
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 5USC5104]

 
             TITLE 5--GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES
 
                           PART III--EMPLOYEES
 
                      Subpart D--Pay and Allowances
 
                       CHAPTER 51--CLASSIFICATION
 
Sec. 5104. Basis for grading positions

    The General Schedule, the symbol for which is ``GS'', is the basic 
pay schedule for positions to which this chapter applies. The General 
Schedule is divided into grades of difficulty and responsibility of 
work, as follows:
        (1) Grade GS-1 includes those classes of positions the duties of 
    which are to perform, under immediate supervision, with little or no 
    latitude for the exercise of independent judgment--
            (A) the simplest routine work in office, business, or fiscal 
        operations; or
            (B) elementary work of a subordinate technical character in 
        a professional, scientific, or technical field.

        (2) Grade GS-2 includes those classes of positions the duties of 
    which are--
            (A) to perform, under immediate supervision, with limited 
        latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, routine work 
        in office, business, or fiscal operations, or comparable 
        subordinate technical work of limited scope in a professional, 
        scientific, or technical field, requiring some training or 
        experience; or
            (B) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (3) Grade GS-3 includes those classes of positions the duties of 
    which are--
            (A) to perform, under immediate or general supervision, 
        somewhat difficult and responsible work in office, business, or 
        fiscal operations, or comparable subordinate technical work of 
        limited scope in a professional, scientific, or technical field, 
        requiring in either case--
                (i) some training or experience;
                (ii) working knowledge of a special subject matter; or
                (iii) to some extent the exercise of independent 
            judgment in accordance with well-established policies, 
            procedures, and techniques; or

            (B) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (4) Grade GS-4 includes those classes of positions the duties of 
    which are--
            (A) to perform, under immediate or general supervision, 
        moderately difficult and responsible work in office, business, 
        or fiscal operations, or comparable subordinate technical work 
        in a professional, scientific, or technical field, requiring in 
        either case--
                (i) a moderate amount of training and minor supervisory 
            or other experience;
                (ii) good working knowledge of a special subject matter 
            or a limited field of office, laboratory, engineering, 
            scientific, or other procedure and practice; and
                (iii) the exercise of independent judgment in accordance 
            with well-established policies, procedures, and techniques; 
            or

            (B) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (5) Grade GS-5 includes those classes of positions the duties of 
    which are--
            (A) to perform, under general supervision, difficult and 
        responsible work in office, business, or fiscal administration, 
        or comparable subordinate technical work in a professional, 
        scientific, or technical field, requiring in either case--
                (i) considerable training and supervisory or other 
            experience;
                (ii) broad working knowledge of a special subject matter 
            or of office, laboratory, engineering, scientific, or other 
            procedure and practice; and
                (iii) the exercise of independent judgment in a limited 
            field;

            (B) to perform, under immediate supervision, and with little 
        opportunity for the exercise of independent judgment, simple and 
        elementary work requiring professional, scientific, or technical 
        training; or
            (C) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (6) Grade GS-6 includes those classes of positions the duties of 
    which are--
            (A) to perform, under general supervision, difficult and 
        responsible work in office, business, or fiscal administration, 
        or comparable subordinate technical work in a professional, 
        scientific, or technical field, requiring in either case--
                (i) considerable training and supervisory or other 
            experience;
                (ii) broad working knowledge of a special and complex 
            subject matter, procedure, or practice, or of the principles 
            of the profession, art, or science involved; and
                (iii) to a considerable extent the exercise of 
            independent judgment; or

            (B) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (7) Grade GS-7 includes those classes of positions the duties of 
    which are--
            (A) to perform, under general supervision, work of 
        considerable difficulty and responsibility along special 
        technical or supervisory lines in office, business, or fiscal 
        administration, or comparable subordinate technical work in a 
        professional, scientific, or technical field, requiring in 
        either case--
                (i) considerable specialized or supervisory training and 
            experience;
                (ii) comprehensive working knowledge of a special and 
            complex subject matter; procedure, or practice, or of the 
            principles of the profession, art, or science involved; and
                (iii) to a considerable extent the exercise of 
            independent judgment;

            (B) under immediate or general supervision, to perform 
        somewhat difficult work requiring--
                (i) professional, scientific, or technical training; and
                (ii) to a limited extent, the exercise of independent 
            technical judgment; or

