The following are general observations.  For details specific to your job, check with the human resources/personnel department for the agency that you want to work for.

Salary

 A major concern of a private industry job seeker is the salary.  For the majority of government jobs, the salary is set and non-negotiable.  Further, there are typically multiple salary levels that you can reach once you pass probation and with an established time period on the job. (usually a year). 

 You’ll find that with a number of agencies, the salaries for entry level and working level jobs are higher than for similar jobs in private industry.  This may be especially true for agencies that have unionized labor.  Salaries for management and executive management jobs are typically lower that similar jobs in private industry.  Further, there are seldom bonuses for management and executive management positions.  The trade off is a defined benefit retirement plan often with annual cost of living increases and typically some level of healthcare..