Government pay often is. The pay scales are capped, with a few exceptions and ways around things, so unless this job goes up to an SES or similar grade that $197k is the best they can do.
Note that at the top the GS-15 steps 6-10 all get the same pay. The linked position's listed pay range spans GS-13 through GS-15, which is actually a huge spread and kind of funny. That's a large spread in responsibility between GS-13 and GS-15. In civil service, as a manager a GS-13 might be responsible for on the order of 50-100 people and millions in contracts and equipment, a GS-15 might be responsible for thousands of people and billions in contracts and equipment (location does matter a bit, the folks in DC, because the cost of living is so much higher, usually end up with some grade inflation so drop them 1-2 grades to compare to the rest of the US).
> pay is all based on years of experience, not talent.
That's true for GS and WG positions (though they can get performance based bonus step increases, these are relatively rare unless you play golf with the boss), but the pay bands mostly try to get around that and give performance-based raises. Supervisors don't like getting taken to EEO so they often won't give low scores even to people who deserve them, though. This results in the top performers usually getting bigger raises than low performers, but low and middling performers end up with roughly equivalent raises.
In theory, most of the pay band systems offer an effective way to weed out poor performers, but it's just not used.
Govt jobs do a CoL adjustment based on the region located, which would put this kind of role at market rate base salary for adjacent positions in the DMV and Bay.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries... - All pay scales
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries... - DC area, so base + locality.
Note that at the top the GS-15 steps 6-10 all get the same pay. The linked position's listed pay range spans GS-13 through GS-15, which is actually a huge spread and kind of funny. That's a large spread in responsibility between GS-13 and GS-15. In civil service, as a manager a GS-13 might be responsible for on the order of 50-100 people and millions in contracts and equipment, a GS-15 might be responsible for thousands of people and billions in contracts and equipment (location does matter a bit, the folks in DC, because the cost of living is so much higher, usually end up with some grade inflation so drop them 1-2 grades to compare to the rest of the US).
Firstly, a job of this level should be executive scale pay.
Secondly, on site should include a 30% boost above remote. It costs you money and time to commute, and thats part of total compensation.
I'd highly recommend looking for a new job.
Nobody who is actually qualified would take it, unless they're on the grift.
That's true for GS and WG positions (though they can get performance based bonus step increases, these are relatively rare unless you play golf with the boss), but the pay bands mostly try to get around that and give performance-based raises. Supervisors don't like getting taken to EEO so they often won't give low scores even to people who deserve them, though. This results in the top performers usually getting bigger raises than low performers, but low and middling performers end up with roughly equivalent raises.
In theory, most of the pay band systems offer an effective way to weed out poor performers, but it's just not used.