2019 GS-13 Pay Scale
The GS-13 base salary range for 2019 is $76,687 at Step 1, rising to $99,691 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-13 for 2019.
2019 GS-13 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-13 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $76,687 | $2,949.50 | $36.75 | - |
| Step 2 | $79,243 | $3,047.81 | $37.97 | - |
| Step 3 | $81,799 | $3,146.12 | $39.19 | - |
| Step 4 | $84,355 | $3,244.42 | $40.42 | - |
| Step 5 | $86,911 | $3,342.73 | $41.64 | - |
| Step 6 | $89,467 | $3,441.04 | $42.87 | - |
| Step 7 | $92,023 | $3,539.35 | $44.09 | - |
| Step 8 | $94,579 | $3,637.65 | $45.32 | - |
| Step 9 | $97,135 | $3,735.96 | $46.54 | - |
| Step 10 | $99,691 | $3,834.27 | $47.77 | - |
2019 GS-13 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-13 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 | $76,687 | $2,949.50 | $36.75 | - |
| Step 2 | $79,243 | $3,047.81 | $37.97 | - |
| Step 3 | $81,799 | $3,146.12 | $39.19 | - |
| Step 4 | $84,355 | $3,244.42 | $40.42 | - |
| Step 5 | $86,911 | $3,342.73 | $41.64 | - |
| Step 6 | $89,467 | $3,441.04 | $42.87 | - |
| Step 7 | $92,023 | $3,539.35 | $44.09 | - |
| Step 8 | $94,579 | $3,637.65 | $45.32 | - |
| Step 9 | $97,135 | $3,735.96 | $46.54 | - |
| Step 10 | $99,691 | $3,834.27 | $47.77 | - |
Who is a GS-13?
Typical role. Senior specialists, first-line supervisors and subject-matter experts. Many IT, acquisition, legal and program-manager roles live at GS-13.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-14 requires a GS-14 vacancy, often with supervisory responsibilities.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-13 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-13 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-13 Step 1 | GS-13 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $107,630 | $139,916 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $102,040 | $132,649 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $101,641 | $132,130 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $100,820 | $131,064 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $99,172 | $128,920 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $98,842 | $128,492 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $98,827 | $128,472 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $98,773 | $128,402 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $98,366 | $127,874 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $98,198 | $127,654 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $97,247 | $126,418 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $96,856 | $125,910 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $96,656 | $125,651 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $96,311 | $125,202 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $96,089 | $124,913 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $95,253 | $123,826 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $95,092 | $123,617 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $94,425 | $122,750 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $94,417 | $122,740 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $93,282 | $121,264 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $92,469 | $120,207 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $92,369 | $120,078 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $92,185 | $119,839 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $92,017 | $119,619 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $91,771 | $119,300 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $91,718 | $119,230 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $91,618 | $119,101 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $91,549 | $119,011 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $91,396 | $118,812 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $91,242 | $118,612 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $91,150 | $118,493 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $90,958 | $118,243 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $90,659 | $117,855 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $90,077 | $117,097 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $89,869 | $116,828 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $89,869 | $116,828 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $89,762 | $116,688 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $89,754 | $116,678 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $89,563 | $116,429 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $89,478 | $116,319 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $89,455 | $116,290 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $89,417 | $116,240 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $89,394 | $116,210 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $89,333 | $116,130 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $89,210 | $115,971 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $89,110 | $115,841 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $89,095 | $115,821 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $89,011 | $115,711 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $88,965 | $115,652 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $88,888 | $115,552 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $88,857 | $115,512 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $88,781 | $115,412 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $88,704 | $115,313 |
Top and bottom GS-13 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-13 pay scale
GS-13 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior specialists, first-line supervisors and subject-matter experts. Many IT, acquisition, legal and program-manager roles live at GS-13.
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-13 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-13 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-13 in 2019 is $76,687 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-13 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-13 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-13 to GS-14?
Promotion from GS-13 to GS-14 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-14 vacancy. Open the GS-14 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-13?
GS-13 is roughly equivalent to O-5 Lieutenant Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.