2019 GS-2 Pay Scale
The GS-2 base salary range for 2019 is $21,417 at Step 1, rising to $26,952 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-2 for 2019.
2019 GS-2 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-2 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $21,417 | $823.73 | $10.26 | - |
| Step 2 | $21,927 | $843.35 | $10.51 | - |
| Step 3 | $22,636 | $870.62 | $10.85 | - |
| Step 4 | $23,236 | $893.69 | $11.13 | - |
| Step 5 | $23,497 | $903.73 | $11.26 | - |
| Step 6 | $24,188 | $930.31 | $11.59 | - |
| Step 7 | $24,879 | $956.88 | $11.92 | - |
| Step 8 | $25,570 | $983.46 | $12.25 | - |
| Step 9 | $26,261 | $1,010.04 | $12.58 | - |
| Step 10 | $26,952 | $1,036.62 | $12.91 | - |
2019 GS-2 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-2 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 | $21,417 | $823.73 | $10.26 | - |
| Step 2 | $21,927 | $843.35 | $10.51 | - |
| Step 3 | $22,636 | $870.62 | $10.85 | - |
| Step 4 | $23,236 | $893.69 | $11.13 | - |
| Step 5 | $23,497 | $903.73 | $11.26 | - |
| Step 6 | $24,188 | $930.31 | $11.59 | - |
| Step 7 | $24,879 | $956.88 | $11.92 | - |
| Step 8 | $25,570 | $983.46 | $12.25 | - |
| Step 9 | $26,261 | $1,010.04 | $12.58 | - |
| Step 10 | $26,952 | $1,036.62 | $12.91 | - |
Who is a GS-2?
Typical role. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
Minimum qualifications. High school or equivalent, or three months of general experience.
Career progression. Most GS-2 employees advance to GS-3 after one year.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-2 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-2 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-2 Step 1 | GS-2 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $30,059 | $37,827 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $28,497 | $35,862 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $28,386 | $35,722 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $28,157 | $35,434 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $27,696 | $34,854 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $27,604 | $34,738 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $27,600 | $34,733 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $27,585 | $34,714 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $27,472 | $34,571 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $27,424 | $34,512 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $27,159 | $34,178 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $27,050 | $34,040 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $26,994 | $33,970 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $26,898 | $33,849 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $26,836 | $33,771 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $26,602 | $33,477 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $26,557 | $33,420 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $26,371 | $33,186 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $26,369 | $33,183 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $26,052 | $32,784 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $25,825 | $32,499 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $25,797 | $32,464 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $25,745 | $32,399 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $25,698 | $32,340 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $25,630 | $32,253 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $25,615 | $32,235 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $25,587 | $32,200 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $25,568 | $32,175 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $25,525 | $32,121 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $25,482 | $32,067 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $25,456 | $32,035 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $25,403 | $31,968 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $25,319 | $31,863 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $25,156 | $31,658 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $25,099 | $31,585 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $25,099 | $31,585 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $25,069 | $31,547 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $25,066 | $31,545 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $25,013 | $31,477 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $24,989 | $31,448 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $24,983 | $31,440 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $24,972 | $31,426 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $24,966 | $31,418 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $24,949 | $31,396 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $24,914 | $31,353 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $24,887 | $31,318 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $24,882 | $31,313 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $24,859 | $31,283 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $24,846 | $31,267 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $24,824 | $31,240 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $24,816 | $31,229 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $24,794 | $31,202 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $24,773 | $31,175 |
Top and bottom GS-2 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-2 pay scale
GS-2 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
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-2 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-2 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-2 in 2019 is $21,417 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-2 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-2 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-2 to GS-3?
Promotion from GS-2 to GS-3 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-2 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-3 vacancy. Open the GS-3 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-2?
GS-2 is roughly equivalent to E-3 Private First Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.