The Federal Wage System (FWS) is a uniform pay-setting system that covers Federal appropriated fund and nonappropriated fund blue-collar employees who are paid by the hour. The purpose of FWS is to ensure Federal trade, craft, and laboring employees within a local wage area who perform the same duties receive the same rate of pay. Under FWS, your pay will be the same as the pay for other Federal jobs like yours in your wage area, and your pay will be in line with pay for private-sector jobs like yours in your wage area.