2016 GS-14 Pay Scale
The GS-14 base salary range for 2016 is $87,263 at Step 1, rising to $113,444 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-14 for 2016.
2016 GS-14 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-14 rates for 2016.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $87,263 | $3,356.27 | $41.81 | - |
| Step 2 | $90,172 | $3,468.15 | $43.21 | - |
| Step 3 | $93,081 | $3,580.04 | $44.60 | - |
| Step 4 | $95,990 | $3,691.92 | $45.99 | - |
| Step 5 | $98,899 | $3,803.81 | $47.39 | - |
| Step 6 | $101,808 | $3,915.69 | $48.78 | - |
| Step 7 | $104,717 | $4,027.58 | $50.18 | - |
| Step 8 | $107,626 | $4,139.46 | $51.57 | - |
| Step 9 | $110,535 | $4,251.35 | $52.96 | - |
| Step 10 | $113,444 | $4,363.23 | $54.36 | - |
2016 GS-14 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-14 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 | $87,263 | $3,356.27 | $41.81 | - |
| Step 2 | $90,172 | $3,468.15 | $43.21 | - |
| Step 3 | $93,081 | $3,580.04 | $44.60 | - |
| Step 4 | $95,990 | $3,691.92 | $45.99 | - |
| Step 5 | $98,899 | $3,803.81 | $47.39 | - |
| Step 6 | $101,808 | $3,915.69 | $48.78 | - |
| Step 7 | $104,717 | $4,027.58 | $50.18 | - |
| Step 8 | $107,626 | $4,139.46 | $51.57 | - |
| Step 9 | $110,535 | $4,251.35 | $52.96 | - |
| Step 10 | $113,444 | $4,363.23 | $54.36 | - |
Who is a GS-14?
Typical role. Supervisory managers, senior program leads and senior technical experts. Many agency branch chiefs sit at GS-14.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-15 is selective; many GS-14 employees reach this grade as a career peak.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-14 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-14 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2016, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-14 Step 1 | GS-14 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 35.75% | $118,460 | $154,000 |
| New York-Newark | 29.20% | $112,744 | $146,570 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 29.11% | $112,665 | $146,468 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 27.65% | $111,391 | $144,811 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 26.20% | $110,126 | $143,166 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 25.44% | $109,463 | $142,304 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 25.19% | $109,245 | $142,021 |
| State of Alaska | 25.16% | $109,218 | $141,987 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 24.78% | $108,887 | $141,555 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 24.73% | $108,843 | $141,499 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 24.40% | $108,555 | $141,124 |
| Denver-Aurora | 22.93% | $107,272 | $139,457 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 22.61% | $106,993 | $139,094 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 22.26% | $106,688 | $138,697 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 22.22% | $106,653 | $138,651 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 21.30% | $105,850 | $137,608 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 21.05% | $105,632 | $137,324 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 21.04% | $105,623 | $137,313 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 20.69% | $105,318 | $136,916 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 19.58% | $104,349 | $135,656 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 18.87% | $103,730 | $134,851 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 18.76% | $103,634 | $134,726 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 18.39% | $103,311 | $134,306 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 17.94% | $102,918 | $133,796 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 17.41% | $102,455 | $133,195 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 17.31% | $102,368 | $133,081 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 17.12% | $102,202 | $132,866 |
| State of Hawaii | 16.81% | $101,932 | $132,514 |
| Richmond | 16.76% | $101,888 | $132,457 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 16.68% | $101,818 | $132,366 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 16.50% | $101,661 | $132,162 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 16.37% | $101,548 | $132,015 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 14.92% | $100,283 | $130,370 |
| Laredo | 14.59% | $99,995 | $129,995 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 14.55% | $99,960 | $129,950 |
| Colorado Springs | 14.52% | $99,934 | $129,916 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 14.51% | $99,925 | $129,905 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 14.51% | $99,925 | $129,905 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 14.49% | $99,907 | $129,882 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 14.49% | $99,907 | $129,882 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 14.49% | $99,907 | $129,882 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 14.47% | $99,890 | $129,859 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 14.44% | $99,864 | $129,825 |
| Davenport-Moline | 14.43% | $99,855 | $129,814 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 14.42% | $99,846 | $129,803 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 14.37% | $99,803 | $129,746 |
| Rest of U.S. | 14.35% | $99,785 | $129,723 |
Top and bottom GS-14 localities in 2016
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-14 pay scale
GS-14 is part of the 2016 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Supervisory managers, senior program leads and senior technical experts. Many agency branch chiefs sit at GS-14.
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-14 questions for 2016
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What is the starting salary for GS-14 in 2016?
The base starting salary for GS-14 in 2016 is $87,263 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2016 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.75%), GS-14 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-14 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-14 to GS-15?
Promotion from GS-14 to GS-15 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-14 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-15 vacancy. Open the GS-15 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-14?
GS-14 is roughly equivalent to O-6 Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.