pay grade

noun

: a level of compensation for work especially when understood to reflect responsibility and authority

"People listen to you regardless of your pay grade," a Goldman managing director told me. "There is a real respect for the individual voice."

—John Cassidy

—often used figuratively

The unanswerable questions ascend into the skies, far above your pay grade, whatever it may be.

—Robert W. Lucky

Unfortunately … he appears to think the task of community development is below his pay grade.

—Faith Bautista

No one will read this book and come away wondering if steroids really work. Oh, they work. They bump a competitor up a whole pay grade—from finishing in the middle of the pack in the final heat to breaking the tape and collecting the winner's bonus.

—Michael Sokolove

Examples of pay grade in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Above my pay grade, but at what point do schools and coaches say enough is enough? —Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 23 Jan. 2026

That one is above my pay grade. —Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 19 Jan. 2026

This is all well above the figurative pay grade of Dunk, a simple, hulking youth who grew up squiring for Ser Arlan of Pennytree (Danny Webb). —Judy Berman, Time, 13 Jan. 2026

President Masoud Pezeshkian has no real solutions as the country’s problems are well above his pay grade and lie with the supreme leader and the structure of the system. —Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pay grade

• afraid
• allayed
• arcade
• arrayed
• assayed
• barmaid
• betrayed
• blockade
• bridesmaid
• brigade
• brocade
• buffeted