2020 GS-10 Pay Scale
The GS-10 base salary range for 2020 is $50,246 at Step 1, rising to $65,321 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-10 for 2020.
2020 GS-10 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-10 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $50,246 | $1,932.54 | $24.08 | - |
| Step 2 | $51,921 | $1,996.96 | $24.88 | - |
| Step 3 | $53,596 | $2,061.38 | $25.68 | - |
| Step 4 | $55,271 | $2,125.81 | $26.48 | - |
| Step 5 | $56,946 | $2,190.23 | $27.29 | - |
| Step 6 | $58,621 | $2,254.65 | $28.09 | - |
| Step 7 | $60,296 | $2,319.08 | $28.89 | - |
| Step 8 | $61,971 | $2,383.50 | $29.69 | - |
| Step 9 | $63,646 | $2,447.92 | $30.50 | - |
| Step 10 | $65,321 | $2,512.35 | $31.30 | - |
2020 GS-10 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-10 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 | $50,246 | $1,932.54 | $24.08 | - |
| Step 2 | $51,921 | $1,996.96 | $24.88 | - |
| Step 3 | $53,596 | $2,061.38 | $25.68 | - |
| Step 4 | $55,271 | $2,125.81 | $26.48 | - |
| Step 5 | $56,946 | $2,190.23 | $27.29 | - |
| Step 6 | $58,621 | $2,254.65 | $28.09 | - |
| Step 7 | $60,296 | $2,319.08 | $28.89 | - |
| Step 8 | $61,971 | $2,383.50 | $29.69 | - |
| Step 9 | $63,646 | $2,447.92 | $30.50 | - |
| Step 10 | $65,321 | $2,512.35 | $31.30 | - |
Who is a GS-10?
Typical role. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, plus agency-specific requirements.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-11 after one year of creditable experience in grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-10 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-10 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-10 Step 1 | GS-10 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $71,068 | $92,390 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $67,320 | $87,517 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $66,988 | $87,086 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $66,531 | $86,492 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $65,561 | $85,231 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $65,204 | $84,767 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $65,154 | $84,702 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $65,064 | $84,584 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $64,873 | $84,336 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $64,611 | $83,996 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $63,973 | $83,167 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $63,878 | $83,043 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $63,822 | $82,971 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $63,496 | $82,546 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $63,330 | $82,331 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $62,797 | $81,638 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $62,637 | $81,429 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $62,174 | $80,828 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $62,059 | $80,678 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $61,381 | $79,796 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $60,778 | $79,012 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $60,707 | $78,921 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $60,572 | $78,744 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $60,541 | $78,705 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $60,396 | $78,516 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $60,355 | $78,464 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $60,305 | $78,398 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $60,270 | $78,353 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $60,220 | $78,287 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $60,074 | $78,098 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $59,994 | $77,993 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $59,883 | $77,850 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $59,732 | $77,654 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $59,376 | $77,190 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $59,230 | $77,000 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $59,180 | $76,935 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $59,129 | $76,870 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $59,114 | $76,850 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $59,009 | $76,713 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $58,888 | $76,556 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $58,883 | $76,550 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $58,853 | $76,510 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $58,808 | $76,452 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $58,748 | $76,373 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $58,733 | $76,354 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $58,672 | $76,275 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $58,652 | $76,249 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $58,627 | $76,217 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $58,567 | $76,138 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $58,542 | $76,105 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $58,451 | $75,988 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $58,416 | $75,942 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $58,260 | $75,740 |
Top and bottom GS-10 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-10 pay scale
GS-10 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
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-10 questions for 2020
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What is the starting salary for GS-10 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-10 in 2020 is $50,246 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-10 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-10 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-10 to GS-11?
Promotion from GS-10 to GS-11 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-10 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-11 vacancy. Open the GS-11 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-10?
GS-10 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.