Pay (FAQ)

They'll tell you on your first day at the academy that it could be 4-6 weeks before you see a paycheck, depending on when in the pay period you actually start. Although these days with the online basics, I assume you'd be getting paid well before you actually get to OKC.
Dunno how it is now with Zoom and all but it used to be your start date was always the first Monday of the pay period. If you look at prior experience bids you'll see it's that way for them too. So you have two weeks' worth of the pay period, then your LES comes out the Thursday of the third week, and you get paid the Tuesday of the fourth week. If your direct deposit is set up properly.
 
Can anyone educate me on when FAA gets paid? Like is it military style where it is every 1st and 15th or do they do it differently? Also typically how long does it take to get paid once you start the academy? I am assuming it takes a few weeks due to processing?
Every other Tuesday. We get paid this next Tuesday. Some banks like SkyOne you can get it the Friday before. I got paid today.
 
Dunno how it is now with Zoom and all but it used to be your start date was always the first Monday of the pay period. If you look at prior experience bids you'll see it's that way for them too. So you have two weeks' worth of the pay period, then your LES comes out the Thursday of the third week, and you get paid the Tuesday of the fourth week. If your direct deposit is set up properly.

That makes a lot of sense, but it wasn't that way when I was at the academy. I actually started on a Friday before a 3-day weekend, which I thought was the most asinine thing they could have done until I met a guy from the class that started December 23rd.
 
If I transfer to a new facility then hardship while training, do I just go back to my 1st facilities pay until I certify at the 3rd facility or do I get to keep the 50% bump from the 2nd facility?

The contract says:
A CPC-IT who does not achieve facility certification in the new facility shall have his/her pay set as though the employee never left the facility at which the employee was last fully certified. Transfer pay will then be set in accordance with paragraphs (a) - (e) of this Section.

but

Under the hardship section:
(b) Transferring to a lower level facility: i. If current Basic Pay fits into the CPC pay band of the lower level facility, Basic Pay remains unchanged.


Is accepting a hardship while training at a higher level facility considered a washout? If so then I would think I'd just go back to my first facilities pay but I'm not sure.
 
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If I transfer to a new facility then hardship while training, do I just go back to my 1st facilities pay until I certify at the 3rd facility or do I get to keep the 50% bump from the 2nd facility?

The contract says:
A CPC-IT who does not achieve facility certification in the new facility shall have his/her pay set as though the employee never left the facility at which the employee was last fully certified. Transfer pay will then be set in accordance with paragraphs (a) - (e) of this Section.

but

Under the hardship section:
(b) Transferring to a lower level facility: i. If current Basic Pay fits into the CPC pay band of the lower level facility, Basic Pay remains unchanged.


Is accepting a hardship while training at a higher level facility considered a washout? If so then I would think I'd just go back to my first facilities pay but I'm not sure.
Yes. Any time you leave a facility with reaching CPC it is considered a training failure. I would imagine your pay would be reset to facility #1 and I don't believe hardship transfers get step raises so you'd only get a pay increase from certification unless you already fall in the CPC band. I don't have any documentation to back this up though.
 
I don't think it's treated as a training failure for pay purposes. My instinct is that it's treated as any other hardship: you will keep whatever your basic pay is from when you hardship (within the new band).

If no one that's had this specific situation can clarify before hand, I'd like to hear how it works out so I can include this scenario in the OP.
 
I don't think it's treated as a training failure for pay purposes. My instinct is that it's treated as any other hardship: you will keep whatever your basic pay is from when you hardship (within the new band).

If no one that's had this specific situation can clarify before hand, I'd like to hear how it works out so I can include this scenario in the OP.
I think this is correct, it might be a technicality but I think the person keeps the basic pay.
 
I don't think it's treated as a training failure for pay purposes. My instinct is that it's treated as any other hardship: you will keep whatever your basic pay is from when you hardship (within the new band).

If no one that's had this specific situation can clarify before hand, I'd like to hear how it works out so I can include this scenario in the OP.
Makes sense. I was thinking more along the lines of training success rate for facility #2 than pay perhaps.
 
