How the General Schedule (GS) Pay Scale Works
Most white-collar federal employees are paid on the General Schedule. Here is how grades, steps and locality pay combine to set your salary, and how you move up over time.
If you work for, or want to work for, the federal government in a professional, administrative, technical or clerical role, your pay is most likely set by the General Schedule, usually called the GS. It covers the majority of white-collar federal civilian employees. Once you understand its three building blocks, grade, step and locality, any federal salary becomes easy to read.
Building block 1: the grade
The General Schedule has 15 grades, from GS-1 to GS-15. The grade is attached to the job, not the person. It reflects how difficult the work is, how much responsibility it carries, and the qualifications it requires.
Many professional and administrative jobs list the grade an applicant can qualify for based on education. For many positions:
| Education | Typical entry grade |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | GS-5 |
| Bachelor's with superior academic achievement, or one year of graduate study | GS-7 |
| Master's degree, or two years of graduate study | GS-9 |
| PhD, or three years of graduate study | GS-11 |
Experience can qualify you for the same grades, and every job announcement spells out its own requirements.
Above GS-15, senior leaders are generally in the Senior Executive Service, which has a separate pay system.
Building block 2: the step
Each grade has 10 steps. A new employee usually starts at step 1 of the grade, although agencies can sometimes set a higher step to recruit people with superior qualifications.
You move up steps through within-grade increases. With performance at an acceptable level, the waiting periods are:
| Moving up to | Waiting period for each step |
|---|---|
| Steps 2, 3 and 4 | 52 weeks |
| Steps 5, 6 and 7 | 104 weeks |
| Steps 8, 9 and 10 | 156 weeks |
Added together, moving from step 1 to step 10 takes 18 years. Agencies can also award a quality step increase, an extra step for outstanding performance.
Building block 3: locality pay
Base GS pay is the same nationwide, but very few people are paid only the base rate. Locality pay adds a percentage on top, which differs by geographic area to reflect local pay levels outside the government.
Each locality pay area has its own pay table. Places that are not part of a defined locality area receive the Rest of U.S. rate. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publishes all the tables each year.
Federal pay, including locality pay, is subject to a cap tied to the Executive Schedule, which can limit pay at the top of the higher grades in some areas.
Putting it together
To find a salary, you need three facts: the grade, the step and the locality. Open the OPM pay table for the year and the locality, find the row for the grade, and read across to the step. That figure is the annual salary.
For example, a job advertised as "GS-9" in a particular city will show a range in the job announcement. The low end is usually step 1 of GS-9 in that locality, and the high end is step 10.
How GS pay changes over time
Your pay grows in three ways:
- Annual adjustments. An across-the-board raise, often with a separate locality component, usually takes effect in the first full pay period of January.
- Step increases. Within-grade increases as described above.
- Promotions. Moving to a higher grade, either through a career ladder built into your position or by applying for a higher-graded job. A promotion places you at the step in the new grade that gives you at least a set increase over your current pay.
The bottom line
A GS salary is grade plus step plus locality. Check the job announcement for the grade range, look up the current OPM table for the location, and you will know exactly what a federal job pays today and where it can take you.
Frequently asked questions
How many grades and steps are in the GS pay scale?
There are 15 grades, from GS-1 to GS-15, and 10 steps within each grade. Grades reflect the difficulty and responsibility of the position; steps reward time in the grade and acceptable performance.
How long does it take to move up a step?
Under the normal within-grade increase rules, employees wait 52 weeks for each of the increases to steps 2, 3 and 4; 104 weeks for steps 5, 6 and 7; and 156 weeks for steps 8, 9 and 10. Performance must be at an acceptable level.
What is locality pay?
Locality pay is an additional percentage added to GS base pay that varies by geographic area, reflecting differences in non-federal pay. Areas not covered by a specific locality get the Rest of U.S. rate. OPM publishes the locality tables each year.
When do federal pay raises take effect?
Annual GS pay adjustments typically take effect on the first day of the first full pay period in January. The amount is set each year through the federal budget process and an executive order.