Jonah Patel
Civilian federal employees, also known as civil servants, are employed by the federal government of the United States. In January 2009, there were about 2 million civilian workers employed by the federal government, excluding the postal service and defense. The federal government is the country's largest employer, with 392 federal agencies, including executive offices, departments, sub-agencies, bureaus, independent agencies, boards, commissions, committees, and quasi-official agencies. The pay system for civilian federal employees includes the General Schedule (GS) for white-collar employees, the Federal Wage System (FWS) for blue-collar employees, and the Senior Executive System (SES) for executive-level employees.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What are civilian federal employees also referred to as? | Civil servants |
| Number of federal agencies as of March 2022 | 392 |
| Number of federal civilian workers as of January 2009 | 2 million |
| Pay systems | General Schedule (GS), Federal Wage System (FWS), Senior Executive System (SES), Foreign Service Schedule (FS) |
| Senior Executive Service (SES) classification | Non-competitive, senior leadership positions |
| Excepted service | Jobs with a streamlined hiring process, such as security and intelligence functions |
| Agencies with excepted service authorities | Create their own hiring policies and are not subject to most appointment, pay, and classification laws |
| Number of hiring authorities in fiscal year 2014 | 105 |
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What You'll Learn
Civil servants
Civilian federal employees are also referred to as civil servants. In January 2009, about 2 million civilian workers were employed by the federal government, excluding the postal service and defense. The federal government is the nation's largest employer. The United States federal civil service includes the General Schedule (GS) for white-collar employees, the Federal Wage System (FWS) for blue-collar employees, the Senior Executive System (SES) for executive-level employees, and the Foreign Service Schedule (FS) for members of the Foreign Service. There are also alternate pay systems, such as the China Lake Demonstration Project.
The Senior Executive Service (SES) is a classification for senior leadership positions filled by career employees or political appointments. The Excepted Service (also known as the Unclassified Service) includes jobs with a streamlined hiring process, such as security and intelligence functions, interns, foreign service professionals, doctors, lawyers, judges, and others. Agencies with Excepted Service authorities create their own hiring policies and are not subject to most appointment, pay, and classification laws.
The United States Civil Service Commission was created in January 1883 by the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act to administer the civil service of the United States federal government. The law required federal government employees to be selected through competitive exams and merit. It also prevented elected officials and political appointees from firing civil servants, removing them from the influences of political patronage and partisan behavior.
There are different hiring options for current and former federal employees, depending on their eligibility. Being a federal employee does not mean one is eligible for every federal job, so it is important to understand the service and appointment type one belongs to. Services are how the federal government describes categories of jobs that provide different options and benefits to the future employee.
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Federal government employees
Civilian federal employees, or civil servants, are those who work for the federal government but are not part of the military. In January 2009, there were about 2 million civilian workers employed by the US federal government, excluding the postal service and defense sectors. The federal government is the country's largest employer, with 392 federal agencies, including executive offices, departments, sub-agencies, bureaus, independent agencies, boards, commissions, committees, and quasi-official agencies.
Civilian federal employees can be classified into different services, each with its own hiring rules, pay scales, and evaluation criteria. The pay system of the US government civil service includes the General Schedule (GS) for white-collar employees, the Federal Wage System (FWS) for blue-collar employees, the Senior Executive System (SES) for executive-level employees, and the Foreign Service Schedule (FS) for members of the Foreign Service. There are also alternate pay systems, such as the China Lake Demonstration Project.
The Senior Executive Service (SES) includes senior leadership positions filled by career employees or political appointments. The Excepted Service, or Unclassified Service, includes jobs with a streamlined hiring process, such as security and intelligence functions, interns, foreign service professionals, doctors, lawyers, and judges. Agencies with Excepted Service authorities create their own hiring policies and are exempt from most appointment, pay, and classification laws.
Federal employees can apply for merit promotion jobs within their agency or other agencies if they meet certain criteria. Additionally, some federal jobs are only available to current employees of a specific agency, and internal job postings may be open to all current employees of the hiring agency. Veterans who are VEOA-eligible may also apply for certain federal jobs, although Veterans' Preference does not apply to merit promotion positions.
