to look into that now.

That is incorrect. 

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Specializes in Cardiology.

Before the pandemic by VA paid significantly more than the local private hospitals. That gap has narrowed somewhat due to the private hospitals increasing pay and incentives while my VA hasn't. We have been told that they are looking at increasing salaries and incentives for all nurses in the hospital but in true VA fashion that will probably take a year.

I am a vet so I enjoy working with other vets and taking care of vets. Benefits are better. Bought my time back. It's a good gig if you can ignore all the typical government BS. 

The boarding process depends which VA you are at. My VA will not give you nurse 3 even if you meet all the requirements if the job doesn't require it (meaning bedside nurses, procedural nurses, etc). However, other VAs will give it to you regardless of where you work if you meet all requirements. VA does have a history of lowballing so you can always appeal their offer.

You can work for the VA with an ADN and they will pay for your BSN. As someone already pointed out nurses are title 38 and not GS. You can still find title 38 pay though online.

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Specializes in ED/Peds/Occ Health.
On 3/20/2022 at 3:13 PM, nurse2033 said:

The VA uses a GS system similar to rank pay in the military. You want to know what GS you would be. I'm not expert but it seems you need a BSN to qualify for the lowest level. Try searching for this... Nurse Series 0610 (opm.gov)

Not even close.

 

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Specializes in ED/Peds/Occ Health.

The nice thing about the VA nursing scale is that it's in excel format on the OPM website and once you realize the breakdown of what you would be, as the one person said before, "NurseI/II Level I/II/III etc..." you can determine what the pay is for that VN (their equivalent to the GS pay scale) and then the steps. 

I will say, that in my VISN, the Philadelphia area which includes a big area, some areas, and units do not automatically get step increases like our counterparts on the GS side in a DOD capacity do.  I've seen many times where it's favoritism over work ethic, and seniority in union over anything that'll get that person their long awaited step increased before you'll ever see one. It's what drove quite a few nurses away from one of the VAMC's in our VISN. So keep that in mind. 

However, you did mention wanting to know about the DHA side of things, which no one has answered yet. If you get some good insight on that, I'd love some as well. I'm still getting a bunch of bs and half-assed googled answers from people about how it works on the GS side of things for the DOD. That's where I'd like to be, even though though clinically, there's more to offer me in the VA. I'm looking more towards the long term goal and random fringe benefits that we don't get with a standard PIV card. Ex: Like access to the base gyms/rec centers and pools, use of DOD lodging, travel benefits etc. All the health benefits are the same to choose from as well. And from what I've experienced first hand by working at the VA and with the DOD is that the DOD seems way more lax'd with leave than the VA. So there's that too. -End rant-

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There's information and a link to the excel spreadsheet here. It was spot on for what I was offered when hired (I got a little more than expected). 

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