2018 GS-2 Pay Scale
The GS-2 base salary range for 2018 is $21,121 at Step 1, rising to $26,585 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-2 for 2018.
2018 GS-2 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-2 rates for 2018.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $21,121 | $812.35 | $10.12 | - |
| Step 2 | $21,624 | $831.69 | $10.36 | - |
| Step 3 | $22,323 | $858.58 | $10.70 | - |
| Step 4 | $22,915 | $881.35 | $10.98 | - |
| Step 5 | $23,175 | $891.35 | $11.10 | - |
| Step 6 | $23,857 | $917.58 | $11.43 | - |
| Step 7 | $24,539 | $943.81 | $11.76 | - |
| Step 8 | $25,221 | $970.04 | $12.08 | - |
| Step 9 | $25,903 | $996.27 | $12.41 | - |
| Step 10 | $26,585 | $1,022.50 | $12.74 | - |
2018 GS-2 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-2 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 | $21,121 | $812.35 | $10.12 | - |
| Step 2 | $21,624 | $831.69 | $10.36 | - |
| Step 3 | $22,323 | $858.58 | $10.70 | - |
| Step 4 | $22,915 | $881.35 | $10.98 | - |
| Step 5 | $23,175 | $891.35 | $11.10 | - |
| Step 6 | $23,857 | $917.58 | $11.43 | - |
| Step 7 | $24,539 | $943.81 | $11.76 | - |
| Step 8 | $25,221 | $970.04 | $12.08 | - |
| Step 9 | $25,903 | $996.27 | $12.41 | - |
| Step 10 | $26,585 | $1,022.50 | $12.74 | - |
Who is a GS-2?
Typical role. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
Minimum qualifications. High school or equivalent, or three months of general experience.
Career progression. Most GS-2 employees advance to GS-3 after one year.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-2 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-2 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2018, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-2 Step 1 | GS-2 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 39.28% | $29,417 | $37,028 |
| New York-Newark | 32.13% | $27,907 | $35,127 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 31.74% | $27,825 | $35,023 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 30.57% | $27,578 | $34,712 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 28.22% | $27,081 | $34,087 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.21% | $27,079 | $34,085 |
| State of Alaska | 28.02% | $27,039 | $34,034 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 27.88% | $27,010 | $33,997 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 27.48% | $26,925 | $33,891 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 27.47% | $26,923 | $33,888 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.25% | $26,665 | $33,564 |
| Denver-Aurora | 25.47% | $26,501 | $33,356 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 25.11% | $26,424 | $33,260 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 24.86% | $26,372 | $33,194 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 24.59% | $26,315 | $33,122 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 23.40% | $26,063 | $32,806 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 23.37% | $26,057 | $32,798 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 22.64% | $25,903 | $32,604 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 22.53% | $25,880 | $32,575 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.16% | $25,590 | $32,210 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.14% | $25,375 | $31,939 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.08% | $25,362 | $31,923 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 19.87% | $25,318 | $31,867 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.52% | $25,244 | $31,774 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.18% | $25,172 | $31,684 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.09% | $25,153 | $31,660 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 18.97% | $25,128 | $31,628 |
| Richmond | 18.79% | $25,090 | $31,580 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 18.49% | $25,026 | $31,501 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.43% | $25,014 | $31,485 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.35% | $24,997 | $31,463 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.11% | $24,946 | $31,400 |
| Laredo | 17.40% | $24,796 | $31,211 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 16.71% | $24,650 | $31,027 |
| Colorado Springs | 16.59% | $24,625 | $30,995 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 16.50% | $24,606 | $30,972 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 16.49% | $24,604 | $30,969 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 16.47% | $24,600 | $30,964 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.23% | $24,549 | $30,900 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.21% | $24,545 | $30,894 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.17% | $24,536 | $30,884 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.15% | $24,532 | $30,878 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.10% | $24,521 | $30,865 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.08% | $24,517 | $30,860 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 15.93% | $24,486 | $30,820 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 15.76% | $24,450 | $30,775 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.37% | $24,367 | $30,671 |
Top and bottom GS-2 localities in 2018
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-2 pay scale
GS-2 is part of the 2018 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
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-2 questions for 2018
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What is the starting salary for GS-2 in 2018?
The base starting salary for GS-2 in 2018 is $21,121 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2018 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 39.28%), GS-2 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-2 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-2 to GS-3?
Promotion from GS-2 to GS-3 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-2 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-3 vacancy. Open the GS-3 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-2?
GS-2 is roughly equivalent to E-3 Private First Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.