1) I was offered a job with the USDS (well, the VA's in-agency team) and I don't have a degree.
2) The max was 155k, but I couldn't make the finances work to relocate from SF with my family... and 155k wasn't enough to support our family comfortably in DC (even living in northern VA).
It's funny that when people here actually look at the salaries being paid to government employees they find them low yet articles here discussing government spending as it relates to how much public servants get paid is typically met with derision at how "over paid" government employees are.
Anyone seriously considering this should also look at living in Baltimore and taking the commuter train into DC cost of living is much lower.
2) The max was 155k, but I couldn't make the finances work to relocate from SF with my family... and 155k wasn't enough to support our family comfortably in DC (even living in northern VA).