2019 GS-1 Pay Scale
The GS-1 base salary range for 2019 is $19,048 at Step 1, rising to $23,827 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-1 for 2019.
2019 GS-1 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-1 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $19,048 | $732.62 | $9.13 | - |
| Step 2 | $19,686 | $757.15 | $9.43 | - |
| Step 3 | $20,320 | $781.54 | $9.74 | - |
| Step 4 | $20,949 | $805.73 | $10.04 | - |
| Step 5 | $21,583 | $830.12 | $10.34 | - |
| Step 6 | $21,953 | $844.35 | $10.52 | - |
| Step 7 | $22,579 | $868.42 | $10.82 | - |
| Step 8 | $23,211 | $892.73 | $11.12 | - |
| Step 9 | $23,236 | $893.69 | $11.13 | - |
| Step 10 | $23,827 | $916.42 | $11.42 | - |
2019 GS-1 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-1 salary schedule for 2019, 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 | $19,048 | $732.62 | $9.13 | - |
| Step 2 | $19,686 | $757.15 | $9.43 | - |
| Step 3 | $20,320 | $781.54 | $9.74 | - |
| Step 4 | $20,949 | $805.73 | $10.04 | - |
| Step 5 | $21,583 | $830.12 | $10.34 | - |
| Step 6 | $21,953 | $844.35 | $10.52 | - |
| Step 7 | $22,579 | $868.42 | $10.82 | - |
| Step 8 | $23,211 | $892.73 | $11.12 | - |
| Step 9 | $23,236 | $893.69 | $11.13 | - |
| Step 10 | $23,827 | $916.42 | $11.42 | - |
Who is a GS-1?
Typical role. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.
Minimum qualifications. No formal education or experience required. Generally filled by workers with basic literacy and ability to follow simple instructions.
Career progression. Promotion to GS-2 typically follows one year of satisfactory service.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-1 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-1 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-1 Step 1 | GS-1 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $26,734 | $33,441 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $25,345 | $31,704 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $25,246 | $31,580 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $25,042 | $31,325 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $24,633 | $30,813 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $24,551 | $30,711 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $24,547 | $30,706 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $24,534 | $30,689 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $24,433 | $30,563 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $24,391 | $30,510 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $24,155 | $30,215 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $24,058 | $30,094 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $24,008 | $30,032 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $23,922 | $29,924 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $23,867 | $29,855 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $23,660 | $29,596 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $23,620 | $29,545 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $23,454 | $29,338 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $23,452 | $29,336 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $23,170 | $28,983 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $22,968 | $28,731 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $22,943 | $28,700 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $22,898 | $28,642 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $22,856 | $28,590 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $22,795 | $28,514 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $22,781 | $28,497 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $22,757 | $28,466 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $22,740 | $28,445 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $22,701 | $28,397 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $22,663 | $28,349 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $22,640 | $28,321 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $22,593 | $28,261 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $22,519 | $28,168 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $22,374 | $27,987 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $22,322 | $27,923 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $22,322 | $27,923 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $22,296 | $27,890 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $22,294 | $27,887 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $22,246 | $27,828 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $22,225 | $27,801 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $22,219 | $27,794 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $22,210 | $27,782 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $22,204 | $27,775 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $22,189 | $27,756 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $22,159 | $27,718 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $22,134 | $27,687 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $22,130 | $27,682 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $22,109 | $27,656 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $22,098 | $27,642 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $22,079 | $27,618 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $22,071 | $27,608 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $22,052 | $27,585 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $22,033 | $27,561 |
Top and bottom GS-1 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-1 pay scale
GS-1 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.
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 2019
GS-1 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-1 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-1 in 2019 is $19,048 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-1 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-1 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-1 to GS-2?
Promotion from GS-1 to GS-2 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-1 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-2 vacancy. Open the GS-2 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-1?
GS-1 is roughly equivalent to E-2 Private Second Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.