            (C) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (8) Grade GS-8 includes those classes of positions the duties of 
    which are--
            (A) to perform, under general supervision, very difficult 
        and responsible work along special technical or supervisory 
        lines in office, business, or fiscal administration, requiring--
                (i) considerable specialized or supervisory training and 
            experience;
                (ii) comprehensive and thorough working knowledge of a 
            specialized and complex subject matter, procedure, or 
            practice, or of the principles of the profession, art, or 
            science involved; and
                (iii) to a considerable extent the exercise of 
            independent judgment; or

            (B) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (9) Grade GS-9 includes those classes of positions the duties of 
    which are--
            (A) to perform, under general supervision, very difficult 
        and responsible work along special technical, supervisory, or 
        administrative lines in office, business, or fiscal 
        administration, requiring--
                (i) somewhat extended specialized training and 
            considerable specialized, supervisory, or administrative 
            experience which has demonstrated capacity for sound 
            independent work;
                (ii) thorough and fundamental knowledge of a special and 
            complex subject matter, or of the profession, art, or 
            science involved; and
                (iii) considerable latitude for the exercise of 
            independent judgment;

            (B) with considerable latitude for the exercise of 
        independent judgment, to perform moderately difficult and 
        responsible work, requiring--
                (i) professional, scientific, or technical training 
            equivalent to that represented by graduation from a college 
            or university of recognized standing; and
                (ii) considerable additional professional, scientific, 
            or technical training or experience which has demonstrated 
            capacity for sound independent work; or

            (C) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (10) Grade GS-10 includes those classes of positions the duties 
    of which are--
            (A) to perform, under general supervision, highly difficult 
        and responsible work along special technical, supervisory, or 
        administrative lines in office, business, or fiscal 
        administration, requiring--
                (i) somewhat extended specialized, supervisory, or 
            administrative training and experience which has 
            demonstrated capacity for sound independent work;
                (ii) thorough and fundamental knowledge of a specialized 
            and complex subject matter, or of the profession, art, or 
            science involved; and
                (iii) considerable latitude for the exercise of 
            independent judgment; or

            (B) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (11) Grade GS-11 includes those classes of positions the duties 
    of which are--
            (A) to perform, under general administrative supervision and 
        with wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, 
        work of marked difficulty and responsibility along special 
        technical, supervisory, or administrative lines in office, 
        business, or fiscal administration, requiring--
                (i) extended specialized, supervisory, or administrative 
            training and experience which has demonstrated important 
            attainments and marked capacity for sound independent action 
            or decision; and
                (ii) intimate grasp of a specialized and complex subject 
            matter, or of the profession, art, or science involved, or 
            of administrative work of marked difficulty;

            (B) with wide latitude for the exercise of independent 
        judgment, to perform responsible work of considerable difficulty 
        requiring somewhat extended professional, scientific, or 
        technical training and experience which has demonstrated 
        important attainments and marked capacity for independent work; 
        or
            (C) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (12) Grade GS-12 includes those classes of positions the duties 
    of which are--
            (A) to perform, under general administrative supervision, 
        with wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, 
        work of a very high order of difficulty and responsibility along 
        special technical, supervisory, or administrative lines in 
        office, business, or fiscal administration, requiring--
                (i) extended specialized, supervisory, or administrative 
            training and experience which has demonstrated leadership 
            and attainments of a high order in specialized or 
            administrative work; and
                (ii) intimate grasp of a specialized and complex subject 
            matter or of the profession, art, or science involved;

            (B) under general administrative supervision, and with wide 
        latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, to perform 
        professional, scientific, or technical work of marked difficulty 
        and responsibility requiring extended professional, scientific, 
        or technical training and experience which has demonstrated 
        leadership and attainments of a high order in professional, 
        scientific, or technical research, practice, or administration; 
        or
            (C) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (13) Grade GS-13 includes those classes of positions the duties 
    of which are--
            (A) to perform, under administrative direction, with wide 
        latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, work of 
        unusual difficulty and responsibility along special technical, 
        supervisory, or administrative lines, requiring extended 
        specialized, supervisory, or administrative training and 
        experience which has demonstrated leadership and marked 
        attainments;
            (B) to serve as assistant head of a major organization 
        involving work of comparable level within a bureau;
            (C) to perform, under administrative direction, with wide 
        latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, work of 
        unusual difficulty and responsibility requiring extended 
        professional, scientific, or technical training and experience 
        which has demonstrated leadership and marked attainments in 
        professional, scientific, or technical research, practice, or 
        administration; or
            (D) to perform other work of equal importance, difficulty, 
        and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.

