2018 GS-11 Pay Scale
The GS-11 base salary range for 2018 is $53,062 at Step 1, rising to $68,983 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 2018.
2018 GS-11 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-11 rates for 2018.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $53,062 | $2,040.85 | $25.43 | - |
| Step 2 | $54,831 | $2,108.88 | $26.27 | - |
| Step 3 | $56,600 | $2,176.92 | $27.12 | - |
| Step 4 | $58,369 | $2,244.96 | $27.97 | - |
| Step 5 | $60,138 | $2,313.00 | $28.82 | - |
| Step 6 | $61,907 | $2,381.04 | $29.66 | - |
| Step 7 | $63,676 | $2,449.08 | $30.51 | - |
| Step 8 | $65,445 | $2,517.12 | $31.36 | - |
| Step 9 | $67,214 | $2,585.15 | $32.21 | - |
| Step 10 | $68,983 | $2,653.19 | $33.05 | - |
2018 GS-11 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-11 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 | $53,062 | $2,040.85 | $25.43 | - |
| Step 2 | $54,831 | $2,108.88 | $26.27 | - |
| Step 3 | $56,600 | $2,176.92 | $27.12 | - |
| Step 4 | $58,369 | $2,244.96 | $27.97 | - |
| Step 5 | $60,138 | $2,313.00 | $28.82 | - |
| Step 6 | $61,907 | $2,381.04 | $29.66 | - |
| Step 7 | $63,676 | $2,449.08 | $30.51 | - |
| Step 8 | $65,445 | $2,517.12 | $31.36 | - |
| Step 9 | $67,214 | $2,585.15 | $32.21 | - |
| Step 10 | $68,983 | $2,653.19 | $33.05 | - |
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 2018, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-11 Step 1 | GS-11 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 39.28% | $73,905 | $96,080 |
| New York-Newark | 32.13% | $70,111 | $91,147 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 31.74% | $69,904 | $90,878 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 30.57% | $69,283 | $90,071 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 28.22% | $68,036 | $88,450 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.21% | $68,031 | $88,443 |
| State of Alaska | 28.02% | $67,930 | $88,312 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 27.88% | $67,856 | $88,215 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 27.48% | $67,643 | $87,940 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 27.47% | $67,638 | $87,933 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.25% | $66,991 | $87,091 |
| Denver-Aurora | 25.47% | $66,577 | $86,553 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 25.11% | $66,386 | $86,305 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 24.86% | $66,253 | $86,132 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 24.59% | $66,110 | $85,946 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 23.40% | $65,479 | $85,125 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 23.37% | $65,463 | $85,104 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 22.64% | $65,075 | $84,601 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 22.53% | $65,017 | $84,525 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.16% | $64,290 | $83,580 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.14% | $63,749 | $82,876 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.08% | $63,717 | $82,835 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 19.87% | $63,605 | $82,690 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.52% | $63,420 | $82,448 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.18% | $63,239 | $82,214 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.09% | $63,192 | $82,152 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 18.97% | $63,128 | $82,069 |
| Richmond | 18.79% | $63,032 | $81,945 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 18.49% | $62,873 | $81,738 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.43% | $62,841 | $81,697 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.35% | $62,799 | $81,641 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.11% | $62,672 | $81,476 |
| Laredo | 17.40% | $62,295 | $80,986 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 16.71% | $61,929 | $80,510 |
| Colorado Springs | 16.59% | $61,865 | $80,427 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 16.50% | $61,817 | $80,365 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 16.49% | $61,812 | $80,358 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 16.47% | $61,801 | $80,345 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.23% | $61,674 | $80,179 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.21% | $61,663 | $80,165 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.17% | $61,642 | $80,138 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.15% | $61,632 | $80,124 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.10% | $61,605 | $80,089 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.08% | $61,594 | $80,075 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 15.93% | $61,515 | $79,972 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 15.76% | $61,425 | $79,855 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.37% | $61,218 | $79,586 |
Top and bottom GS-11 localities in 2018
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-11 pay scale
GS-11 is part of the 2018 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 2018
GS-11 questions for 2018
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What is the starting salary for GS-11 in 2018?
The base starting salary for GS-11 in 2018 is $53,062 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2018 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 39.28%), 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.