2018 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2018 is $43,857 at Step 1, rising to $57,015 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 2018.
2018 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2018.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $43,857 | $1,686.81 | $21.01 | - |
| Step 2 | $45,319 | $1,743.04 | $21.71 | - |
| Step 3 | $46,781 | $1,799.27 | $22.42 | - |
| Step 4 | $48,243 | $1,855.50 | $23.12 | - |
| Step 5 | $49,705 | $1,911.73 | $23.82 | - |
| Step 6 | $51,167 | $1,967.96 | $24.52 | - |
| Step 7 | $52,629 | $2,024.19 | $25.22 | - |
| Step 8 | $54,091 | $2,080.42 | $25.92 | - |
| Step 9 | $55,553 | $2,136.65 | $26.62 | - |
| Step 10 | $57,015 | $2,192.88 | $27.32 | - |
2018 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $43,857 | $1,686.81 | $21.01 | - |
| Step 2 | $45,319 | $1,743.04 | $21.71 | - |
| Step 3 | $46,781 | $1,799.27 | $22.42 | - |
| Step 4 | $48,243 | $1,855.50 | $23.12 | - |
| Step 5 | $49,705 | $1,911.73 | $23.82 | - |
| Step 6 | $51,167 | $1,967.96 | $24.52 | - |
| Step 7 | $52,629 | $2,024.19 | $25.22 | - |
| Step 8 | $54,091 | $2,080.42 | $25.92 | - |
| Step 9 | $55,553 | $2,136.65 | $26.62 | - |
| Step 10 | $57,015 | $2,192.88 | $27.32 | - |
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 2018, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 39.28% | $61,084 | $79,410 |
| New York-Newark | 32.13% | $57,948 | $75,334 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 31.74% | $57,777 | $75,112 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 30.57% | $57,264 | $74,444 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 28.22% | $56,233 | $73,105 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.21% | $56,229 | $73,099 |
| State of Alaska | 28.02% | $56,146 | $72,991 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 27.88% | $56,084 | $72,911 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 27.48% | $55,909 | $72,683 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 27.47% | $55,905 | $72,677 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.25% | $55,369 | $71,981 |
| Denver-Aurora | 25.47% | $55,027 | $71,537 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 25.11% | $54,869 | $71,331 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 24.86% | $54,760 | $71,189 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 24.59% | $54,641 | $71,035 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 23.40% | $54,120 | $70,357 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 23.37% | $54,106 | $70,339 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 22.64% | $53,786 | $69,923 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 22.53% | $53,738 | $69,860 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.16% | $53,137 | $69,079 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.14% | $52,690 | $68,498 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.08% | $52,663 | $68,464 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 19.87% | $52,571 | $68,344 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.52% | $52,418 | $68,144 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.18% | $52,269 | $67,950 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.09% | $52,229 | $67,899 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 18.97% | $52,177 | $67,831 |
| Richmond | 18.79% | $52,098 | $67,728 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 18.49% | $51,966 | $67,557 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.43% | $51,940 | $67,523 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.35% | $51,905 | $67,477 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.11% | $51,800 | $67,340 |
| Laredo | 17.40% | $51,488 | $66,936 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 16.71% | $51,186 | $66,542 |
| Colorado Springs | 16.59% | $51,133 | $66,474 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 16.50% | $51,093 | $66,422 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 16.49% | $51,089 | $66,417 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 16.47% | $51,080 | $66,405 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.23% | $50,975 | $66,269 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.21% | $50,966 | $66,257 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.17% | $50,949 | $66,234 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.15% | $50,940 | $66,223 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.10% | $50,918 | $66,194 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.08% | $50,909 | $66,183 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 15.93% | $50,843 | $66,097 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 15.76% | $50,769 | $66,001 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.37% | $50,598 | $65,778 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2018
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2018 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 2018
GS-9 questions for 2018
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2018?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2018 is $43,857 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2018 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 39.28%), 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.