pay grade

noun

: a level of compensation for work especially when understood to reflect responsibility and authority

"People listen to you regardless of your pay grade," a Goldman managing director told me. "There is a real respect for the individual voice."

—John Cassidy

—often used figuratively

The unanswerable questions ascend into the skies, far above your pay grade, whatever it may be.

—Robert W. Lucky

Unfortunately … he appears to think the task of community development is below his pay grade.

—Faith Bautista

No one will read this book and come away wondering if steroids really work. Oh, they work. They bump a competitor up a whole pay grade—from finishing in the middle of the pack in the final heat to breaking the tape and collecting the winner's bonus.

—Michael Sokolove

Examples of pay grade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pay varies by department and seniority, with the federal government publishing a General Schedule of basic pay grades for most federal employees. —Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2024

What this lawsuit means for Gadd and Netflix calls for expertise above my pay grade. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 15 June 2024

This leads to a hilarious scene where Flyte, working well below her pay grade, is playing Giti’s babysitter. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2024

But any big decisions are made a few rungs above his pay grade. —William Pesek, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above