2019 GS-6 Pay Scale
The GS-6 base salary range for 2019 is $32,716 at Step 1, rising to $42,535 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-6 for 2019.
2019 GS-6 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-6 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $32,716 | $1,258.31 | $15.68 | - |
| Step 2 | $33,807 | $1,300.27 | $16.20 | - |
| Step 3 | $34,898 | $1,342.23 | $16.72 | - |
| Step 4 | $35,989 | $1,384.19 | $17.24 | - |
| Step 5 | $37,080 | $1,426.15 | $17.77 | - |
| Step 6 | $38,171 | $1,468.12 | $18.29 | - |
| Step 7 | $39,262 | $1,510.08 | $18.81 | - |
| Step 8 | $40,353 | $1,552.04 | $19.34 | - |
| Step 9 | $41,444 | $1,594.00 | $19.86 | - |
| Step 10 | $42,535 | $1,635.96 | $20.38 | - |
2019 GS-6 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-6 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 | $32,716 | $1,258.31 | $15.68 | - |
| Step 2 | $33,807 | $1,300.27 | $16.20 | - |
| Step 3 | $34,898 | $1,342.23 | $16.72 | - |
| Step 4 | $35,989 | $1,384.19 | $17.24 | - |
| Step 5 | $37,080 | $1,426.15 | $17.77 | - |
| Step 6 | $38,171 | $1,468.12 | $18.29 | - |
| Step 7 | $39,262 | $1,510.08 | $18.81 | - |
| Step 8 | $40,353 | $1,552.04 | $19.34 | - |
| Step 9 | $41,444 | $1,594.00 | $19.86 | - |
| Step 10 | $42,535 | $1,635.96 | $20.38 | - |
Who is a GS-6?
Typical role. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR specialists.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level, or a master's degree for some series.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-7 after one year of creditable experience in the grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-6 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-6 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-6 Step 1 | GS-6 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $45,917 | $59,698 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $43,532 | $56,597 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $43,362 | $56,376 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $43,012 | $55,921 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $42,308 | $55,006 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $42,168 | $54,823 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $42,161 | $54,815 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $42,138 | $54,785 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $41,965 | $54,560 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $41,893 | $54,466 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $41,487 | $53,939 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $41,320 | $53,722 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $41,235 | $53,611 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $41,088 | $53,420 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $40,993 | $53,296 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $40,637 | $52,833 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $40,568 | $52,743 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $40,283 | $52,373 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $40,280 | $52,369 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $39,796 | $51,740 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $39,449 | $51,289 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $39,406 | $51,233 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $39,328 | $51,131 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $39,256 | $51,038 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $39,151 | $50,902 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $39,128 | $50,872 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $39,086 | $50,817 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $39,056 | $50,778 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $38,991 | $50,693 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $38,925 | $50,608 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $38,886 | $50,557 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $38,804 | $50,451 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $38,677 | $50,285 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $38,428 | $49,962 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $38,340 | $49,847 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $38,340 | $49,847 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $38,294 | $49,787 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $38,291 | $49,783 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $38,209 | $49,677 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $38,173 | $49,630 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $38,163 | $49,617 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $38,147 | $49,596 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $38,137 | $49,583 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $38,111 | $49,549 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $38,059 | $49,481 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $38,016 | $49,426 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $38,009 | $49,417 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $37,973 | $49,370 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $37,954 | $49,345 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $37,921 | $49,302 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $37,908 | $49,285 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $37,875 | $49,243 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $37,843 | $49,200 |
Top and bottom GS-6 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-6 pay scale
GS-6 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR specialists.
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-6 questions for 2019
-
What is the starting salary for GS-6 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-6 in 2019 is $32,716 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-6 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-6 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-6 to GS-7?
Promotion from GS-6 to GS-7 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-6 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-7 vacancy. Open the GS-7 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-6?
GS-6 is roughly equivalent to O-1 Second Lieutenant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.