        (14) Grade GS-14 includes those classes of positions the duties 
    of which are--
            (A) to perform, under general administrative direction, with 
        wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, work of 
        exceptional difficulty and responsibility along special 
        technical, supervisory, or administrative lines which has 
        demonstrated leadership and unusual attainments;
            (B) to serve as head of a major organization within a bureau 
        involving work of comparable level;
            (C) to plan and direct or to plan and execute major 
        professional, scientific, technical, administrative, fiscal, or 
        other specialized programs, requiring extended training and 
        experience which has demonstrated leadership and unusual 
        attainments in professional, scientific, or technical research, 
        practice, or administration, or in administrative, fiscal, or 
        other specialized activities; or
            (D) to perform consulting or other professional, scientific, 
        technical, administrative, fiscal, or other specialized work of 
        equal importance, difficulty, and responsibility, and requiring 
        comparable qualifications.

        (15) Grade GS-15 includes those classes of positions the duties 
    of which are--
            (A) to perform, under general administrative direction, with 
        very wide latitude for the exercise of independent judgment, 
        work of outstanding difficulty and responsibility along special 
        technical, supervisory, or administrative lines which has 
        demonstrated leadership and exceptional attainments;
            (B) to serve as head of a major organization within a bureau 
        involving work of comparable level;
            (C) to plan and direct or to plan and execute specialized 
        programs of marked difficulty, responsibility, and national 
        significance, along professional, scientific, technical, 
        administrative, fiscal, or other lines, requiring extended 
        training and experience which has demonstrated leadership and 
        unusual attainments in professional, scientific, or technical 
        research, practice, or administration, or in administrative, 
        fiscal, or other specialized activities; or
            (D) to perform consulting or other professional, scientific, 
        technical, administrative, fiscal, or other specialized work of 
        equal importance, difficulty, and responsibility, and requiring 
        comparable qualifications.

(Pub. L. 89-554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 446; Pub. L. 101-509, title V, 
Sec. 529 [title I, Sec. 102(b)(1)], Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1427, 1443.)

                      Historical and Revision Notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    Revised Statutes and
     Derivation                U.S. Code             Statutes at Large
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     5 U.S.C. 1111.                Oct. 28, 1949, ch.
                                                    782, Sec.  601, 63
                                                    Stat. 959.
                                                   Sept. 1, 1954, ch.
                                                    1208, Sec.  107, 68
                                                    Stat. 1108.
                     5 U.S.C. 1112.                Oct. 28, 1949, ch.
                                                    782, Sec.  602, 63
                                                    Stat. 959.
                     ............................  Sept. 1, 1954, ch.
                                                    1208, Sec.  108, 68
                                                    Stat. 1108.
                     ............................  June 20, 1958, Pub.
                                                    L. 85-462, Sec.
                                                    13(a), 72 Stat. 214.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Former sections 1111 and 1112 are combined and restated.
    Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable 
and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.

                       References in Text

    The General Schedule, referred to in text, is set out under section 
5332 of this title.


                               Amendments

    1990--Pub. L. 101-509 struck out ``18'' before ``grades'' in 
introductory provisions and struck out pars. (16) to (18) which 
described grades GS-16 to GS-18.


                    Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 101-509 effective on such date as the President 
shall determine, but not earlier than 90 days, and not later than 180 
days, after Nov. 5, 1990, see section 529 [title III, Sec. 305] of Pub. 
L. 101-509, set out as a note under section 5301 of this title.


                    Job Evaluation Policy Act of 1970

    Pub. L. 91-216, May 17, 1970, 84 Stat. 72, provided: ``That this Act 
may be cited as the `Job Evaluation Policy Act of 1970'.


  ``Title I--Congressional Findings With Respect to Job Evaluation and 
                     Ranking in the Executive Branch

    ``Sec. 101. The Congress hereby finds that--
        ``(1) the tremendous growth required in the activities of the 
    Federal Government in order to meet the country's needs during the 
    past several decades has led to the need for employees in an ever-
    increasing and changing variety of occupations and professions, many 
    of which did not exist when the basic principles of job evaluation 
    and ranking were established by the Classification Act of 1923 [Act 
    Mar. 4, 1923, ch. 265, 42 Stat. 1488]. The diverse and constantly 
    changing nature of these occupations and professions requires that 
    the Federal Government reassess its approach to job evaluation and 
    ranking better to fulfill its role as an employer and assure 
    efficient economical administration;
        ``(2) the large number and variety of job evaluation and ranking 
    systems in the executive branch have resulted in significant 
    inequities in selection, promotion, and pay of employees in 
    comparable positions among these systems;
        ``(3) little effort has been made by Congress or the executive 
    branch to consolidate or coordinate the various job evaluation and 
    ranking systems, and there has been no progress toward the 
    establishment of a coordinated system in which job evaluation and 
    ranking, regardless of the methods used, is related to a unified set 
    of principles providing coherence and equity throughout the 
    executive branch;
        ``(4) within the executive branch, there has been no significant 
    study of, or experimentation with the several recognized methods of 
    job evaluation and ranking to determine which of those methods are 
    most appropriate for use and application to meet the present and 
    future needs of the Federal Government; and
        ``(5) notwithstanding the recommendations resulting from the 
    various studies conducted during the last twenty years, the Federal 
    Government has not taken the initiative to implement those 
    recommendations with respect to the job evaluation and ranking 
    systems within the executive branch, with the result that such 
    systems have not, in many cases, been adapted or administered to 
    meet the rapidly changing needs of the Federal Government.


