2016 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2016 is $42,823 at Step 1, rising to $55,666 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 2016.
2016 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2016.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $42,823 | $1,647.04 | $20.52 | - |
| Step 2 | $44,250 | $1,701.92 | $21.20 | - |
| Step 3 | $45,677 | $1,756.81 | $21.89 | - |
| Step 4 | $47,104 | $1,811.69 | $22.57 | - |
| Step 5 | $48,531 | $1,866.58 | $23.25 | - |
| Step 6 | $49,958 | $1,921.46 | $23.94 | - |
| Step 7 | $51,385 | $1,976.35 | $24.62 | - |
| Step 8 | $52,812 | $2,031.23 | $25.31 | - |
| Step 9 | $54,239 | $2,086.12 | $25.99 | - |
| Step 10 | $55,666 | $2,141.00 | $26.67 | - |
2016 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $42,823 | $1,647.04 | $20.52 | - |
| Step 2 | $44,250 | $1,701.92 | $21.20 | - |
| Step 3 | $45,677 | $1,756.81 | $21.89 | - |
| Step 4 | $47,104 | $1,811.69 | $22.57 | - |
| Step 5 | $48,531 | $1,866.58 | $23.25 | - |
| Step 6 | $49,958 | $1,921.46 | $23.94 | - |
| Step 7 | $51,385 | $1,976.35 | $24.62 | - |
| Step 8 | $52,812 | $2,031.23 | $25.31 | - |
| Step 9 | $54,239 | $2,086.12 | $25.99 | - |
| Step 10 | $55,666 | $2,141.00 | $26.67 | - |
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 2016, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 35.75% | $58,132 | $75,567 |
| New York-Newark | 29.20% | $55,327 | $71,920 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 29.11% | $55,289 | $71,870 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 27.65% | $54,664 | $71,058 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 26.20% | $54,043 | $70,250 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 25.44% | $53,717 | $69,827 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 25.19% | $53,610 | $69,688 |
| State of Alaska | 25.16% | $53,597 | $69,672 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 24.78% | $53,435 | $69,460 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 24.73% | $53,413 | $69,432 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 24.40% | $53,272 | $69,249 |
| Denver-Aurora | 22.93% | $52,642 | $68,430 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 22.61% | $52,505 | $68,252 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 22.26% | $52,355 | $68,057 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 22.22% | $52,338 | $68,035 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 21.30% | $51,944 | $67,523 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 21.05% | $51,837 | $67,384 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 21.04% | $51,833 | $67,378 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 20.69% | $51,683 | $67,183 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 19.58% | $51,208 | $66,565 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 18.87% | $50,904 | $66,170 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 18.76% | $50,857 | $66,109 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 18.39% | $50,698 | $65,903 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 17.94% | $50,505 | $65,652 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 17.41% | $50,278 | $65,357 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 17.31% | $50,236 | $65,302 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 17.12% | $50,154 | $65,196 |
| State of Hawaii | 16.81% | $50,022 | $65,023 |
| Richmond | 16.76% | $50,000 | $64,996 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 16.68% | $49,966 | $64,951 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 16.50% | $49,889 | $64,851 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 16.37% | $49,833 | $64,779 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 14.92% | $49,212 | $63,971 |
| Laredo | 14.59% | $49,071 | $63,788 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 14.55% | $49,054 | $63,765 |
| Colorado Springs | 14.52% | $49,041 | $63,749 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 14.51% | $49,037 | $63,743 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 14.51% | $49,037 | $63,743 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 14.49% | $49,028 | $63,732 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 14.49% | $49,028 | $63,732 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 14.49% | $49,028 | $63,732 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 14.47% | $49,019 | $63,721 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 14.44% | $49,007 | $63,704 |
| Davenport-Moline | 14.43% | $49,002 | $63,699 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 14.42% | $48,998 | $63,693 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 14.37% | $48,977 | $63,665 |
| Rest of U.S. | 14.35% | $48,968 | $63,654 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2016
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2016 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 2016
GS-9 questions for 2016
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2016?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2016 is $42,823 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2016 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.75%), 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.