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Updated with current federal pay tables and reference data

Archive year. This is the 2014 GS-13 pay scale. Current year: 2026 GS-13.
$72,391 GS-13 Step 1 base salary (2014)
$94,108 GS-13 Step 10 base salary (2014)
O-5 Lieutenant Colonel Approximate military equivalent

2014 GS-13 base salary, all 10 steps

This is the nationwide base GS-13 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 $72,391 $2,784.27 $34.69 -
Step 2 $74,804 $2,877.08 $35.84 -
Step 3 $77,217 $2,969.88 $37.00 -
Step 4 $79,630 $3,062.69 $38.16 -
Step 5 $82,043 $3,155.50 $39.31 -
Step 6 $84,456 $3,248.31 $40.47 -
Step 7 $86,869 $3,341.12 $41.62 -
Step 8 $89,282 $3,433.92 $42.78 -
Step 9 $91,695 $3,526.73 $43.94 -
Step 10 $94,108 $3,619.54 $45.09 -
← GS-12 Calculate GS-13 pay GS-14 →

Who is a GS-13?

Typical role. Senior specialists, first-line supervisors and subject-matter experts. Many IT, acquisition, legal and program-manager roles live at GS-13.

Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level.

Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-14 requires a GS-14 vacancy, often with supervisory responsibilities.

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-13 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area

Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-13 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2014, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.

Locality pay area Adjustment GS-13 Step 1 GS-13 Step 10
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland 35.15% $97,836 $127,187
New York-Newark 28.72% $93,182 $121,136
Houston-The Woodlands 28.71% $93,174 $121,126
Los Angeles-Long Beach 27.16% $92,052 $119,668
Hartford-East Hartford 25.82% $91,082 $118,407
Chicago-Naperville 25.10% $90,561 $117,729
Boston-Worcester-Providence 24.80% $90,344 $117,447
State of Alaska 24.69% $90,264 $117,343
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington 24.22% $89,924 $116,901
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 24.19% $89,902 $116,873
Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor 24.09% $89,830 $116,779
Denver-Aurora 22.52% $88,693 $115,301
Sacramento-Roseville 22.20% $88,462 $115,000
Seattle-Tacoma 21.81% $88,179 $114,633
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden 21.79% $88,165 $114,614
Minneapolis-St. Paul 20.96% $87,564 $113,833
Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale 20.79% $87,441 $113,673
Dallas-Fort Worth 20.67% $87,354 $113,560
Portland-Vancouver-Salem 20.35% $87,123 $113,259
Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs 19.29% $86,355 $112,261
Cleveland-Akron-Canton 18.68% $85,914 $111,687
Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville 18.55% $85,820 $111,565
Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha 18.10% $85,494 $111,142
Raleigh-Durham-Cary 17.64% $85,161 $110,709
Columbus-Marion-Zanesville 17.16% $84,813 $110,257
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean 16.98% $84,683 $110,088
Phoenix-Mesa 16.76% $84,524 $109,881
State of Hawaii 16.51% $84,343 $109,645
Richmond 16.47% $84,314 $109,608
Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton 16.37% $84,241 $109,513
Dayton-Springfield-Kettering 16.24% $84,147 $109,391
Huntsville-Decatur 16.02% $83,988 $109,184
Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie 14.68% $83,018 $107,923
Rest of U.S. 14.16% $82,642 $107,434

Top and bottom GS-13 localities in 2014

Lowest-paying areas

About the GS-13 pay scale

GS-13 is part of the 2014 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior specialists, first-line supervisors and subject-matter experts. Many IT, acquisition, legal and program-manager roles live at GS-13.

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-13 questions for 2014

  • What is the starting salary for GS-13 in 2014?
    The base starting salary for GS-13 in 2014 is $72,391 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2014 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.15%), GS-13 Step 1 can reach significantly more.
  • How long does it take to reach GS-13 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-13 to GS-14?
    Promotion from GS-13 to GS-14 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-14 vacancy. Open the GS-14 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries.
  • What is the military equivalent of GS-13?
    GS-13 is roughly equivalent to O-5 Lieutenant Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.