                     ``Title II--Statement of Policy

    ``Sec. 201. It is the sense of Congress that--
        ``(1) the executive branch shall, in the interest of equity, 
    efficiency, and good administration, operate under a coordinated job 
    evaluation and ranking system for all civilian positions, to the 
    greatest extent practicable;
        ``(2) the system shall be designed so as to utilize such methods 
    of job evaluation and ranking as are appropriate for use in the 
    executive branch, taking into account the various occupational 
    categories of positions therein; and
        ``(3) the United States Civil Service Commission shall be 
    authorized to exercise general supervision and control over such a 
    system.


  ``Title III--Preparation of a Job Evaluation and Ranking Plan By the 
  Civil Service Commission and Reports and Recommendations to Congress

    ``Sec. 301. The Civil Service Commission, through such 
organizational unit which it shall establish within the Commission and 
which shall report directly to the Commission, shall prepare a 
comprehensive plan for the establishment of a coordinated system of job 
evaluation and ranking for civilian positions, in the executive branch. 
The plan shall include, among other things--
        ``(1) provision for the establishment of a method or methods for 
    evaluating jobs and alining them by level;
        ``(2) a time schedule for the conversion of existing job 
    evaluation and ranking systems into the coordinated system;
        ``(3) provision that the Civil Service Commission shall have 
    general supervision of and control over the coordinated job 
    evaluation and ranking system, including, if the Commission deems it 
    appropriate, the authority to approve or disapprove the adoption, 
    use and administration in the executive branch of the method or 
    methods established under that system;
        ``(4) provision for the establishment of procedures for the 
    periodic review by the Civil Service Commission of the effectiveness 
    of the method or methods adopted for use under the system; and
        ``(5) provision for maintenance of the system to meet the 
    changing needs of the executive branch in the future.
    ``Sec. 302. In carrying out its functions under section 301 of this 
Act, the Commission shall consider all recognized methods of job 
evaluation and ranking.
    ``Sec. 303. The Civil Service Commission is authorized to secure 
directly from any executive agency, as defined by section 105 of title 
5, United States Code, or any bureau, office, or part thereof, 
information, suggestions, estimates, statistics, and technical 
assistance for the purposes of this Act; and each such executive agency 
or bureau, office, or part thereof is authorized and directed to furnish 
such information, suggestions, estimates, statistics, and technical 
assistance directly to the Civil Service Commission upon request by the 
Commission.
    ``Sec. 304. (a) Within one year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Commission shall submit to the President and the Congress an 
interim progress report on the current status and results of its 
activities under this Act, together with its current findings.
    ``(b) Within two years after the date of enactment of this Act [Mar. 
17, 1970]--
        ``(1) the Civil Service Commission shall complete its functions 
    under this Act and shall transmit to the President a comprehensive 
    report of the result of its activities, together with its 
    recommendations (including its draft of proposed legislation to 
    carry out such recommendations), and
        ``(2) the President shall transmit that report (including the 
    recommendations and draft of proposed legislation of the Commission) 
    to the Congress, together with such recommendations as the President 
    deems appropriate.
    ``(c) The Commission shall submit to the Committees on Post Office 
and Civil Service of the Senate and House of Representatives once each 
calendar month, or at such other intervals as may be directed by those 
committees, or either of them, an interim progress report on the then 
current status and results of the activities of the Commission under 
this Act, together with the then current findings of the Commission.
    ``(d) The Commission shall periodically consult with, and solicit 
the views of, appropriate employee and professional organizations.
    ``(e) The organizational unit established under section 301 of this 
Act shall cease to exist upon the submission of the report to the 
Congress under subsection (b) of this section.''

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 7201 of this title; title 10 
section 1586; title 25 section 2802.
