2015 GS-11 Pay Scale
The GS-11 base salary range for 2015 is $51,298 at Step 1, rising to $66,688 at Step 10. Add the locality pay adjustment for your duty station on top. This page shows the base table first, then every locality-adjusted version of GS-11 for 2015.
2015 GS-11 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-11 rates for 2015.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $51,298 | $1,973.00 | $24.58 | - |
| Step 2 | $53,008 | $2,038.77 | $25.40 | - |
| Step 3 | $54,718 | $2,104.54 | $26.22 | - |
| Step 4 | $56,428 | $2,170.31 | $27.04 | - |
| Step 5 | $58,138 | $2,236.08 | $27.86 | - |
| Step 6 | $59,848 | $2,301.85 | $28.68 | - |
| Step 7 | $61,558 | $2,367.62 | $29.50 | - |
| Step 8 | $63,268 | $2,433.38 | $30.32 | - |
| Step 9 | $64,978 | $2,499.15 | $31.13 | - |
| Step 10 | $66,688 | $2,564.92 | $31.95 | - |
2015 GS-11 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-11 salary schedule for 2015, 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 | $51,298 | $1,973.00 | $24.58 | - |
| Step 2 | $53,008 | $2,038.77 | $25.40 | - |
| Step 3 | $54,718 | $2,104.54 | $26.22 | - |
| Step 4 | $56,428 | $2,170.31 | $27.04 | - |
| Step 5 | $58,138 | $2,236.08 | $27.86 | - |
| Step 6 | $59,848 | $2,301.85 | $28.68 | - |
| Step 7 | $61,558 | $2,367.62 | $29.50 | - |
| Step 8 | $63,268 | $2,433.38 | $30.32 | - |
| Step 9 | $64,978 | $2,499.15 | $31.13 | - |
| Step 10 | $66,688 | $2,564.92 | $31.95 | - |
Who is a GS-11?
Typical role. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
Minimum qualifications. A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level.
Career progression. Typical career ladder peak for entry-level hires; competitive promotion to GS-12 requires vacancy and supervisory selection.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-11 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-11 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2015, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-11 Step 1 | GS-11 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 35.15% | $69,329 | $90,129 |
| New York-Newark | 28.72% | $66,031 | $85,841 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 28.71% | $66,026 | $85,834 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 27.16% | $65,231 | $84,800 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 25.82% | $64,543 | $83,907 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 25.10% | $64,174 | $83,427 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 24.80% | $64,020 | $83,227 |
| State of Alaska | 24.69% | $63,963 | $83,153 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 24.22% | $63,722 | $82,840 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 24.19% | $63,707 | $82,820 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 24.09% | $63,656 | $82,753 |
| Denver-Aurora | 22.52% | $62,850 | $81,706 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 22.20% | $62,686 | $81,493 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 21.81% | $62,486 | $81,233 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 21.79% | $62,476 | $81,219 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 20.96% | $62,050 | $80,666 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 20.79% | $61,963 | $80,552 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 20.67% | $61,901 | $80,472 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 20.35% | $61,737 | $80,259 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 19.29% | $61,193 | $79,552 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 18.68% | $60,880 | $79,145 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 18.55% | $60,814 | $79,059 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 18.10% | $60,583 | $78,759 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 17.64% | $60,347 | $78,452 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 17.16% | $60,101 | $78,132 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 16.98% | $60,008 | $78,012 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 16.76% | $59,896 | $77,865 |
| State of Hawaii | 16.51% | $59,767 | $77,698 |
| Richmond | 16.47% | $59,747 | $77,672 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 16.37% | $59,695 | $77,605 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 16.24% | $59,629 | $77,518 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 16.02% | $59,516 | $77,371 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 14.68% | $58,829 | $76,478 |
| Rest of U.S. | 14.16% | $58,562 | $76,131 |
Top and bottom GS-11 localities in 2015
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-11 pay scale
GS-11 is part of the 2015 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
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 2015
GS-11 questions for 2015
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What is the starting salary for GS-11 in 2015?
The base starting salary for GS-11 in 2015 is $51,298 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2015 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.15%), GS-11 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-11 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-11 to GS-12?
Promotion from GS-11 to GS-12 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-12 vacancy. Open the GS-12 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-11?
GS-11 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.