Federal General Schedule (GS) Education Requirements

General Schedule Grade is based on education, training, general work experience and specialized work experience. These educational requirements are laid out by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). There are 5 main career groups with different educational requirements:

• Professional and Scientific Positions;
• Administrative and Management Positions;
• Technical and Medical Support Positions;
• Clerical and Administrative Support Positions; and
• Competitive Service Student Trainee Positions.

Each of these career groups have slightly different requirements. The table below shows the educational requirements for two of the most common career groups:

• Professional and Scientific Positions; and
• Clerical and Administrative Support Positions.

Important Notes

The Office of Personnel Management creates these standards, but intentionally leaves room for interpretation by individual agencies. Hiring agencies may make their own determination about what qualifies as "specialized" experience for a particular job.

These requirements are used to determine starting grade. Once you start a new job, you are immediately earning specialized work experience, which will continue increasing your grade. Equivalent combinations of education and experience are accepted for all grade levels and positions where both education and experience are acceptable.

Note: Some jobs also have other requirements such as typing speed, health, or age. These requirements are rare and only apply to certain jobs that require physical fitness.

Professional and Scientific Position Requirements

The table below shows the required work experience for Professional and Scientific Positions. Grades for these position range from GS-7 to GS-13+, based on qualifications. Jobs that fall into this category include: Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry, and other technical positions.

Note: To qualify for a particular grade, you must meet the education requirements or the experience requirements — not both.

Clerical and Administrative Support Position Requirements

The table below shows the required work experience for Clerical and Administrative Support Positions. Grades for these position range from GS-1 to GS-6+, based on qualifications. Jobs that fall into this category include: Clerical positions, Stenographers, and Administrative Support.