Step Pay Program for State of Colorado Employees

Resources

• Please see the DHR Pay Plan webpage for a downloadable Excel file of the FY 2024-25 Pay Plan
• Step Pay Graphic 
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Following the signing of the Long Bill on April 29, 2024 and approval of the FY 2024-25 State budget, the Step Pay Program is effective on July 1, 2024. These FAQs will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

What are the step placements and salary increases for eligible employees?

Step placement and salary increases for eligible employees as follows: 

• 5% step increase from minimum salary of the pay range at year 3 
• 5% step increase from year 3 salary at year 5
• 5% step increase from year 5 salary at year 8
• Movement to the range midpoint at year 10 
• 2% step increase from year 10 midpoint salary at year 12 
• 2% step increase from year 12 salary at year 15 
• 2% step increase from year 15 salary at year 20 
• 2% step increase from year 20 salary at year 25 

Eligible classified employees in the State Personnel System will be placed in their appropriate step on July 1 each year based on time-in-job series as of June 30 of that year. Salary increases are not provided on employee anniversary dates of hire.

Please note: the milestone step increases are a percentage increase from the salary listed on the State’s Pay Plan, not a percentage increase from an employee’s base salary at a previous step. For example, step year five is a 5% increase from the Pay Plan amount listed for step year three.

What are some benefits of the Step Pay Program?

The Step Pay Program addresses pay equity issues, reduces bias, and addresses employee pay progression through the pay range based on time-in-job series. This program will help to:

• Recognize and reward State employees for years of service
• Incentivize Coloradans to identify the State system as the ideal employer of choice
• Promote transparency
• Provide personal budget clarity
• Improve organizational budget forecasting

Are all classified employees in the state personnel system eligible for step pay?

All classified employees are eligible, except employees in positions classified under the Medical Pay Plan and State Troopers, whose compensation is set by statute. Employees with base salaries higher than the salary for the step increment for their time-in-job series will not receive a pay increase. However, they are eligible for any approved ATB.

How do employees identify their current job classification, job series or current pay rate?

Employees can find their classification information in their offer letter, position description, or performance review. Once the classification is located, employees can view their current job series by going to the DHR job classifications website and clicking on the classification description for their current job classification. For example, if the employee’s classification is an Accountant I, the Accountant classification description is the job series comprised of the Accountant I, Accountant II, Accountant III and Accountant IV classification levels.

Pay rate information can be found on an employee's current pay stub. If employees have questions about their current job classification or series, they should contact their State agency's human resources professional.

If an employee's base salary is above the amount listed for step placement, will the employee’s base pay be reduced to the salary for the step based on their time-in-job series?

No, the employee’s salary will not be reduced as a result of step pay. If an employee’s base salary is above the minimum pay for their step, they should have received the 3% ATB July 1, 2024 only. Following the signing of the Long Bill on April 29, 2024 and approval of the FY 2024-25 State budget, the Step Pay Program will became effective on July 1, 2024.

Will time-in-job series include the time spent in a job series that has been consolidated or deconsolidated?

Job series may be consolidated or deconsolidated as a result of a system maintenance study conducted by the Department of Personnel and Administration (DPA). A system maintenance study (SMS) is a structured review of  a portion of the State’s classification system. 

When employees are *impacted by a deconsolidation as a result of a system maintenance study, time in the job series immediately preceding the deconsolidation will count toward the job series the position is placed into as a result of the  deconsolidation. 

When employees are *impacted by a consolidation as a result of a system maintenance study, time in the job series immediately preceding the consolidation will count toward the job series the position is placed into as a result of the consolidation. 

Positions that are placed in a new classification, as a direct result of a system maintenance study, will have their time-in-job series credited to the new class/series. 

* Impacted: In order to be impacted by a SMS, the following must be true:

• The employee was active at the time of the SMS implementation
• The employee was/is in a classification/series that was included in the SMS
• The employee had their classification or pay grade changed as a direct result of the SMS

How does step pay affect employees with 25 years time in series or more?

