pay grade

[ pey greyd ]

noun

1. the grade of a member of the armed services established according to a scale of increasing amounts of base pay and related to but not identical with official rank:

   A soldier in my pay grade had very little money.

2. a grade on any pay or salary scale:

   Advancement to a higher pay grade will depend on your job performance.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pay grade¹

First recorded in 1880–85; originally a term in the U.S. armed forces

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. be above / be beyond one's pay grade, to be above one’s level of ability, skill, knowledge, or authority: It’s beyond this court’s pay grade to alter the doctrine.

   To be honest, that subject is way above my pay grade.

   It’s beyond this court’s pay grade to alter the doctrine.

Example Sentences

With this sort of terrain, it’s easy to get in over your head and find yourself paddling a section of river that’s above your pay grade or clinging to a route that you have no business trying to climb.

From Outside Online

The issue was that as a manager, Mayorkas was not just setting broad policy objectives, but instead involving himself in matters well below his pay grade.

From Washington Post

My understanding is he is in quarters appropriate to his pay grade along with other personnel in full-duty status.

From The Daily Beast

His answer: “I did not know; the answer was above my pay grade.”

From The Daily Beast