2019 GS-4 Pay Scale
The GS-4 base salary range for 2019 is $26,233 at Step 1, rising to $34,099 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-4 for 2019.
2019 GS-4 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-4 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $26,233 | $1,008.96 | $12.57 | - |
| Step 2 | $27,107 | $1,042.58 | $12.99 | - |
| Step 3 | $27,981 | $1,076.19 | $13.41 | - |
| Step 4 | $28,855 | $1,109.81 | $13.83 | - |
| Step 5 | $29,729 | $1,143.42 | $14.24 | - |
| Step 6 | $30,603 | $1,177.04 | $14.66 | - |
| Step 7 | $31,477 | $1,210.65 | $15.08 | - |
| Step 8 | $32,351 | $1,244.27 | $15.50 | - |
| Step 9 | $33,225 | $1,277.88 | $15.92 | - |
| Step 10 | $34,099 | $1,311.50 | $16.34 | - |
2019 GS-4 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-4 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 | $26,233 | $1,008.96 | $12.57 | - |
| Step 2 | $27,107 | $1,042.58 | $12.99 | - |
| Step 3 | $27,981 | $1,076.19 | $13.41 | - |
| Step 4 | $28,855 | $1,109.81 | $13.83 | - |
| Step 5 | $29,729 | $1,143.42 | $14.24 | - |
| Step 6 | $30,603 | $1,177.04 | $14.66 | - |
| Step 7 | $31,477 | $1,210.65 | $15.08 | - |
| Step 8 | $32,351 | $1,244.27 | $15.50 | - |
| Step 9 | $33,225 | $1,277.88 | $15.92 | - |
| Step 10 | $34,099 | $1,311.50 | $16.34 | - |
Who is a GS-4?
Typical role. Office assistants, supply and inventory clerks, entry-level technicians and program aides.
Minimum qualifications. Two years of post-secondary education, an associate's degree, or one year of GS-3 equivalent experience.
Career progression. Usually promoted to GS-5 after one year in the grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-4 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-4 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-4 Step 1 | GS-4 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $36,818 | $47,858 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $34,906 | $45,372 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $34,769 | $45,195 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $34,489 | $44,830 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $33,925 | $44,097 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $33,812 | $43,950 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $33,806 | $43,943 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $33,788 | $43,920 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $33,649 | $43,739 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $33,591 | $43,664 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $33,266 | $43,241 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $33,132 | $43,067 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $33,064 | $42,978 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $32,946 | $42,825 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $32,870 | $42,726 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $32,584 | $42,354 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $32,529 | $42,283 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $32,301 | $41,986 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $32,298 | $41,983 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $31,910 | $41,478 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $31,632 | $41,117 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $31,598 | $41,072 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $31,535 | $40,990 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $31,477 | $40,915 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $31,393 | $40,806 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $31,375 | $40,782 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $31,341 | $40,738 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $31,317 | $40,707 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $31,264 | $40,639 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $31,212 | $40,571 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $31,181 | $40,530 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $31,115 | $40,445 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $31,013 | $40,312 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $30,813 | $40,053 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $30,742 | $39,961 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $30,742 | $39,961 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $30,706 | $39,913 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $30,703 | $39,909 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $30,638 | $39,824 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $30,609 | $39,787 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $30,601 | $39,776 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $30,588 | $39,759 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $30,580 | $39,749 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $30,559 | $39,722 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $30,517 | $39,667 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $30,483 | $39,623 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $30,477 | $39,616 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $30,449 | $39,579 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $30,433 | $39,558 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $30,407 | $39,524 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $30,396 | $39,511 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $30,370 | $39,476 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $30,344 | $39,442 |
Top and bottom GS-4 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-4 pay scale
GS-4 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Office assistants, supply and inventory clerks, entry-level technicians and program aides.
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-4 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-4 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-4 in 2019 is $26,233 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-4 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-4 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-4 to GS-5?
Promotion from GS-4 to GS-5 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-4 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-5 vacancy. Open the GS-5 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-4?
GS-4 is roughly equivalent to E-5 Sergeant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.