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Federal civilian employees
Civilian federal employees, or civil servants, are those who work for the federal government but are not part of the military. In January 2009, about 2 million civilian workers were employed by the federal government, excluding the postal service and defense sectors. The federal government is the largest employer in the nation, with 392 federal agencies, including executive offices, departments, sub-agencies, bureaus, independent agencies, boards, commissions, committees, and quasi-official agencies.
Civilian federal employees can be categorized into different services, each with its own set of rules, pay scales, and benefits. The General Schedule (GS) applies to white-collar employees, the Federal Wage System (FWS) to blue-collar employees, the Senior Executive System (SES) to executive-level employees, and the Foreign Service Schedule (FS) to members of the Foreign Service. Additionally, there are alternate pay systems, such as the China Lake Demonstration Project.
The hiring process for civilian federal employees can vary. Some positions are filled through competitive exams and merit-based selection, while others are political appointments or career advancements. Agencies with excepted service authorities, such as the CIA, FBI, and State Department, have their own hiring policies and are not subject to the same appointment, pay, and classification laws as other agencies.
Civilian federal employees enjoy a range of benefits and options, depending on their service category. They may be eligible for merit promotion jobs, internal agency positions, or transfers to other agencies with Interchange Agreements. Understanding their service and appointment type is crucial for career advancement and exploring new opportunities within the federal government.
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Federal civil service
Civilian federal employees are also referred to as civil servants. The United States federal civil service is the nation's largest employer, with approximately 2 million civilian workers employed by the federal government, excluding the postal service and defence sectors. The federal civil service includes employees of the federal government's 392 agencies, including executive offices, departments, sub-agencies, bureaus, independent agencies, boards, commissions, committees, and quasi-official agencies.
The pay system of the federal civil service consists of various categories, including the General Schedule (GS) for white-collar employees, the Federal Wage System (FWS) for blue-collar workers, and the Senior Executive System (SES) for executive-level positions. The SES comprises non-competitive senior leadership roles filled by career employees or political appointments.
The excepted service, also known as the unclassified service, includes positions with a streamlined hiring process, such as those in security and intelligence agencies, as well as interns, foreign service professionals, doctors, lawyers, and judges. Agencies with excepted service authority create their own hiring policies, independent of most appointment, pay, and classification laws.
The history of the United States federal civil service dates back to 1789, when approximately 300 individuals were employed. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 established the United States Civil Service Commission to administer the civil service and require federal employees to be selected based on competitive exams and merit. This legislation also protected civil servants from political influence and partisan behaviour.
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Non-postal executive branch employees
Civilian federal employees are also referred to as civil servants. In March 2022, there were 392 federal agencies, including 9 executive offices, 15 executive departments, 259 executive department sub-agencies and bureaus, 66 independent agencies, 42 boards, commissions, and committees, and 11 quasi-official agencies.
The non-postal executive branch includes various departments and agencies, such as the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security. These departments are responsible for a wide range of tasks, including conducting foreign policy, ensuring national security, enforcing federal laws, and managing the country's finances.
The pay system for non-postal executive branch employees falls under the General Schedule (GS) for white-collar employees, the Federal Wage System (FWS) for blue-collar employees, and the Senior Executive System (SES) for executive-level employees. The SES includes non-competitive, senior leadership positions filled by career employees or political appointments.
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Frequently asked questions
Civilian federal employees are also referred to as civil servants.
The pay system for civil servants in the US includes the General Schedule (GS) for white-collar employees, the Federal Wage System (FWS) for blue-collar employees, the Senior Executive System (SES) for executive-level employees, and more than 12 other alternate pay systems.
The United States Civil Service Commission was created in January 1883 by the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. The commission was tasked with administering the civil service of the US federal government. The law mandated that federal government employees be selected through competitive exams and merit.
As of March 2022, there were 392 federal agencies, including 9 executive offices, 15 executive departments, 259 executive department sub-agencies and bureaus, 66 independent agencies, 42 boards, commissions, and committees, and 11 quasi-official agencies.
There are different hiring options available for current or former federal employees, depending on their eligibility. It's important to understand the service and appointment type to know which jobs one is eligible for.
