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Updated with current federal pay tables and reference data

Archive year. This is the 2014 GS-1 pay scale. Current year: 2026 GS-1.
$17,981 GS-1 Step 1 base salary (2014)
$22,494 GS-1 Step 10 base salary (2014)
E-2 Private Second Class Approximate military equivalent

2014 GS-1 base salary, all 10 steps

This is the nationwide base GS-1 salary schedule for 2014, before any locality adjustment. It shows annual salary, biweekly pay and hourly rate for every step.

Step Annual salary Biweekly pay Hourly rate Notes
Step 1 $17,981 $691.58 $8.62 -
Step 2 $18,582 $714.69 $8.90 -
Step 3 $19,180 $737.69 $9.19 -
Step 4 $19,775 $760.58 $9.48 -
Step 5 $20,373 $783.58 $9.76 -
Step 6 $20,724 $797.08 $9.93 -
Step 7 $21,315 $819.81 $10.21 -
Step 8 $21,911 $842.73 $10.50 -
Step 9 $21,934 $843.62 $10.51 -
Step 10 $22,494 $865.15 $10.78 -
Calculate GS-1 pay GS-2 →

Who is a GS-1?

Typical role. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.

Minimum qualifications. No formal education or experience required. Generally filled by workers with basic literacy and ability to follow simple instructions.

Career progression. Promotion to GS-2 typically follows one year of satisfactory service.

Step-increase waiting periods

Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.

  • Step 1 → Step 2 52 weeks
  • Step 2 → Step 3 52 weeks
  • Step 3 → Step 4 52 weeks
  • Step 4 → Step 5 104 weeks
  • Step 5 → Step 6 104 weeks
  • Step 6 → Step 7 104 weeks
  • Step 7 → Step 8 156 weeks
  • Step 8 → Step 9 156 weeks
  • Step 9 → Step 10 156 weeks

GS-1 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area

Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-1 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2014, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.

Locality pay area Adjustment GS-1 Step 1 GS-1 Step 10
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland 35.15% $24,301 $30,401
New York-Newark 28.72% $23,145 $28,954
Houston-The Woodlands 28.71% $23,143 $28,952
Los Angeles-Long Beach 27.16% $22,865 $28,603
Hartford-East Hartford 25.82% $22,624 $28,302
Chicago-Naperville 25.10% $22,494 $28,140
Boston-Worcester-Providence 24.80% $22,440 $28,073
State of Alaska 24.69% $22,421 $28,048
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington 24.22% $22,336 $27,942
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 24.19% $22,331 $27,935
Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor 24.09% $22,313 $27,913
Denver-Aurora 22.52% $22,030 $27,560
Sacramento-Roseville 22.20% $21,973 $27,488
Seattle-Tacoma 21.81% $21,903 $27,400
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden 21.79% $21,899 $27,395
Minneapolis-St. Paul 20.96% $21,750 $27,209
Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale 20.79% $21,719 $27,171
Dallas-Fort Worth 20.67% $21,698 $27,144
Portland-Vancouver-Salem 20.35% $21,640 $27,072
Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs 19.29% $21,450 $26,833
Cleveland-Akron-Canton 18.68% $21,340 $26,696
Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville 18.55% $21,316 $26,667
Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha 18.10% $21,236 $26,565
Raleigh-Durham-Cary 17.64% $21,153 $26,462
Columbus-Marion-Zanesville 17.16% $21,067 $26,354
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean 16.98% $21,034 $26,313
Phoenix-Mesa 16.76% $20,995 $26,264
State of Hawaii 16.51% $20,950 $26,208
Richmond 16.47% $20,942 $26,199
Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton 16.37% $20,924 $26,176
Dayton-Springfield-Kettering 16.24% $20,901 $26,147
Huntsville-Decatur 16.02% $20,862 $26,098
Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie 14.68% $20,621 $25,796
Rest of U.S. 14.16% $20,527 $25,679

Top and bottom GS-1 localities in 2014

Lowest-paying areas

About the GS-1 pay scale

GS-1 is part of the 2014 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.

How step increases work

Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable. You move from Step 1 to Step 4 one year at a time, from Step 4 to Step 7 every two years, and from Step 7 to Step 10 every three years. Managers can award a one-time quality step increase (QSI) to accelerate progression for employees whose performance is rated outstanding.

Browse other grades in 2014

GS-1 questions for 2014

  • What is the starting salary for GS-1 in 2014?
    The base starting salary for GS-1 in 2014 is $17,981 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2014 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.15%), GS-1 Step 1 can reach significantly more.
  • How long does it take to reach GS-1 Step 10?
    If you never get a quality step increase, it takes roughly 18 years to move from Step 1 to Step 10. Steps 1-4 take one year each, Steps 5-7 take two years each, and Steps 8-10 take three years each. A quality step increase can shorten that timeline by one year per QSI.
  • How do I get promoted from GS-1 to GS-2?
    Promotion from GS-1 to GS-2 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-1 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-2 vacancy. Open the GS-2 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries.
  • What is the military equivalent of GS-1?
    GS-1 is roughly equivalent to E-2 Private Second Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.