paygrade

above (one's) pay grade

1. The responsibility of those who are of a higher authority than oneself, denoted by the level of pay that one receives in comparison to one's superiors. All these questions you're asking are above your pay grade. He had some great ideas about how to run the company, but contributing such things was above his pay grade.
2. Above or beyond one's general skill, knowledge, ability, or willingness to participate. He soon realized that the details of the IT development project were a bit above his pay grade. Sorry, fishing garbage out of the lake is above my pay grade.
See also: above, grade, pay

beyond (one's) pay grade

1. The responsibility of those who are of a higher authority than oneself, denoted by the level of pay which one receives in comparison to one's superiors. All these questions you're asking are beyond your pay grade. He had some great ideas about how to run the company, but contributing such things was beyond his pay grade.
2. Above or beyond one's skill, knowledge, ability, or willingness to participate. He soon realized that the details of the IT development project were a bit beyond his pay grade. Sorry, fishing garbage out of the lake is beyond my pay grade.
See also: beyond, grade, pay
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • above (one's) pay grade
  • beyond (one's) pay grade
  • grade
  • wash (one's) hands of (someone or something)
  • wash hands of
  • wash one's hands of
  • wash your hands of
  • wash your hands of somebody/something
  • wash your hands of something/someone
  • put (one's) head on the block
References in periodicals archive
(10.) In the military, there are nine enlisted paygrades (E 1-E9); E1s are the most junior, E9s the most senior.
It said that pending the completion of his paygrade determination and retirement, Mr Toussaint had been removed from his current leadership position and reassigned to administrative duties at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Virginia, US, where he will not be in a position of leadership.
The end result of all of this turbulence is NCOs performing jobs one or two paygrades above their rank.
As to whether such a deal might not go through anyway, Moonves quipped that such a decision was above his paygrade. "You'll have to talk to Mel about that.
9, Unwanted Sex/Gender-Related Experiences by Paygrade of the Target (charting the higher levels of sexually harassing behaviors experienced by junior enlisted personnel as opposed to senior enlisted and officers); id.
SHs were identified in these specialty areas in paygrade as SH3 and above.
To hear Nagy tell it, he didn't even know at halftime of the Minnesota game what the options were, so perhaps the decision was made for him and above his paygrade.
Politis said that as a result of the promotion, the civil servant got a bump in his paygrade, despite the fact that he produced no work in his new position during his last two weeks, as during this time he was on pre-retirement leave.
(33) It can adjudge, within the limits prescribed for each offense, a wide range of punishments to include confinement, reprimand, forfeitures of up to all pay and allowances, reduction to the lowest enlisted paygrade, punitive discharge (bad conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge or dismissal), restriction, fines and, for certain offenses, death.
Marte, who recently was meritoriously advanced a paygrade to second class petty officer, said that even though she wasn't born in the United States, she's considered New York City to be her home since moving there from the Dominican Republic in 1991, at 14, with her family.
You have not merely been promoted a paygrade, you have joined an exclusive fellowship and, as in all fellowships, you have a special responsibility to your comrades, even as they have a special responsibility to you.
For example, an O-4, with an average skill level and proficiency for his paygrade and a 2 risk value, leading the nugget with a 5 risk value, results in an overall 7 risk value for that element.
Officers designated as Naval Aviators or active duty Naval Flight Officers at or below 0-6 paygrade; qualified to perform operational flying duty; and having less than 24 years aviation service were eligible.