2019 GS-11 Pay Scale
The GS-11 base salary range for 2019 is $53,805 at Step 1, rising to $69,951 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-11 for 2019.
2019 GS-11 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-11 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $53,805 | $2,069.42 | $25.78 | - |
| Step 2 | $55,599 | $2,138.42 | $26.64 | - |
| Step 3 | $57,393 | $2,207.42 | $27.50 | - |
| Step 4 | $59,187 | $2,276.42 | $28.36 | - |
| Step 5 | $60,981 | $2,345.42 | $29.22 | - |
| Step 6 | $62,775 | $2,414.42 | $30.08 | - |
| Step 7 | $64,569 | $2,483.42 | $30.94 | - |
| Step 8 | $66,363 | $2,552.42 | $31.80 | - |
| Step 9 | $68,157 | $2,621.42 | $32.66 | - |
| Step 10 | $69,951 | $2,690.42 | $33.52 | - |
2019 GS-11 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-11 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 | $53,805 | $2,069.42 | $25.78 | - |
| Step 2 | $55,599 | $2,138.42 | $26.64 | - |
| Step 3 | $57,393 | $2,207.42 | $27.50 | - |
| Step 4 | $59,187 | $2,276.42 | $28.36 | - |
| Step 5 | $60,981 | $2,345.42 | $29.22 | - |
| Step 6 | $62,775 | $2,414.42 | $30.08 | - |
| Step 7 | $64,569 | $2,483.42 | $30.94 | - |
| Step 8 | $66,363 | $2,552.42 | $31.80 | - |
| Step 9 | $68,157 | $2,621.42 | $32.66 | - |
| Step 10 | $69,951 | $2,690.42 | $33.52 | - |
Who is a GS-11?
Typical role. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
Minimum qualifications. A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level.
Career progression. Typical career ladder peak for entry-level hires; competitive promotion to GS-12 requires vacancy and supervisory selection.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-11 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-11 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-11 Step 1 | GS-11 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $75,515 | $98,176 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $71,593 | $93,077 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $71,313 | $92,713 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $70,737 | $91,965 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $69,581 | $90,461 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $69,349 | $90,160 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $69,339 | $90,146 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $69,301 | $90,097 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $69,016 | $89,726 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $68,897 | $89,572 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $68,230 | $88,705 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $67,956 | $88,348 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $67,816 | $88,166 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $67,574 | $87,851 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $67,418 | $87,649 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $66,831 | $86,886 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $66,718 | $86,739 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $66,250 | $86,131 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $66,245 | $86,124 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $65,448 | $85,088 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $64,878 | $84,347 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $64,808 | $84,256 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $64,679 | $84,088 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $64,561 | $83,934 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $64,388 | $83,710 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $64,351 | $83,661 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $64,281 | $83,570 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $64,232 | $83,508 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $64,125 | $83,368 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $64,017 | $83,228 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $63,953 | $83,144 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $63,818 | $82,969 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $63,608 | $82,696 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $63,199 | $82,164 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $63,054 | $81,976 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $63,054 | $81,976 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $62,979 | $81,878 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $62,973 | $81,871 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $62,839 | $81,696 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $62,780 | $81,619 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $62,764 | $81,598 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $62,737 | $81,563 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $62,720 | $81,542 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $62,677 | $81,486 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $62,591 | $81,374 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $62,521 | $81,283 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $62,511 | $81,269 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $62,451 | $81,192 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $62,419 | $81,150 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $62,365 | $81,080 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $62,344 | $81,052 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $62,290 | $80,982 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $62,236 | $80,912 |
Top and bottom GS-11 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-11 pay scale
GS-11 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
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-11 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-11 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-11 in 2019 is $53,805 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-11 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-11 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-11 to GS-12?
Promotion from GS-11 to GS-12 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-12 vacancy. Open the GS-12 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-11?
GS-11 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.