- 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.
- a grade on any pay or salary scale: Advancement to a higher pay grade will depend on your job performance.
- to be above one’s level of ability, skill, knowledge, or authority: To be honest, that subject is way above my pay grade.It’s beyond this court’s pay grade to alter the doctrine.
