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Updated with current federal pay tables and reference data

Archive year. This is the 2014 GS-2 pay scale. Current year: 2026 GS-2.
$20,217 GS-2 Step 1 base salary (2014)
$25,439 GS-2 Step 10 base salary (2014)
E-3 Private First Class Approximate military equivalent

2014 GS-2 base salary, all 10 steps

This is the nationwide base GS-2 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 $20,217 $777.58 $9.69 -
Step 2 $20,698 $796.08 $9.92 -
Step 3 $21,367 $821.81 $10.24 -
Step 4 $21,934 $843.62 $10.51 -
Step 5 $22,179 $853.04 $10.63 -
Step 6 $22,831 $878.12 $10.94 -
Step 7 $23,483 $903.19 $11.25 -
Step 8 $24,135 $928.27 $11.56 -
Step 9 $24,787 $953.35 $11.88 -
Step 10 $25,439 $978.42 $12.19 -
← GS-1 Calculate GS-2 pay GS-3 →

Who is a GS-2?

Typical role. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.

Minimum qualifications. High school or equivalent, or three months of general experience.

Career progression. Most GS-2 employees advance to GS-3 after one year.

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-2 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area

Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-2 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2014, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.

Locality pay area Adjustment GS-2 Step 1 GS-2 Step 10
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland 35.15% $27,323 $34,381
New York-Newark 28.72% $26,023 $32,745
Houston-The Woodlands 28.71% $26,021 $32,743
Los Angeles-Long Beach 27.16% $25,708 $32,348
Hartford-East Hartford 25.82% $25,437 $32,007
Chicago-Naperville 25.10% $25,291 $31,824
Boston-Worcester-Providence 24.80% $25,231 $31,748
State of Alaska 24.69% $25,209 $31,720
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington 24.22% $25,114 $31,600
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 24.19% $25,107 $31,593
Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor 24.09% $25,087 $31,567
Denver-Aurora 22.52% $24,770 $31,168
Sacramento-Roseville 22.20% $24,705 $31,086
Seattle-Tacoma 21.81% $24,626 $30,987
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden 21.79% $24,622 $30,982
Minneapolis-St. Paul 20.96% $24,454 $30,771
Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale 20.79% $24,420 $30,728
Dallas-Fort Worth 20.67% $24,396 $30,697
Portland-Vancouver-Salem 20.35% $24,331 $30,616
Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs 19.29% $24,117 $30,346
Cleveland-Akron-Canton 18.68% $23,994 $30,191
Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville 18.55% $23,967 $30,158
Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha 18.10% $23,876 $30,043
Raleigh-Durham-Cary 17.64% $23,783 $29,926
Columbus-Marion-Zanesville 17.16% $23,686 $29,804
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean 16.98% $23,650 $29,759
Phoenix-Mesa 16.76% $23,605 $29,703
State of Hawaii 16.51% $23,555 $29,639
Richmond 16.47% $23,547 $29,629
Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton 16.37% $23,527 $29,603
Dayton-Springfield-Kettering 16.24% $23,500 $29,570
Huntsville-Decatur 16.02% $23,456 $29,514
Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie 14.68% $23,185 $29,173
Rest of U.S. 14.16% $23,080 $29,041

Top and bottom GS-2 localities in 2014

Lowest-paying areas

About the GS-2 pay scale

GS-2 is part of the 2014 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.

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-2 questions for 2014

  • What is the starting salary for GS-2 in 2014?
    The base starting salary for GS-2 in 2014 is $20,217 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2014 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.15%), GS-2 Step 1 can reach significantly more.
  • How long does it take to reach GS-2 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-2 to GS-3?
    Promotion from GS-2 to GS-3 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-2 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-3 vacancy. Open the GS-3 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries.
  • What is the military equivalent of GS-2?
    GS-2 is roughly equivalent to E-3 Private First Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.