Cross-country comparison
SCS-3 (United Kingdom) vs GS-12 (United States)
United Kingdom · Senior Civil Service Pay Framework
SCS-3
SCS Band 3 — Director General. Heads a large directorate-general or leads a substantial group across a major department.
£130,000 – £208,100
FY 2025 · annual base · GBP
View full SCS-3 detail →United States · General Schedule (GS)
GS-12
Senior specialist and first-line supervisor level. Most common grade for experienced federal professionals.
$76,463 – $99,404
FY 2026 · annual base · USD
View full GS-12 detail →How they compare
A SCS-3 in the United Kingdom federal civil service earns between £130,000 and £208,100 per year at base rates, while a GS-12 in the United States federal civil service earns between $76,463 and $99,404. Both figures are annual base in each country’s currency, before locality adjustments, allowances, or bonuses.
Responsibilities at these grades are not directly comparable — each country’s civil service uses its own classification framework. See the linked authoritative sources for role scoping.