2018 GS-10 Pay Scale
The GS-10 base salary range for 2018 is $48,297 at Step 1, rising to $62,787 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-10 for 2018.
2018 GS-10 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-10 rates for 2018.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $48,297 | $1,857.58 | $23.14 | - |
| Step 2 | $49,907 | $1,919.50 | $23.91 | - |
| Step 3 | $51,517 | $1,981.42 | $24.68 | - |
| Step 4 | $53,127 | $2,043.35 | $25.46 | - |
| Step 5 | $54,737 | $2,105.27 | $26.23 | - |
| Step 6 | $56,347 | $2,167.19 | $27.00 | - |
| Step 7 | $57,957 | $2,229.12 | $27.77 | - |
| Step 8 | $59,567 | $2,291.04 | $28.54 | - |
| Step 9 | $61,177 | $2,352.96 | $29.31 | - |
| Step 10 | $62,787 | $2,414.88 | $30.08 | - |
2018 GS-10 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-10 salary schedule for 2018, 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 | $48,297 | $1,857.58 | $23.14 | - |
| Step 2 | $49,907 | $1,919.50 | $23.91 | - |
| Step 3 | $51,517 | $1,981.42 | $24.68 | - |
| Step 4 | $53,127 | $2,043.35 | $25.46 | - |
| Step 5 | $54,737 | $2,105.27 | $26.23 | - |
| Step 6 | $56,347 | $2,167.19 | $27.00 | - |
| Step 7 | $57,957 | $2,229.12 | $27.77 | - |
| Step 8 | $59,567 | $2,291.04 | $28.54 | - |
| Step 9 | $61,177 | $2,352.96 | $29.31 | - |
| Step 10 | $62,787 | $2,414.88 | $30.08 | - |
Who is a GS-10?
Typical role. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, plus agency-specific requirements.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-11 after one year of creditable experience in grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-10 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-10 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2018, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-10 Step 1 | GS-10 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 39.28% | $67,268 | $87,450 |
| New York-Newark | 32.13% | $63,815 | $82,960 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 31.74% | $63,626 | $82,716 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 30.57% | $63,061 | $81,981 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 28.22% | $61,926 | $80,505 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.21% | $61,922 | $80,499 |
| State of Alaska | 28.02% | $61,830 | $80,380 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 27.88% | $61,762 | $80,292 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 27.48% | $61,569 | $80,041 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 27.47% | $61,564 | $80,035 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.25% | $60,975 | $79,269 |
| Denver-Aurora | 25.47% | $60,598 | $78,779 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 25.11% | $60,424 | $78,553 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 24.86% | $60,304 | $78,396 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 24.59% | $60,173 | $78,226 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 23.40% | $59,598 | $77,479 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 23.37% | $59,584 | $77,460 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 22.64% | $59,231 | $77,002 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 22.53% | $59,178 | $76,933 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.16% | $58,517 | $76,073 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.14% | $58,024 | $75,432 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.08% | $57,995 | $75,395 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 19.87% | $57,894 | $75,263 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.52% | $57,725 | $75,043 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.18% | $57,560 | $74,830 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.09% | $57,517 | $74,773 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 18.97% | $57,459 | $74,698 |
| Richmond | 18.79% | $57,372 | $74,585 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 18.49% | $57,227 | $74,396 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.43% | $57,198 | $74,359 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.35% | $57,159 | $74,308 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.11% | $57,044 | $74,158 |
| Laredo | 17.40% | $56,701 | $73,712 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 16.71% | $56,367 | $73,279 |
| Colorado Springs | 16.59% | $56,309 | $73,203 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 16.50% | $56,266 | $73,147 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 16.49% | $56,261 | $73,141 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 16.47% | $56,252 | $73,128 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.23% | $56,136 | $72,977 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.21% | $56,126 | $72,965 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.17% | $56,107 | $72,940 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.15% | $56,097 | $72,927 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.10% | $56,073 | $72,896 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.08% | $56,063 | $72,883 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 15.93% | $55,991 | $72,789 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 15.76% | $55,909 | $72,682 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.37% | $55,720 | $72,437 |
Top and bottom GS-10 localities in 2018
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-10 pay scale
GS-10 is part of the 2018 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
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 2018
GS-10 questions for 2018
-
What is the starting salary for GS-10 in 2018?
The base starting salary for GS-10 in 2018 is $48,297 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2018 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 39.28%), GS-10 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-10 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-10 to GS-11?
Promotion from GS-10 to GS-11 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-10 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-11 vacancy. Open the GS-11 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-10?
GS-10 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.