Quick question, level 12 CPC transfers to level 11 is it save pay for 3-5 years or forever and he/she just moves to the level 11 pay band and goes from there until they max out? I keep hearing a lot of save pay scenarios but my understanding is CPC-IT keeps pay until they max out on the level 11 scale.
 
Quick question, level 12 CPC transfers to level 11 is it save pay for 3-5 years or forever and he/she just moves to the level 11 pay band and goes from there until they max out? I keep hearing a lot of save pay scenarios but my understanding is CPC-IT keeps pay until they max out on the level 11 scale.
If you transfer and your pay is within the 11 band, you go straight into the 11 at what your pay is now. Also locality makes a difference. You need your basic pay to be certain.
Example assuming locality the same : lvl 12 making 199k, transfer to an 11, 11 band is 120k-160k, you go down to 160k.

lvl 12 making 160k, transfer to an 11, 11 band is 130k-170k, you make 160k at an 11.
 
Quick question, level 12 CPC transfers to level 11 is it save pay for 3-5 years or forever and he/she just moves to the level 11 pay band and goes from there until they max out? I keep hearing a lot of save pay scenarios but my understanding is CPC-IT keeps pay until they max out on the level 11 scale.
It’s laid out in the contract. Your basic pay saves if it’s currently within the lower band. Your basic pay goes to the top of the lower band if it’s currently above the lower band. Key word basic. Not base. Not the salary you see on your pay check.
 
It’s laid out in the contract. Your basic pay saves if it’s currently within the lower band. Your basic pay goes to the top of the lower band if it’s currently above the lower band. Key word basic. Not base. Not the salary you see on your pay check.
Exactly.

People miss this all the time and think about their annual salary with the locality.

Hence why you can transfer from a 10 to a low locality 12 and even with a raise take a pay cut to what you see on employee express, or why you can transfer down to a high locality facility and get a raise.
 
Complicated question here. CPC about to start a minimum 12-month hiatus from the FAA to hopefully be rehired under CPC Reinstatement guidance. Resigned as CPC from a lvl 10 facility, waiting the year to reapply to a lvl 11 and lvl 6 tower. My concern is that the lvl 11 tower may not be willing/able to hire me for reinstatement, that would mean I would go to the top of the band of the lvl 6 tower if re-hired. But what if I transfer to a low paying federal job while awaiting reinstatement? Example: Take a one year job with GS 6 or GS 7 pay (Typically around $50k - $60k). Would I still to to the top of the band of the level 6 tower because I had been a CPC at a lvl 10 facility or would I go to the bottom of the band because I transferred to a different low-paying federal job? In other words, is it better to sit out the year+ and find work outside of gov't so my pay won't drop so significantly when do plan on coming back into FAA?
 
TowerDonkey not complicated, it's already spelled out in the contract.
e. Re-Entrant:
(1) CPC Re-Entrants shall be considered a CPC at their assigned facility.
(a) CPC Re-Entrant currently employed by the federal government will retain current Basic Pay if it is within the CPC pay band for the assigned ATC facility.
i. If current Basic Pay is below the minimum of the CPC pay band for the ATC Facility Pay Level, pay will be raised to the minimum of the CPC pay band. If the current Basic Pay exceeds the established CPC pay band, pay will be set at the top of the CPC pay band.
(b) CPC Re-Entrants not currently employed by the federal government will have their Basic Pay set in the CPC pay band of the facility to which the employee is assigned.
i. If the previous Basic Pay is below the minimum of the CPC pay band for the ATC Facility Pay Level, pay will be raised to the minimum of the CPC pay band. If the previous Basic Pay exceeds the established CPC pay band, pay will be set at the top of the CPC pay band.
 
I understand that a DoD controller will be maxed at the top of D3, but what happens after becoming CPC? I did read Article 108 but didn’t exactly find a clear answer.

I’m a GS12 and my basic pay (before locality) is $71k ($97k with locality/SSR) . If I were rehired by the FAA to a lower level facility where base D3 pay tops at $70k (with locality). I understand I would be at $70k but once I CPC would I be eligible for more than the bottom of the CPC band?

The CPC band ranges from $71k-$95k @ 15.95% locality, so my DoD basic x 15.95% puts me at $83k, so would I CPC and then jump to the middle of the CPC pay band?
 
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