Placement in the new pay plan will be based on time in their current job series. Employees with more than 25 years of service receive ATB as a base building increase up to the pay range maximum of the pay range for their job class.

What if an employee’s job title changed, but the job class did not, do they get credit for the years in the same job series?

Yes, because job titles (sometimes also called working titles) may be different from the job series classification. For example, HR Specialist III positions may have a job title of “Compensation Analyst", "Labor Relations Specialist”, or “Benefits Specialist”

What if an employee left State employment and returned to the same classification in the same job series prior to their departure, is the time previously served counted for time-in-job series?

Yes, the time in the previous job series will count if it is the same job series the employee returned to. Time in job series is cumulative and does not require continuous time in the job series.

If an employee was promoted to a different class in a different job series and the prior job class and job series were substantially related, will the employee receive credit for time in the prior series for step placement?

Only employees whose classification and series has changed as a direct result of System Maintenance Studies or have been in one of the Trainee classifications may receive time-in-job series credit for their previous role(s).

Generally speaking, time-in-job series is calculated based on time in the employee’s current job series.

Does step pay apply to non-classified staff who fall under the Executive Pay Plan or are in the executive branch including Institutes of Higher Education?
 

No, step pay is only for classified employees in the State Personnel System. However, they would be eligible for any approved ATB increase.

When will step increases be applied moving forward?

Step increases will be applied annually on July 1, based on an employee’s completed years in their current series as of June 30. Salary increases are not provided on employee anniversary dates of hire.

Helpful Definitions

• Base Pay - An employee’s salary without premium pay. Synonymous with base salary.
• Classification or Class - A group of positions whose essential character (general nature of the work and responsibilities) warrants the same pay grade, classification title, and similar qualifications for entry into the class. (For example: Accountant I, Accountant II, Accountant III, etc.)
• Class Code - A unique six -character designation assigned to each class and used to identify that class in occupational listings. As a result of system maintenance studies, class codes may be:
  • Newly created - This indicates a newly created class.
  • Converted to – This indicates that an existing class was converted to a new class. Typically, when an existing class is converted to a new class the old class is abolished.
  • Abolished – This indicates a discontinued class code. Abolished classes are not converted into a new class. These class codes are informally known as ‘legacy codes’. 
• Class Conversion - Automatic movement of a current title and grade to a new title and grade. 
• Class Description - The official written description of a class series and its levels as issued by the Department of Personnel. 
• Class Placement - Portion of a system maintenance study in which all affected positions are individually placed in the proper new class. 
• Class Series - A group of classes engaged in similar occupational work but representing different levels. Exception: time in trainee class series in occupational groups is included for time in targeted class series. (For example: Accounting, Animal Care, Program Management, etc.)
  • Newly created - This indicates a newly created series.
  • Converted To – This indicates that an existing class series was converted to a new class series. Typically, when an existing class series is converted to a new class series the old class series is abolished. These class series are informally known as ‘legacy series’. 
• Equal Pay for Equal Work Act - Requires employers to include compensation in job postings, notify employees of promotional opportunities, and keep job description and wage rate records.
• Job Series - Means the same as “class series”.
• Legacy Series - Informal reference to a job series that has been abolished (usually as the result of a system maintenance study). Time in legacy series may count towards time in an employee’s current job series.
• Pay Grade - Reflects the minimum and maximum base salary rates for work in a specific class. Individual salaries vary within the ranges depending on individual movements in accordance with these provisions. Synonymous with pay level, range, or band. 
• Pay Plans - Listing of all pay grades and their corresponding ranges for occupational groups. 
• Pay Plan (Medical) - The pay plan that applies to classified positions in specific class series within the Health Care Services Occupational Group. The statutory lid for the class series pay ranges is greater than the general statutory lid. Employees occupying these positions are compensated based solely on performance as established in the required annual contract.
• Pay Rate - Actual base pay or salary amount.
• Skills-based Hiring - Helps employers identify candidates who may not have formal education or traditional career paths, but have the right mix of skills for the job.
• Total Years in Job Series or Time-in-Job Series - An employee’s total number of years occupying a position in a job classification or job classifications within a job series, excluding temporary assignments.