2019 GS-5 Pay in San Francisco
GS-5 employees with a duty station in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA earn 40.35% on top of the base GS-5 pay scale. That means a GS-5 Step 1 salary jumps from $29,350 on the base table to $41,193 in San Francisco.
2019 GS-5 Pay in San Francisco
Locality-adjusted GS-5 rates for San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $41,193 | $1,584.35 | $19.74 | +$11,843 |
| Step 2 | $42,565 | $1,637.12 | $20.40 | +$12,237 |
| Step 3 | $43,938 | $1,689.92 | $21.05 | +$12,632 |
| Step 4 | $45,311 | $1,742.73 | $21.71 | +$13,027 |
| Step 5 | $46,683 | $1,795.50 | $22.37 | +$13,421 |
| Step 6 | $48,056 | $1,848.31 | $23.03 | +$13,816 |
| Step 7 | $49,428 | $1,901.08 | $23.68 | +$14,210 |
| Step 8 | $50,801 | $1,953.88 | $24.34 | +$14,605 |
| Step 9 | $52,174 | $2,006.69 | $25.00 | +$15,000 |
| Step 10 | $53,546 | $2,059.46 | $25.66 | +$15,394 |
2019 GS-5 pay table for San Francisco
Each step below already includes the 40.35% locality adjustment. The "Locality add-on" column shows how much locality pay is adding compared with the base GS-5 table.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $41,193 | $1,584.35 | $19.74 | +$11,843 |
| Step 2 | $42,565 | $1,637.12 | $20.40 | +$12,237 |
| Step 3 | $43,938 | $1,689.92 | $21.05 | +$12,632 |
| Step 4 | $45,311 | $1,742.73 | $21.71 | +$13,027 |
| Step 5 | $46,683 | $1,795.50 | $22.37 | +$13,421 |
| Step 6 | $48,056 | $1,848.31 | $23.03 | +$13,816 |
| Step 7 | $49,428 | $1,901.08 | $23.68 | +$14,210 |
| Step 8 | $50,801 | $1,953.88 | $24.34 | +$14,605 |
| Step 9 | $52,174 | $2,006.69 | $25.00 | +$15,000 |
| Step 10 | $53,546 | $2,059.46 | $25.66 | +$15,394 |
Base vs. locality comparison
How much more San Francisco pays
Step-increase waiting periods
GS-5 in San Francisco: what to expect
Entry-level professional and administrative positions, including many recent college graduates hired into program, budget, or HR roles.
For 2019, the San Francisco pay area adds a 40.35% locality adjustment on top of the nationwide base GS schedule. Every GS-5 employee assigned to this area benefits from that same percentage, regardless of step or series.
Qualifications and career path
Minimum qualifications. A bachelor's degree, three years of general experience, or one year at the GS-4 level.
Promotion path. GS-5 is a common ladder start. Typical progression is GS-5 → GS-7 → GS-9.
The rough military equivalent for GS-5 is E-6 Staff Sergeant, useful for comparing GS roles against enlisted and officer ranks when looking at pay or authority level.
Biweekly take-home for GS-5 in San Francisco
Before taxes and deductions, a GS-5 Step 1 employee in San Francisco earns roughly $1,584 per biweekly pay period. At Step 10 that rises to $2,059. Actual take-home will be lower after federal tax, state tax, TSP contributions, retirement and health insurance deductions.
Note. This is the archived 2019 table. For current pay, open the latest GS-5 San Francisco page.
Other grades in San Francisco
GS-5 in San Francisco questions
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How much does a GS-5 make in San Francisco?
In 2019, a GS-5 Step 1 employee in San Francisco earns $41,193 per year. At Step 10 the salary reaches $53,546. This is 40.35% higher than the base GS-5 salary. -
What is the locality adjustment for GS-5 in San Francisco?
The locality adjustment is the same for every grade and step within a pay area. For San Francisco in 2019, it is 40.35%. On a GS-5 Step 1 salary that translates to an extra $11,843 per year. -
What is the biweekly pay for GS-5 in San Francisco?
Biweekly pay is annual salary divided by 26. A GS-5 Step 1 employee in San Francisco earns roughly $1,584 per pay period before tax and retirement deductions.