2019 GS-5 Pay Scale
The GS-5 base salary range for 2019 is $29,350 at Step 1, rising to $38,152 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-5 for 2019.
2019 GS-5 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-5 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $29,350 | $1,128.85 | $14.06 | - |
| Step 2 | $30,328 | $1,166.46 | $14.53 | - |
| Step 3 | $31,306 | $1,204.08 | $15.00 | - |
| Step 4 | $32,284 | $1,241.69 | $15.47 | - |
| Step 5 | $33,262 | $1,279.31 | $15.94 | - |
| Step 6 | $34,240 | $1,316.92 | $16.41 | - |
| Step 7 | $35,218 | $1,354.54 | $16.87 | - |
| Step 8 | $36,196 | $1,392.15 | $17.34 | - |
| Step 9 | $37,174 | $1,429.77 | $17.81 | - |
| Step 10 | $38,152 | $1,467.38 | $18.28 | - |
2019 GS-5 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-5 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 | $29,350 | $1,128.85 | $14.06 | - |
| Step 2 | $30,328 | $1,166.46 | $14.53 | - |
| Step 3 | $31,306 | $1,204.08 | $15.00 | - |
| Step 4 | $32,284 | $1,241.69 | $15.47 | - |
| Step 5 | $33,262 | $1,279.31 | $15.94 | - |
| Step 6 | $34,240 | $1,316.92 | $16.41 | - |
| Step 7 | $35,218 | $1,354.54 | $16.87 | - |
| Step 8 | $36,196 | $1,392.15 | $17.34 | - |
| Step 9 | $37,174 | $1,429.77 | $17.81 | - |
| Step 10 | $38,152 | $1,467.38 | $18.28 | - |
Who is a GS-5?
Typical role. Entry-level professional and administrative positions, including many recent college graduates hired into program, budget, or HR roles.
Minimum qualifications. A bachelor's degree, three years of general experience, or one year at the GS-4 level.
Career progression. GS-5 is a common ladder start. Typical progression is GS-5 → GS-7 → GS-9.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-5 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-5 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-5 Step 1 | GS-5 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $41,193 | $53,546 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $39,053 | $50,765 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $38,900 | $50,567 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $38,586 | $50,158 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $37,955 | $49,338 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $37,829 | $49,174 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $37,823 | $49,166 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $37,803 | $49,140 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $37,647 | $48,938 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $37,583 | $48,854 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $37,219 | $48,381 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $37,069 | $48,186 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $36,993 | $48,087 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $36,861 | $47,915 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $36,776 | $47,804 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $36,456 | $47,389 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $36,394 | $47,308 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $36,139 | $46,977 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $36,136 | $46,973 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $35,701 | $46,408 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $35,390 | $46,004 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $35,352 | $45,954 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $35,282 | $45,863 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $35,217 | $45,779 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $35,123 | $45,656 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $35,103 | $45,630 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $35,064 | $45,580 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $35,038 | $45,546 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $34,979 | $45,470 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $34,921 | $45,393 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $34,885 | $45,347 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $34,812 | $45,252 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $34,698 | $45,103 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $34,475 | $44,813 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $34,395 | $44,710 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $34,395 | $44,710 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $34,354 | $44,657 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $34,351 | $44,653 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $34,278 | $44,558 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $34,246 | $44,516 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $34,237 | $44,504 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $34,222 | $44,485 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $34,213 | $44,474 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $34,190 | $44,443 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $34,143 | $44,382 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $34,105 | $44,333 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $34,099 | $44,325 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $34,067 | $44,283 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $34,049 | $44,260 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $34,020 | $44,222 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $34,008 | $44,207 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $33,978 | $44,169 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $33,949 | $44,130 |
Top and bottom GS-5 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-5 pay scale
GS-5 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Entry-level professional and administrative positions, including many recent college graduates hired into program, budget, or HR roles.
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-5 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-5 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-5 in 2019 is $29,350 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-5 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-5 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-5 to GS-6?
Promotion from GS-5 to GS-6 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-6 vacancy. Open the GS-6 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-5?
GS-5 is roughly equivalent to E-6 Staff Sergeant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.