2018 GS-14 Pay Scale
The GS-14 base salary range for 2018 is $89,370 at Step 1, rising to $116,181 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 2018.
2018 GS-14 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-14 rates for 2018.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $89,370 | $3,437.31 | $42.82 | - |
| Step 2 | $92,349 | $3,551.88 | $44.25 | - |
| Step 3 | $95,328 | $3,666.46 | $45.68 | - |
| Step 4 | $98,307 | $3,781.04 | $47.10 | - |
| Step 5 | $101,286 | $3,895.62 | $48.53 | - |
| Step 6 | $104,265 | $4,010.19 | $49.96 | - |
| Step 7 | $107,244 | $4,124.77 | $51.39 | - |
| Step 8 | $110,223 | $4,239.35 | $52.81 | - |
| Step 9 | $113,202 | $4,353.92 | $54.24 | - |
| Step 10 | $116,181 | $4,468.50 | $55.67 | - |
2018 GS-14 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-14 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 | $89,370 | $3,437.31 | $42.82 | - |
| Step 2 | $92,349 | $3,551.88 | $44.25 | - |
| Step 3 | $95,328 | $3,666.46 | $45.68 | - |
| Step 4 | $98,307 | $3,781.04 | $47.10 | - |
| Step 5 | $101,286 | $3,895.62 | $48.53 | - |
| Step 6 | $104,265 | $4,010.19 | $49.96 | - |
| Step 7 | $107,244 | $4,124.77 | $51.39 | - |
| Step 8 | $110,223 | $4,239.35 | $52.81 | - |
| Step 9 | $113,202 | $4,353.92 | $54.24 | - |
| Step 10 | $116,181 | $4,468.50 | $55.67 | - |
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 2018, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-14 Step 1 | GS-14 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 39.28% | $124,475 | $161,817 |
| New York-Newark | 32.13% | $118,085 | $153,510 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 31.74% | $117,736 | $153,057 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 30.57% | $116,690 | $151,698 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 28.22% | $114,590 | $148,967 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.21% | $114,581 | $148,956 |
| State of Alaska | 28.02% | $114,411 | $148,735 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 27.88% | $114,286 | $148,572 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 27.48% | $113,929 | $148,108 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 27.47% | $113,920 | $148,096 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.25% | $112,830 | $146,679 |
| Denver-Aurora | 25.47% | $112,133 | $145,772 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 25.11% | $111,811 | $145,354 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 24.86% | $111,587 | $145,064 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 24.59% | $111,346 | $144,750 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 23.40% | $110,283 | $143,367 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 23.37% | $110,256 | $143,332 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 22.64% | $109,603 | $142,484 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 22.53% | $109,505 | $142,357 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.16% | $108,281 | $140,765 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.14% | $107,369 | $139,580 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.08% | $107,315 | $139,510 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 19.87% | $107,128 | $139,266 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.52% | $106,815 | $138,860 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.18% | $106,511 | $138,465 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.09% | $106,431 | $138,360 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 18.97% | $106,323 | $138,221 |
| Richmond | 18.79% | $106,163 | $138,011 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 18.49% | $105,895 | $137,663 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.43% | $105,841 | $137,593 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.35% | $105,769 | $137,500 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.11% | $105,555 | $137,221 |
| Laredo | 17.40% | $104,920 | $136,396 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 16.71% | $104,304 | $135,595 |
| Colorado Springs | 16.59% | $104,196 | $135,455 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 16.50% | $104,116 | $135,351 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 16.49% | $104,107 | $135,339 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 16.47% | $104,089 | $135,316 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.23% | $103,875 | $135,037 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.21% | $103,857 | $135,014 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.17% | $103,821 | $134,967 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.15% | $103,803 | $134,944 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.10% | $103,759 | $134,886 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.08% | $103,741 | $134,863 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 15.93% | $103,607 | $134,689 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 15.76% | $103,455 | $134,491 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.37% | $103,106 | $134,038 |
Top and bottom GS-14 localities in 2018
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-14 pay scale
GS-14 is part of the 2018 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 2018
GS-14 questions for 2018
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What is the starting salary for GS-14 in 2018?
The base starting salary for GS-14 in 2018 is $89,370 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2018 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 39.28%), 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.