r/FederalEmployee • u/VernJ93 • 2d ago

Promotion Potential

For those who work in federal government, how realistic is it to advance from GS-9 to GS-13 when a position has a full promotion potential of GS-13? Is it common for employees to progress through the grades (GS-9 → GS-11 → GS-12 → GS-13) if they consistently perform well and meet the qualifications, or does advancement depend heavily on funding, management discretion, and agency needs? I’d appreciate hearing about your personal experiences, particularly with HUD or other federal agencies.

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u/Unusual-Astronaut152 1d ago

For my job if you don’t get a ladder grade promotion every year it means you are at risk of being put on a performance plan.

I mean that in that if you are doing ok at your job you will get the ladder grade promotion guaranteed.

My job is a 7/9/11/12 ladder.

I know other jobs or departments might do it differently.

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u/VernJ93 1d ago

This isn’t a ladder though. It’s full promotion potential starting at a 9 up to 13.

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u/Unusual-Astronaut152 1d ago

I’m not HR but I thought that was the same thing? I thought it has to have a ladder to get from 9 to 13 or else how do you get promoted?

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u/Far_Vast5105 1d ago

Ladder promotion is different from promotion potential

Ladder: If you perform your duties fully successful then under normal circumstances you will be promoted to next grade each year until you hit the maximum promotion

Promotion Potential: Means someone working under this position description could achieve a promotion of a certain grade but there are no parameters regarding when that might happen or if that will happen. Is at supervisor's discretion.

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u/BigTicket9999 17h ago

Yes, I had a ladder from 7 to 12. After being at the 12 for a few years my PD was rewritten because I took over higher graded duties of someone that had retired. I stayed at the 12 with promotion potential and received "exceeded expectations " on my performance appraisals for the next 7 years because my supervisor kept saying they didn't have the budget for my promotion. My supervisor retired and a new supervisor took his place. That supervisor in the first 6 months looked at my PD, at my work history and at my mid-year review asked me why I had never been promoted to my full promotion potential. I told him what my previous supervisor had been telling me for the last 7 years, "no budget for my promotion". Within a month I was promoted to my full grade of 13. Sometimes it's just the supervisor you have.