2019 GS-12 Pay Scale
The GS-12 base salary range for 2019 is $64,490 at Step 1, rising to $83,840 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-12 for 2019.
2019 GS-12 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-12 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $64,490 | $2,480.38 | $30.90 | - |
| Step 2 | $66,640 | $2,563.08 | $31.93 | - |
| Step 3 | $68,790 | $2,645.77 | $32.96 | - |
| Step 4 | $70,940 | $2,728.46 | $33.99 | - |
| Step 5 | $73,090 | $2,811.15 | $35.02 | - |
| Step 6 | $75,240 | $2,893.85 | $36.05 | - |
| Step 7 | $77,390 | $2,976.54 | $37.08 | - |
| Step 8 | $79,540 | $3,059.23 | $38.11 | - |
| Step 9 | $81,690 | $3,141.92 | $39.14 | - |
| Step 10 | $83,840 | $3,224.62 | $40.17 | - |
2019 GS-12 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-12 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 | $64,490 | $2,480.38 | $30.90 | - |
| Step 2 | $66,640 | $2,563.08 | $31.93 | - |
| Step 3 | $68,790 | $2,645.77 | $32.96 | - |
| Step 4 | $70,940 | $2,728.46 | $33.99 | - |
| Step 5 | $73,090 | $2,811.15 | $35.02 | - |
| Step 6 | $75,240 | $2,893.85 | $36.05 | - |
| Step 7 | $77,390 | $2,976.54 | $37.08 | - |
| Step 8 | $79,540 | $3,059.23 | $38.11 | - |
| Step 9 | $81,690 | $3,141.92 | $39.14 | - |
| Step 10 | $83,840 | $3,224.62 | $40.17 | - |
Who is a GS-12?
Typical role. Experienced professionals and working-level experts. This is the most common GS grade for mid-career federal employees. Many policy, acquisition, engineering and scientific specialists sit at GS-12.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-13 requires a GS-13 vacancy and selection on merit.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-12 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-12 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-12 Step 1 | GS-12 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $90,512 | $117,669 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $85,810 | $111,558 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $85,475 | $111,122 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $84,785 | $110,224 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $83,398 | $108,422 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $83,121 | $108,061 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $83,108 | $108,045 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $83,063 | $107,986 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $82,721 | $107,542 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $82,579 | $107,357 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $81,780 | $106,318 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $81,451 | $105,890 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $81,283 | $105,672 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $80,993 | $105,295 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $80,806 | $105,052 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $80,103 | $104,138 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $79,968 | $103,962 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $79,407 | $103,232 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $79,400 | $103,224 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $78,446 | $101,983 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $77,762 | $101,094 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $77,678 | $100,985 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $77,523 | $100,784 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $77,382 | $100,600 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $77,175 | $100,331 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $77,130 | $100,273 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $77,046 | $100,164 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $76,988 | $100,088 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $76,859 | $99,921 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $76,730 | $99,753 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $76,653 | $99,652 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $76,492 | $99,443 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $76,240 | $99,116 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $75,750 | $98,478 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $75,576 | $98,252 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $75,576 | $98,252 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $75,486 | $98,135 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $75,479 | $98,126 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $75,318 | $97,917 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $75,247 | $97,825 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $75,228 | $97,799 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $75,195 | $97,757 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $75,176 | $97,732 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $75,124 | $97,665 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $75,021 | $97,531 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $74,937 | $97,422 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $74,924 | $97,405 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $74,854 | $97,313 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $74,815 | $97,263 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $74,750 | $97,179 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $74,725 | $97,145 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $74,660 | $97,062 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $74,596 | $96,978 |
Top and bottom GS-12 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-12 pay scale
GS-12 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Experienced professionals and working-level experts. This is the most common GS grade for mid-career federal employees. Many policy, acquisition, engineering and scientific specialists sit at GS-12.
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-12 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-12 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-12 in 2019 is $64,490 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-12 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-12 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-12 to GS-13?
Promotion from GS-12 to GS-13 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-13 vacancy. Open the GS-13 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-12?
GS-12 is roughly equivalent to O-5 Lieutenant Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.