2016 GS-11 Pay Scale
The GS-11 base salary range for 2016 is $51,811 at Step 1, rising to $67,354 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 2016.
2016 GS-11 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-11 rates for 2016.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $51,811 | $1,992.73 | $24.83 | - |
| Step 2 | $53,538 | $2,059.15 | $25.65 | - |
| Step 3 | $55,265 | $2,125.58 | $26.48 | - |
| Step 4 | $56,992 | $2,192.00 | $27.31 | - |
| Step 5 | $58,719 | $2,258.42 | $28.14 | - |
| Step 6 | $60,446 | $2,324.85 | $28.96 | - |
| Step 7 | $62,173 | $2,391.27 | $29.79 | - |
| Step 8 | $63,900 | $2,457.69 | $30.62 | - |
| Step 9 | $65,627 | $2,524.12 | $31.45 | - |
| Step 10 | $67,354 | $2,590.54 | $32.27 | - |
2016 GS-11 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-11 salary schedule for 2016, 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 | $51,811 | $1,992.73 | $24.83 | - |
| Step 2 | $53,538 | $2,059.15 | $25.65 | - |
| Step 3 | $55,265 | $2,125.58 | $26.48 | - |
| Step 4 | $56,992 | $2,192.00 | $27.31 | - |
| Step 5 | $58,719 | $2,258.42 | $28.14 | - |
| Step 6 | $60,446 | $2,324.85 | $28.96 | - |
| Step 7 | $62,173 | $2,391.27 | $29.79 | - |
| Step 8 | $63,900 | $2,457.69 | $30.62 | - |
| Step 9 | $65,627 | $2,524.12 | $31.45 | - |
| Step 10 | $67,354 | $2,590.54 | $32.27 | - |
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 2016, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-11 Step 1 | GS-11 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 35.75% | $70,333 | $91,433 |
| New York-Newark | 29.20% | $66,940 | $87,021 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 29.11% | $66,893 | $86,961 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 27.65% | $66,137 | $85,977 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 26.20% | $65,385 | $85,001 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 25.44% | $64,992 | $84,489 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 25.19% | $64,862 | $84,320 |
| State of Alaska | 25.16% | $64,847 | $84,300 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 24.78% | $64,650 | $84,044 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 24.73% | $64,624 | $84,011 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 24.40% | $64,453 | $83,788 |
| Denver-Aurora | 22.93% | $63,691 | $82,798 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 22.61% | $63,525 | $82,583 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 22.26% | $63,344 | $82,347 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 22.22% | $63,323 | $82,320 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 21.30% | $62,847 | $81,700 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 21.05% | $62,717 | $81,532 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 21.04% | $62,712 | $81,525 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 20.69% | $62,531 | $81,290 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 19.58% | $61,956 | $80,542 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 18.87% | $61,588 | $80,064 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 18.76% | $61,531 | $79,990 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 18.39% | $61,339 | $79,740 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 17.94% | $61,106 | $79,437 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 17.41% | $60,831 | $79,080 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 17.31% | $60,779 | $79,013 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 17.12% | $60,681 | $78,885 |
| State of Hawaii | 16.81% | $60,520 | $78,676 |
| Richmond | 16.76% | $60,495 | $78,643 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 16.68% | $60,453 | $78,589 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 16.50% | $60,360 | $78,467 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 16.37% | $60,292 | $78,380 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 14.92% | $59,541 | $77,403 |
| Laredo | 14.59% | $59,370 | $77,181 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 14.55% | $59,350 | $77,154 |
| Colorado Springs | 14.52% | $59,334 | $77,134 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 14.51% | $59,329 | $77,127 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 14.51% | $59,329 | $77,127 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 14.49% | $59,318 | $77,114 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 14.49% | $59,318 | $77,114 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 14.49% | $59,318 | $77,114 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 14.47% | $59,308 | $77,100 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 14.44% | $59,293 | $77,080 |
| Davenport-Moline | 14.43% | $59,287 | $77,073 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 14.42% | $59,282 | $77,066 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 14.37% | $59,256 | $77,033 |
| Rest of U.S. | 14.35% | $59,246 | $77,019 |
Top and bottom GS-11 localities in 2016
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-11 pay scale
GS-11 is part of the 2016 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 2016
GS-11 questions for 2016
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What is the starting salary for GS-11 in 2016?
The base starting salary for GS-11 in 2016 is $51,811 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2016 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.75%), 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.