Competitive Salaries
VA salaries are competitive with the private sector. For most health care occupations, starting salaries and pay increases are recommended by each profession's professional standards board and are based on education, training, and experience.

For high-demand health care occupations, VA facilities maintain market competitiveness by utilizing a number of pay systems that augment salary rates.

Administrative staff, professional employees, and other trade and labor employees are paid under the Federal Government's General Schedule and Wage Grade pay systems that offer strong starting salaries and periodic pay increases to address inflation and local market changes.

Health Care Locality Pay System
VA nurses, pharmacists, and various other health care professionals are compensated according to a Locality Pay System (LPS) that ensures they are paid competitive rates within each local labor market. Salary ranges vary according to facility location. Pay is reviewed periodically to ensure competitiveness with salary rates in effect in the local community.

For pharmacists, special beginning rates are in effect at many VA locations to ensure competitive salaries within each local labor market. Pharmacists are awarded regular increases and may receive accelerated increases for outstanding performance.

Market and Performance Pay for Physicians and Dentists
In addition to base pay, physicians and dentists receive:

• Market Pay - commensurate with specialty and experience, and designed to be competitive with the local physician/dentist labor market
• Performance pay - dependent on one's performance and roles at VA