2019 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2019 is $44,471 at Step 1, rising to $57,809 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-9 for 2019.
2019 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $44,471 | $1,710.42 | $21.31 | - |
| Step 2 | $45,953 | $1,767.42 | $22.02 | - |
| Step 3 | $47,435 | $1,824.42 | $22.73 | - |
| Step 4 | $48,917 | $1,881.42 | $23.44 | - |
| Step 5 | $50,399 | $1,938.42 | $24.15 | - |
| Step 6 | $51,881 | $1,995.42 | $24.86 | - |
| Step 7 | $53,363 | $2,052.42 | $25.57 | - |
| Step 8 | $54,845 | $2,109.42 | $26.28 | - |
| Step 9 | $56,327 | $2,166.42 | $26.99 | - |
| Step 10 | $57,809 | $2,223.42 | $27.70 | - |
2019 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $44,471 | $1,710.42 | $21.31 | - |
| Step 2 | $45,953 | $1,767.42 | $22.02 | - |
| Step 3 | $47,435 | $1,824.42 | $22.73 | - |
| Step 4 | $48,917 | $1,881.42 | $23.44 | - |
| Step 5 | $50,399 | $1,938.42 | $24.15 | - |
| Step 6 | $51,881 | $1,995.42 | $24.86 | - |
| Step 7 | $53,363 | $2,052.42 | $25.57 | - |
| Step 8 | $54,845 | $2,109.42 | $26.28 | - |
| Step 9 | $56,327 | $2,166.42 | $26.99 | - |
| Step 10 | $57,809 | $2,223.42 | $27.70 | - |
Who is a GS-9?
Typical role. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT specialists.
Minimum qualifications. A master's degree or equivalent graduate education, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Career progression. Career-ladder promotion to GS-11 after one year of specialized GS-9 experience.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-9 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-9 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $62,415 | $81,135 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $59,173 | $76,921 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $58,942 | $76,620 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $58,466 | $76,001 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $57,510 | $74,759 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $57,319 | $74,510 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $57,310 | $74,498 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $57,279 | $74,458 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $57,043 | $74,152 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $56,945 | $74,024 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $56,394 | $73,308 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $56,167 | $73,013 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $56,051 | $72,862 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $55,851 | $72,602 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $55,722 | $72,435 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $55,237 | $71,805 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $55,144 | $71,683 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $54,757 | $71,180 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $54,753 | $71,174 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $54,095 | $70,319 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $53,623 | $69,706 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $53,565 | $69,631 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $53,459 | $69,492 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $53,361 | $69,365 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $53,218 | $69,180 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $53,187 | $69,140 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $53,130 | $69,064 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $53,089 | $69,012 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $53,001 | $68,897 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $52,912 | $68,781 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $52,858 | $68,712 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $52,747 | $68,567 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $52,574 | $68,342 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $52,236 | $67,902 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $52,116 | $67,746 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $52,116 | $67,746 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $52,053 | $67,665 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $52,049 | $67,660 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $51,938 | $67,515 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $51,889 | $67,452 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $51,875 | $67,434 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $51,853 | $67,405 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $51,840 | $67,388 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $51,804 | $67,342 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $51,733 | $67,249 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $51,675 | $67,174 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $51,666 | $67,162 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $51,617 | $67,099 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $51,591 | $67,064 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $51,546 | $67,006 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $51,529 | $66,983 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $51,484 | $66,925 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $51,440 | $66,868 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2019 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT 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-9 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2019 is $44,471 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), GS-9 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-9 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-9 to GS-10?
Promotion from GS-9 to GS-10 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-10 vacancy. Open the GS-10 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-9?
GS-9 is roughly equivalent to O-3 Captain. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.