2017 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2017 is $43,251 at Step 1, rising to $56,229 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 2017.
2017 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2017.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $43,251 | $1,663.50 | $20.72 | - |
| Step 2 | $44,693 | $1,718.96 | $21.41 | - |
| Step 3 | $46,135 | $1,774.42 | $22.11 | - |
| Step 4 | $47,577 | $1,829.88 | $22.80 | - |
| Step 5 | $49,019 | $1,885.35 | $23.49 | - |
| Step 6 | $50,461 | $1,940.81 | $24.18 | - |
| Step 7 | $51,903 | $1,996.27 | $24.87 | - |
| Step 8 | $53,345 | $2,051.73 | $25.56 | - |
| Step 9 | $54,787 | $2,107.19 | $26.25 | - |
| Step 10 | $56,229 | $2,162.65 | $26.94 | - |
2017 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 salary schedule for 2017, 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 | $43,251 | $1,663.50 | $20.72 | - |
| Step 2 | $44,693 | $1,718.96 | $21.41 | - |
| Step 3 | $46,135 | $1,774.42 | $22.11 | - |
| Step 4 | $47,577 | $1,829.88 | $22.80 | - |
| Step 5 | $49,019 | $1,885.35 | $23.49 | - |
| Step 6 | $50,461 | $1,940.81 | $24.18 | - |
| Step 7 | $51,903 | $1,996.27 | $24.87 | - |
| Step 8 | $53,345 | $2,051.73 | $25.56 | - |
| Step 9 | $54,787 | $2,107.19 | $26.25 | - |
| Step 10 | $56,229 | $2,162.65 | $26.94 | - |
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 2017, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 38.17% | $59,760 | $77,692 |
| New York-Newark | 31.22% | $56,754 | $73,784 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 30.97% | $56,646 | $73,643 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 29.65% | $56,075 | $72,901 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 27.57% | $55,175 | $71,731 |
| State of Alaska | 27.13% | $54,985 | $71,484 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 27.10% | $54,972 | $71,467 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 26.98% | $54,920 | $71,400 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 26.85% | $54,864 | $71,326 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 26.73% | $54,812 | $71,259 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 25.68% | $54,358 | $70,669 |
| Denver-Aurora | 24.65% | $53,912 | $70,089 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 24.24% | $53,735 | $69,859 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 24.14% | $53,692 | $69,803 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 23.87% | $53,575 | $69,651 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 22.72% | $53,078 | $69,004 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 22.61% | $53,030 | $68,942 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 22.13% | $52,822 | $68,672 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 21.95% | $52,745 | $68,571 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 20.70% | $52,204 | $67,868 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 19.71% | $51,776 | $67,312 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 19.61% | $51,733 | $67,256 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 19.52% | $51,694 | $67,205 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.02% | $51,477 | $66,924 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 18.66% | $51,322 | $66,721 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 18.57% | $51,283 | $66,671 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 18.49% | $51,248 | $66,626 |
| Richmond | 18.19% | $51,118 | $66,457 |
| State of Hawaii | 17.92% | $51,002 | $66,305 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 17.86% | $50,976 | $66,271 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 17.82% | $50,958 | $66,249 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 17.59% | $50,859 | $66,120 |
| Laredo | 16.68% | $50,465 | $65,608 |
| Colorado Springs | 15.99% | $50,167 | $65,220 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 15.97% | $50,158 | $65,209 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 15.93% | $50,141 | $65,186 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 15.85% | $50,106 | $65,141 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 15.85% | $50,106 | $65,141 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 15.83% | $50,098 | $65,130 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 15.66% | $50,024 | $65,034 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 15.65% | $50,020 | $65,029 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 15.63% | $50,011 | $65,018 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 15.59% | $49,994 | $64,995 |
| Davenport-Moline | 15.56% | $49,981 | $64,978 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 15.48% | $49,946 | $64,933 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 15.36% | $49,894 | $64,866 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.06% | $49,765 | $64,697 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2017
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2017 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 2017
GS-9 questions for 2017
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2017?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2017 is $43,251 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2017 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 38.17%), 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.