2019 GS-10 Pay Scale
The GS-10 base salary range for 2019 is $48,973 at Step 1, rising to $63,661 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-10 for 2019.
2019 GS-10 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-10 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $48,973 | $1,883.58 | $23.47 | - |
| Step 2 | $50,605 | $1,946.35 | $24.25 | - |
| Step 3 | $52,237 | $2,009.12 | $25.03 | - |
| Step 4 | $53,869 | $2,071.88 | $25.81 | - |
| Step 5 | $55,501 | $2,134.65 | $26.59 | - |
| Step 6 | $57,133 | $2,197.42 | $27.38 | - |
| Step 7 | $58,765 | $2,260.19 | $28.16 | - |
| Step 8 | $60,397 | $2,322.96 | $28.94 | - |
| Step 9 | $62,029 | $2,385.73 | $29.72 | - |
| Step 10 | $63,661 | $2,448.50 | $30.50 | - |
2019 GS-10 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-10 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 | $48,973 | $1,883.58 | $23.47 | - |
| Step 2 | $50,605 | $1,946.35 | $24.25 | - |
| Step 3 | $52,237 | $2,009.12 | $25.03 | - |
| Step 4 | $53,869 | $2,071.88 | $25.81 | - |
| Step 5 | $55,501 | $2,134.65 | $26.59 | - |
| Step 6 | $57,133 | $2,197.42 | $27.38 | - |
| Step 7 | $58,765 | $2,260.19 | $28.16 | - |
| Step 8 | $60,397 | $2,322.96 | $28.94 | - |
| Step 9 | $62,029 | $2,385.73 | $29.72 | - |
| Step 10 | $63,661 | $2,448.50 | $30.50 | - |
Who is a GS-10?
Typical role. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, plus agency-specific requirements.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-11 after one year of creditable experience in grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-10 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-10 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-10 Step 1 | GS-10 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $68,734 | $89,348 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $65,163 | $84,707 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $64,909 | $84,376 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $64,385 | $83,695 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $63,332 | $82,326 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $63,121 | $82,053 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $63,112 | $82,040 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $63,077 | $81,995 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $62,818 | $81,658 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $62,710 | $81,518 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $62,103 | $80,729 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $61,853 | $80,404 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $61,726 | $80,238 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $61,505 | $79,952 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $61,363 | $79,767 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $60,829 | $79,073 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $60,727 | $78,940 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $60,300 | $78,386 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $60,296 | $78,379 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $59,571 | $77,437 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $59,052 | $76,762 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $58,988 | $76,680 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $58,870 | $76,527 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $58,763 | $76,387 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $58,606 | $76,183 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $58,572 | $76,139 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $58,508 | $76,056 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $58,464 | $75,999 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $58,366 | $75,871 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $58,268 | $75,744 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $58,209 | $75,667 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $58,087 | $75,508 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $57,896 | $75,260 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $57,524 | $74,776 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $57,391 | $74,604 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $57,391 | $74,604 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $57,323 | $74,515 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $57,318 | $74,509 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $57,196 | $74,350 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $57,142 | $74,280 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $57,127 | $74,261 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $57,103 | $74,229 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $57,088 | $74,210 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $57,049 | $74,159 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $56,970 | $74,057 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $56,907 | $73,974 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $56,897 | $73,961 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $56,843 | $73,891 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $56,814 | $73,853 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $56,765 | $73,789 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $56,745 | $73,764 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $56,696 | $73,700 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $56,647 | $73,637 |
Top and bottom GS-10 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-10 pay scale
GS-10 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
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-10 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-10 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-10 in 2019 is $48,973 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-10 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-10 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-10 to GS-11?
Promotion from GS-10 to GS-11 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-10 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-11 vacancy. Open the GS-11 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-10?
GS-10 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.