--- title: "Manage and edit grade structure" description: "Manage your grade structure" canonical_url: "https://support.pave.com/articles/manage-and-edit-grade-structure-ndBXr0TyFn" md_url: "https://support.pave.com/articles/manage-and-edit-grade-structure-ndBXr0TyFn.md" --- # Manage your grade structure ## What is a grade? A grade is a grouping of jobs with the same pay range. Instead of pricing every job on its own, you cluster jobs with similar market values into the same range. Every job in the same grade and pay zone carries the same range values. When you create a band set you choose whether it is a jobs band set, where each job has its own band, or a grades band set, where jobs inherit their range from the grade they are assigned to. ## How grades are identified Every grade has three properties: * **Grade group.** The career track or category the grade belongs to, such as Engineering or G\&A or 15. * **Grade rank.** A number that orders the grades within their group. Required. Used for midpoint progression edits. * **Display name.** What the grade is called in the product, such as Eng - 3. Optional. A grade and rank need to be unique in the band set. That combination has to be unique within the band set. If you leave the display name blank, Pave shows the group and rank instead, formatted as “Engineering - 3”. If you do set a display name, it has to be unique within the band set. Two grades cannot share one. Because group and rank are the identity, changing either one on an existing grade changes which grade it is. Pave blocks the change if another grade already uses the combination you entered. ## Create grades There are two ways to create a grade and assign jobs to a grade. * **While assigning jobs.** Create the grade inline in the assign flow, then assign the selected jobs to it in the same action. Use this for one grade at a time. * **Through a CSV upload.** Every unique grade group and grade rank combination in your file becomes a grade. Use this to build a structure out in one pass, or to create grades and their job associations together. \[Screenshot: the Grades tab showing grades organized by group with their ranks and display names] ## Assign jobs to grades Assigning a job to a grade is what gives it a range. * Select the jobs you want, choose **Assign to grade**, and pick an existing grade or create a new one by naming its group and rank. * Before the assignment is applied, Pave shows you how many employees it affects. When you are assigning to a grade that already exists, you also see what the range values are and what the cost of moving those jobs onto its range. * Once saved, the job will move to a different grade. \[Screenshot: the assign to grade panel showing the employees impacted and cost preview] ## Upload job to grade associations The band upload can associate many jobs to grades at once, and the same file can create the jobs, create the grades, and associate them together in a single pass. Open the band set, select the upload icon in the toolbar, and choose what you are uploading. A grades band set offers four options: You can check more than one. Your selection controls which columns appear in the template. For moving jobs between existing grades, use an “Updates to” option, because the export comes back with the correct `gradeID` and `bandID` values already in it. The general upload mechanics, including how the template arrives and what happens when a file fails, are covered in Upload bands with a CSV. The rest of this section covers what is specific to grades. ### The grade columns ### How rows are matched to grades Matching is ID first. **A row with a** `gradeID` is matched to that exact grade. Any group name or rank on the same row is discarded, because the grade is already identified. This is why editing the group or rank on a row that carries a `gradeID` has no effect. **A row with a blank** `gradeID` is matched on group name plus rank. If that combination does not exist yet, the grade is created. This is how you create grades in bulk. Group name and rank have to be filled in together or left blank together. ### Creating jobs and their grades in one pass For a job that does not exist yet, leave `bandID` and `gradeID` blank, fill in the job columns and HRIS matchers, and add the grade group name and rank. ``` function,family,ladder,track,rank,level,payzone,hrisTitle,gradeGroupName,gradeRank Engineering,Backend,Backend - IC,IC,1,P1,Austin,Software Engineer I,Engineering,1 Engineering,Backend,Backend - IC,IC,2,P2,Austin,Software Engineer II,Engineering,2 ``` That file creates both jobs, creates the Engineering grades at ranks 1 and 2, and associates each job to its grade. ### Grade errors in the report * Grade group and grade rank must either both be provided or both be blank * Grade ID must be a valid ID, and must exist in this band set * A job and its grade must be in the same pay zone * Each job can only be assigned to one grade per upload * Rows for the same group and rank must use the same display name, or all leave it blank * One display name must map to a single group and rank combination * Rows for the same job must all reference the same grade, or all leave the grade columns blank ## Edit a grade Open the grade and change its display name, group, or rank. Two rules apply: * A display name has to be unique within the band set. * The new group and rank combination has to be free. If another grade already uses it, the change is blocked. ## Rename or delete a grade group Renaming a grade group renames it across every grade in it. The new name has to be free, so you cannot rename a group onto one that already exists. Merge two groups by moving their grades instead. Deleting a grade group deletes the group and every grade in it. The jobs that were assigned to those grades become unassigned and lose their ranges. ## Delete grades Deleting a grade removes it along with its range values and its job assignments. The jobs themselves are not deleted, they become unassigned and have no range until you assign them. ## Audit Log * Grades created, changed, and deleted are written to the band set’s audit log.