NJ Civil Service Navigator

Titles You Can Be Hired at Step 9

The NJ Civil Service titles eligible to be hired up to Step 9 on initial appointment under the FY2026 Compensation Compendium Section 3 incentive program — health care and IT titles. Full list with salary ranges.

Section 3 of the FY2026 Compensation Compendium ("Special Incentive Salary Programs") lets a state appointing authority hire a qualified candidate up to an advanced salary step (usually Step 9) on initial appointment, without prior approval from the CSC Chair and the OMB Director. Eligibility does not guarantee that step; the agency sets the actual starting salary. 105 titles are on the FY2026 incentive list.

Health Care Titles (56)

Information Processing Titles (49)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NJ Compensation Compendium Section 3 incentive program?

Section 3 of the FY2026 Compensation Compendium ("Special Incentive Salary Programs") lets a state appointing authority hire a qualified new or current employee up to an advanced salary step — usually Step 9 — on initial appointment, without first getting approval from the Civil Service Commission Chair and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. It applies to titles the State considers hard to recruit and retain.

Which titles can be hired up to Step 9?

The Compendium lists specific health care titles (nursing, therapy, dental, psychology, etc.) and information processing titles (software development, data, network, and IT analyst roles). Most are eligible up to Step 9; a few health care titles are capped at Step 6 or 7. The full list is on this page.

Does being on the list guarantee I get hired at Step 9?

No. Eligibility means the appointing authority CAN start you above the minimum step without special approval — up to the listed maximum. The agency still decides your actual starting step based on your qualifications and its hiring needs.

Why does this matter for job seekers and hiring managers?

For candidates, it means a meaningfully higher starting salary is possible in these titles — the difference between Step 1 and Step 9 can be thousands of dollars a year. For hiring managers, it is a tool to make competitive offers quickly for in-demand roles without a lengthy approval process.

Official source: FY 2026 Compensation Compendium, Section 3. Explore the full Compensation Compendium or browse incentive titles in search.