2020 GS-1 Pay Scale
The GS-1 base salary range for 2020 is $19,543 at Step 1, rising to $24,448 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-1 for 2020.
2020 GS-1 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-1 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $19,543 | $751.65 | $9.36 | - |
| Step 2 | $20,198 | $776.85 | $9.68 | - |
| Step 3 | $20,848 | $801.85 | $9.99 | - |
| Step 4 | $21,494 | $826.69 | $10.30 | - |
| Step 5 | $22,144 | $851.69 | $10.61 | - |
| Step 6 | $22,524 | $866.31 | $10.79 | - |
| Step 7 | $23,166 | $891.00 | $11.10 | - |
| Step 8 | $23,814 | $915.92 | $11.41 | - |
| Step 9 | $23,840 | $916.92 | $11.42 | - |
| Step 10 | $24,448 | $940.31 | $11.71 | - |
2020 GS-1 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-1 salary schedule for 2020, 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 | $19,543 | $751.65 | $9.36 | - |
| Step 2 | $20,198 | $776.85 | $9.68 | - |
| Step 3 | $20,848 | $801.85 | $9.99 | - |
| Step 4 | $21,494 | $826.69 | $10.30 | - |
| Step 5 | $22,144 | $851.69 | $10.61 | - |
| Step 6 | $22,524 | $866.31 | $10.79 | - |
| Step 7 | $23,166 | $891.00 | $11.10 | - |
| Step 8 | $23,814 | $915.92 | $11.41 | - |
| Step 9 | $23,840 | $916.92 | $11.42 | - |
| Step 10 | $24,448 | $940.31 | $11.71 | - |
Who is a GS-1?
Typical role. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.
Minimum qualifications. No formal education or experience required. Generally filled by workers with basic literacy and ability to follow simple instructions.
Career progression. Promotion to GS-2 typically follows one year of satisfactory service.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-1 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-1 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-1 Step 1 | GS-1 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $27,642 | $34,579 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $26,184 | $32,755 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $26,055 | $32,594 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $25,877 | $32,372 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $25,500 | $31,900 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $25,361 | $31,726 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $25,341 | $31,702 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $25,306 | $31,658 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $25,232 | $31,565 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $25,130 | $31,438 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $24,882 | $31,127 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $24,845 | $31,081 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $24,824 | $31,054 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $24,696 | $30,895 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $24,632 | $30,814 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $24,425 | $30,555 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $24,362 | $30,477 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $24,183 | $30,252 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $24,138 | $30,196 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $23,874 | $29,866 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $23,639 | $29,572 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $23,612 | $29,538 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $23,559 | $29,472 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $23,547 | $29,457 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $23,491 | $29,386 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $23,475 | $29,367 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $23,456 | $29,342 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $23,442 | $29,325 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $23,422 | $29,301 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $23,366 | $29,230 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $23,334 | $29,191 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $23,291 | $29,137 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $23,233 | $29,064 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $23,094 | $28,890 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $23,037 | $28,819 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $23,018 | $28,795 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $22,998 | $28,770 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $22,992 | $28,763 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $22,951 | $28,712 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $22,904 | $28,653 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $22,902 | $28,651 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $22,891 | $28,636 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $22,873 | $28,614 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $22,850 | $28,585 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $22,844 | $28,577 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $22,820 | $28,548 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $22,813 | $28,538 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $22,803 | $28,526 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $22,779 | $28,497 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $22,770 | $28,484 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $22,734 | $28,440 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $22,721 | $28,423 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $22,660 | $28,347 |
Top and bottom GS-1 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-1 pay scale
GS-1 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.
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 2020
GS-1 questions for 2020
-
What is the starting salary for GS-1 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-1 in 2020 is $19,543 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-1 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-1 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-1 to GS-2?
Promotion from GS-1 to GS-2 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-1 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-2 vacancy. Open the GS-2 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-1?
GS-1 is roughly equivalent to E-2 Private Second Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.