FederalPay

FederalPay.org presents itself as a free, independent public resource dedicated to providing information about the compensation and benefits systems for United States federal government employees.

Background and Mission

• History & Definition: While a specific founding date isn't prominently displayed, FederalPay.org was established as a non-governmental entity. It aims to serve as a central hub for understanding the often complex pay structures and benefits available to federal workers. Crucially, the site emphasizes that it is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States government or any government agency.
• Goal: The primary objective is to make federal pay and benefits information accessible and understandable. It seeks to compile data from various official sources and present it in a user-friendly format for federal employees, job seekers, researchers, and the general public.

Core Features and Functionality

FederalPay.org offers several key features centered around federal compensation:

• Detailed Pay Scales: Provides comprehensive information on various federal pay systems, including the General Schedule (GS), Federal Wage System (FWS), Senior Executive Service (SES), and others. It includes specific details on grades, steps, and importantly, locality pay adjustments for different geographic areas.
• Interactive Calculators: Offers tools to help users estimate salaries (e.g., GS Pay Calculator, FWS Pay Calculator), potential retirement annuities (FERS & CSRS), and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions and growth.
• Benefits Information: Contains sections explaining key federal employee benefits programs such as the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program, Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI), retirement systems (FERS, CSRS), leave policies, and more.
• Articles and Explanations: Often includes articles or guides explaining aspects of federal employment, pay raises, policy changes, or benefit details.

Distinctive Aspects

• Data Consolidation: A key feature is the aggregation of pay and benefits data from multiple official sources (like OPM, BLS, GSA) into one convenient location.
• User-Friendly Interface: The site aims for a more straightforward navigation experience compared to potentially complex official government portals.
• Locality Pay Integration: The seamless integration of locality pay adjustments across different pay scales is a central and highly useful feature for accurate salary information.

Advantages for Users

Users may find FederalPay.org advantageous due to:

• Accessibility: Consolidates dispersed information into a single site.
• Clarity: Strives to present complex pay rules and benefit options in an easier-to-understand manner.
• Convenience: Offers readily available calculators for quick estimations without needing to navigate multiple government agency websites.
• Free Access: Provides its resources without cost to the user.

Social Media Presence

FederalPay.org maintains a presence on the following social media platforms:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FederalPay/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/federalpay

Independence and Data Sources

The website explicitly states its independence from the U.S. government. While not directly affiliated with or part of any government department, it relies heavily on publicly available data published by official sources such as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and the General Services Administration (GSA) to populate its content and calculators.

Summary

In essence, FederalPay.org functions as an independent, informational portal designed to simplify access to U.S. federal government employee pay scales, benefits, and related compensation data. By consolidating information from official sources and providing user-friendly tools like calculators, it serves as a valuable resource for current and prospective federal employees seeking to understand their compensation packages.