<prompt> Human: Im a recent graduate, single, with no kids. I have been working for a fortune 500 company for about a year now making 56k in a very cheap cost of living state. You can easily find a one bedroom apartment here for about 600-700.nbsp;I recently received an offer from a federal agency in the D.C. metro area for a starting salary of 48k GS-07. Ive been told that after a year I will get promoted to GS-09, then a year after that I will be at GS-11 At least 64k. The position has a promotion potential of GS-13 At least 92k.nbsp;Im trying to figure out if its worth taking the federal career route. Some advantages of my current job is a higher pay and its located in a cheap COL area. Disadvantages would include no pension, a slow promotion rate, and the job is not as technical as I would like it to be.nbsp;The federal job advantages would include a faster promotion rate, a pension, the opportunities for future job locations, and the position is technical. The disadvantages would be a lower starting salary in a very high cost of living area.  <response>: My recommendation would be to take the federal job. I have been in federal service for 10 years now, and I can tell you that it was the best decision I ever made I worked approx 4 years private sector. As long as you dont seriously screw up, you get raises every year in the form of grade increases until you reach your max in your case a GS 13, and then you get step increases thereafter until youve maxed out at GS13, step 10. Including locality pay for DC, thats 120,000. Not too shabby! Also, like someone else already mentioned, once youre IN federal service, its easy to move around to other agencies or cities of you get bored, or just want a change of scenery. In the private sector, theres always the risk of losing your job on a whim, whether its from the company not doing well financially, or any other BS reason. With federal, it is borderline impossible to lose your job unless you do something so asinine that you deserve to lose it. In the American economy, I choose stabilitysecurity over higher pay any day!! Let me know if you have any questions; happy to help. 