Extremely frustrated at current employer

So I have been at my employer for nearly a year now employed in the NOC. I came in with all my credentials listed in my avatar minus the CCNP/JNCIS that I obtained while on the job here by staying at work after hours studying. I accepted the position at a significantly lower rate than I was receiving at my prior employer as a programmer, which I was fine with as I needed to build experience in Networking.
This past week, an employee quit that was on the Architecture team whom was paid at a significantly higher rate who has considerable experience in the field. I am being offered a job in the Architecture team as I have displayed strong aptitude and ambition being one of the few employees here who have a CCNA, let alone all the other credentials listed. The position I came into at the NOC, if anyone's familiar with government salaries is at grade X with a salary range of YY,YYY - ZZ,ZZZ where I'm closer to the lower range. The employee who quit was at grade Z with a range of YY,YYY - ZZZ,ZZZ where he was in the midrange of that salary.
My employer is NOT compensating me anything additional moving into the Architecture team which I would imagine most employers would increase the employees salaries given it's a more Senior position. I will be receiving the same salary I received as a NOC tech in Architecture. Had I not accepted the position, they would have to recruit someone at Grade Level Z range probably along the middle of that range. I received a measly raise I had to fight for which doesn't even equal $30 after taxes every 2 weeks for yearly reviews.
I'm pretty sure I know what I have to do (start applying elsewhere) but just venting here, unless someone could tell me if I'm being unreasonable.
This past week, an employee quit that was on the Architecture team whom was paid at a significantly higher rate who has considerable experience in the field. I am being offered a job in the Architecture team as I have displayed strong aptitude and ambition being one of the few employees here who have a CCNA, let alone all the other credentials listed. The position I came into at the NOC, if anyone's familiar with government salaries is at grade X with a salary range of YY,YYY - ZZ,ZZZ where I'm closer to the lower range. The employee who quit was at grade Z with a range of YY,YYY - ZZZ,ZZZ where he was in the midrange of that salary.
My employer is NOT compensating me anything additional moving into the Architecture team which I would imagine most employers would increase the employees salaries given it's a more Senior position. I will be receiving the same salary I received as a NOC tech in Architecture. Had I not accepted the position, they would have to recruit someone at Grade Level Z range probably along the middle of that range. I received a measly raise I had to fight for which doesn't even equal $30 after taxes every 2 weeks for yearly reviews.
I'm pretty sure I know what I have to do (start applying elsewhere) but just venting here, unless someone could tell me if I'm being unreasonable.
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Think of the 2:00 a.m. test—if you were awakened in the
middle of the night because of a network problem and had to figure out the
traffic flows in your network while you were half asleep, could you do it?
I'd probably start looking regardless, but you might as well bring it up. It's a huge responsibility increase for lacking a pay increase. Doesn't really make sense.
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There is a strong sense of bureaucracy here and as the salaries are public, it is clear they don't care for ambition. They take care of people that sit at their lunch table. I guess I was under the false impression that certing and taking any additional work up would eventually be rewarded.
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You know the organization better and you know your boss better...which do you think is more likely?
edit: In regards to the budget question, I am not familiar with state/government work so I could be very wrong here...but when do they (re)calculate budget figures? Quarterly? If you think this is possible, dont let it linger. Ask clearly, "is it possible I could see a pay raise when the budget is adjusted?" or something like that. Find out now, then plan accordingly.
I'm normally of the train of thought to jump ship but at the higher position you'll be doing advanced configurations. This something that no one can take away from you moving forward. You'll be able to say that your skills are at a particular level but if you jump ship now all you'll be able to say is that you have the potential for your skills to be at a certain level.
After that, all those acronyms will back up your skills. An alphabet soup army, if you will.
You are locked in to the low end of the scale and will spend years getting small fixed raises based on that low salary, meaning you'll spend years trying to overcome that poor starting salary. What will make it worse is watching new-hires consistently out earn you as a result.
Take some valuable advice from the WuTang...
Cash Rules Everything Around Me
C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money
Dollar dollar bill y'all
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What sucks is, if they don't give you this raise now, you're not going to get it in a year, or two years from now. Are you a union worker? If so, I'd suggest you go to them and advise them of your job reclassification. That's probably the only way you're going to get that raise. If not, you and I both know, it's not going to happen. So, either demand it and get it or, demand it and not get it. Either way, stick around for another 6-9 months to get some experience.
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Ride it out. It will pay off.
This. ^
Even programmers won't get more than GS12 unless they assume a supervisory or managerial role.
Beyond that you get into some Executive type pay scale.
When I was in the Federal service everyone who wasn't a manager/supervisor had the title of IT Specialist, whether they were a programmer, admin, network engineer or help desk.
Of course those descriptions were used in the signature block, but the official title everyone had was IT Specialist.
The admins/programmers did qualify for GS12 pay , support and help desk were GS9/11.
Stay the course, learn what you can, but bucking for a higher salary in a government job is not the same as in the private sector.
You'll get your annual and step increases, automatically, but unless your chummy with the bosses AND HR, getting a grade change isn't as simple as making a list of your duties and accomplishments.
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As many other people have said, get enough experience to get out and get an equivalent job, but with the correct level of pay. You have the chance to get the type of promotion that normally takes several years and multiple steps to accomplish; making that move AND getting full pay would be like hitting the lottery. Lock in the experience, the title, some training and everything else you can; it can't be taken away from you. That said, make sure you actually get out in 1-2 years unless you are properly compensated!
I have had a lot of opportunities and have really been able to improve me resume, but for various reasons I have not been able to get out of my position and cash in on the things I have learned to do. This drives me nuts and I it is making it very difficult to stay focused on my current job, you do NOT want to be in the same situation, trust me.
I too am in a local government position and you might want to look into whatever your local classification policies are. I know that if I were moved into a substantially different job I would be reclassified and no matter what I would have to be paid the minimum for that classification - it is the one exception to the maximum raise constraints that most government employees are under.
One last thing to ponder: If you were offered this position at a new company and at your current salary, would you take it?
What next, what next...