pay grade

American  

[pay grayd] / ˈpeɪ ˌgreɪd /

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.

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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.

Etymology

Origin of pay grade

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pay grade

Whether that’s achievable is above my pay grade.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 10, 2026

If a pleated edge feels above your pastry pay grade, simply fold the edge of the dough over the filling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025

Asked if she thought the party needed a Welsh figurehead, she said: "That's above my pay grade."

From BBC ● May 6, 2025

“The technological aspect of this is above my pay grade, but everybody seems pretty confident about it,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2024

But this is so far above my pay grade, I don’t even know where to begin.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

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