2019 GS-8 Pay Scale
The GS-8 base salary range for 2019 is $40,263 at Step 1, rising to $52,341 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-8 for 2019.
2019 GS-8 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-8 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $40,263 | $1,548.58 | $19.29 | - |
| Step 2 | $41,605 | $1,600.19 | $19.94 | - |
| Step 3 | $42,947 | $1,651.81 | $20.58 | - |
| Step 4 | $44,289 | $1,703.42 | $21.22 | - |
| Step 5 | $45,631 | $1,755.04 | $21.86 | - |
| Step 6 | $46,973 | $1,806.65 | $22.51 | - |
| Step 7 | $48,315 | $1,858.27 | $23.15 | - |
| Step 8 | $49,657 | $1,909.88 | $23.79 | - |
| Step 9 | $50,999 | $1,961.50 | $24.44 | - |
| Step 10 | $52,341 | $2,013.12 | $25.08 | - |
2019 GS-8 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-8 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 | $40,263 | $1,548.58 | $19.29 | - |
| Step 2 | $41,605 | $1,600.19 | $19.94 | - |
| Step 3 | $42,947 | $1,651.81 | $20.58 | - |
| Step 4 | $44,289 | $1,703.42 | $21.22 | - |
| Step 5 | $45,631 | $1,755.04 | $21.86 | - |
| Step 6 | $46,973 | $1,806.65 | $22.51 | - |
| Step 7 | $48,315 | $1,858.27 | $23.15 | - |
| Step 8 | $49,657 | $1,909.88 | $23.79 | - |
| Step 9 | $50,999 | $1,961.50 | $24.44 | - |
| Step 10 | $52,341 | $2,013.12 | $25.08 | - |
Who is a GS-8?
Typical role. Senior technicians, investigators and lead administrative support. Less common than GS-7 or GS-9, often reserved for specialized technical work.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-9 after one year in grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-8 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-8 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-8 Step 1 | GS-8 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $56,509 | $73,461 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $53,574 | $69,645 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $53,365 | $69,373 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $52,934 | $68,813 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $52,068 | $67,687 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $51,895 | $67,462 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $51,887 | $67,452 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $51,859 | $67,415 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $51,645 | $67,138 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $51,557 | $67,023 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $51,058 | $66,374 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $50,852 | $66,107 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $50,747 | $65,971 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $50,566 | $65,735 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $50,450 | $65,583 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $50,011 | $65,013 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $49,926 | $64,903 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $49,576 | $64,447 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $49,572 | $64,442 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $48,976 | $63,668 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $48,549 | $63,113 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $48,497 | $63,045 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $48,400 | $62,919 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $48,312 | $62,804 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $48,183 | $62,636 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $48,155 | $62,600 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $48,102 | $62,532 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $48,066 | $62,485 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $47,985 | $62,380 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $47,905 | $62,275 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $47,857 | $62,213 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $47,756 | $62,082 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $47,599 | $61,878 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $47,293 | $61,480 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $47,184 | $61,338 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $47,184 | $61,338 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $47,128 | $61,265 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $47,124 | $61,260 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $47,023 | $61,129 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $46,979 | $61,071 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $46,967 | $61,056 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $46,947 | $61,030 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $46,935 | $61,014 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $46,902 | $60,972 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $46,838 | $60,888 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $46,786 | $60,820 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $46,778 | $60,810 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $46,733 | $60,752 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $46,709 | $60,721 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $46,669 | $60,668 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $46,653 | $60,648 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $46,612 | $60,595 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $46,572 | $60,543 |
Top and bottom GS-8 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-8 pay scale
GS-8 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior technicians, investigators and lead administrative support. Less common than GS-7 or GS-9, often reserved for specialized technical work.
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-8 questions for 2019
-
What is the starting salary for GS-8 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-8 in 2019 is $40,263 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-8 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-8 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-8 to GS-9?
Promotion from GS-8 to GS-9 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-8 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-9 vacancy. Open the GS-9 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-8?
GS-8 is roughly equivalent to O-3 Captain. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.