2015 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2015 is $42,399 at Step 1, rising to $55,116 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-9 for 2015.
2015 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2015.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $42,399 | $1,630.73 | $20.32 | - |
| Step 2 | $43,812 | $1,685.08 | $20.99 | - |
| Step 3 | $45,225 | $1,739.42 | $21.67 | - |
| Step 4 | $46,638 | $1,793.77 | $22.35 | - |
| Step 5 | $48,051 | $1,848.12 | $23.02 | - |
| Step 6 | $49,464 | $1,902.46 | $23.70 | - |
| Step 7 | $50,877 | $1,956.81 | $24.38 | - |
| Step 8 | $52,290 | $2,011.15 | $25.06 | - |
| Step 9 | $53,703 | $2,065.50 | $25.73 | - |
| Step 10 | $55,116 | $2,119.85 | $26.41 | - |
2015 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $42,399 | $1,630.73 | $20.32 | - |
| Step 2 | $43,812 | $1,685.08 | $20.99 | - |
| Step 3 | $45,225 | $1,739.42 | $21.67 | - |
| Step 4 | $46,638 | $1,793.77 | $22.35 | - |
| Step 5 | $48,051 | $1,848.12 | $23.02 | - |
| Step 6 | $49,464 | $1,902.46 | $23.70 | - |
| Step 7 | $50,877 | $1,956.81 | $24.38 | - |
| Step 8 | $52,290 | $2,011.15 | $25.06 | - |
| Step 9 | $53,703 | $2,065.50 | $25.73 | - |
| Step 10 | $55,116 | $2,119.85 | $26.41 | - |
Who is a GS-9?
Typical role. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT specialists.
Minimum qualifications. A master's degree or equivalent graduate education, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Career progression. Career-ladder promotion to GS-11 after one year of specialized GS-9 experience.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-9 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-9 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2015, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 35.15% | $57,302 | $74,489 |
| New York-Newark | 28.72% | $54,576 | $70,945 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 28.71% | $54,572 | $70,940 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 27.16% | $53,915 | $70,086 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 25.82% | $53,346 | $69,347 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 25.10% | $53,041 | $68,950 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 24.80% | $52,914 | $68,785 |
| State of Alaska | 24.69% | $52,867 | $68,724 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 24.22% | $52,668 | $68,465 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 24.19% | $52,655 | $68,449 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 24.09% | $52,613 | $68,393 |
| Denver-Aurora | 22.52% | $51,947 | $67,528 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 22.20% | $51,812 | $67,352 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 21.81% | $51,646 | $67,137 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 21.79% | $51,638 | $67,126 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 20.96% | $51,286 | $66,668 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 20.79% | $51,214 | $66,575 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 20.67% | $51,163 | $66,508 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 20.35% | $51,027 | $66,332 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 19.29% | $50,578 | $65,748 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 18.68% | $50,319 | $65,412 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 18.55% | $50,264 | $65,340 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 18.10% | $50,073 | $65,092 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 17.64% | $49,878 | $64,838 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 17.16% | $49,675 | $64,574 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 16.98% | $49,598 | $64,475 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 16.76% | $49,505 | $64,353 |
| State of Hawaii | 16.51% | $49,399 | $64,216 |
| Richmond | 16.47% | $49,382 | $64,194 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 16.37% | $49,340 | $64,138 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 16.24% | $49,285 | $64,067 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 16.02% | $49,191 | $63,946 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 14.68% | $48,623 | $63,207 |
| Rest of U.S. | 14.16% | $48,403 | $62,920 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2015
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2015 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT specialists.
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-9 questions for 2015
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2015?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2015 is $42,399 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2015 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.15%), GS-9 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-9 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-9 to GS-10?
Promotion from GS-9 to GS-10 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-10 vacancy. Open the GS-10 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-9?
GS-9 is roughly equivalent to O-3 Captain. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.