2020 GS-11 Pay Scale
The GS-11 base salary range for 2020 is $55,204 at Step 1, rising to $71,764 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-11 for 2020.
2020 GS-11 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-11 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $55,204 | $2,123.23 | $26.45 | - |
| Step 2 | $57,044 | $2,194.00 | $27.33 | - |
| Step 3 | $58,884 | $2,264.77 | $28.21 | - |
| Step 4 | $60,724 | $2,335.54 | $29.10 | - |
| Step 5 | $62,564 | $2,406.31 | $29.98 | - |
| Step 6 | $64,404 | $2,477.08 | $30.86 | - |
| Step 7 | $66,244 | $2,547.85 | $31.74 | - |
| Step 8 | $68,084 | $2,618.62 | $32.62 | - |
| Step 9 | $69,924 | $2,689.38 | $33.50 | - |
| Step 10 | $71,764 | $2,760.15 | $34.39 | - |
2020 GS-11 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-11 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 | $55,204 | $2,123.23 | $26.45 | - |
| Step 2 | $57,044 | $2,194.00 | $27.33 | - |
| Step 3 | $58,884 | $2,264.77 | $28.21 | - |
| Step 4 | $60,724 | $2,335.54 | $29.10 | - |
| Step 5 | $62,564 | $2,406.31 | $29.98 | - |
| Step 6 | $64,404 | $2,477.08 | $30.86 | - |
| Step 7 | $66,244 | $2,547.85 | $31.74 | - |
| Step 8 | $68,084 | $2,618.62 | $32.62 | - |
| Step 9 | $69,924 | $2,689.38 | $33.50 | - |
| Step 10 | $71,764 | $2,760.15 | $34.39 | - |
Who is a GS-11?
Typical role. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
Minimum qualifications. A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level.
Career progression. Typical career ladder peak for entry-level hires; competitive promotion to GS-12 requires vacancy and supervisory selection.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-11 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-11 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-11 Step 1 | GS-11 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $78,081 | $101,503 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $73,962 | $96,149 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $73,598 | $95,676 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $73,096 | $95,023 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $72,030 | $93,638 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $71,638 | $93,128 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $71,583 | $93,056 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $71,484 | $92,927 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $71,274 | $92,655 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $70,987 | $92,281 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $70,286 | $91,370 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $70,181 | $91,234 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $70,120 | $91,155 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $69,761 | $90,688 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $69,579 | $90,451 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $68,994 | $89,691 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $68,817 | $89,461 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $68,309 | $88,801 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $68,182 | $88,636 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $67,437 | $87,667 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $66,775 | $86,806 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $66,697 | $86,705 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $66,548 | $86,512 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $66,515 | $86,468 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $66,355 | $86,260 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $66,311 | $86,203 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $66,256 | $86,131 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $66,217 | $86,081 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $66,162 | $86,009 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $66,002 | $85,801 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $65,914 | $85,686 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $65,792 | $85,528 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $65,627 | $85,313 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $65,235 | $84,804 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $65,074 | $84,595 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $65,019 | $84,524 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $64,964 | $84,452 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $64,948 | $84,430 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $64,832 | $84,280 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $64,699 | $84,107 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $64,694 | $84,100 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $64,660 | $84,057 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $64,611 | $83,993 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $64,545 | $83,906 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $64,528 | $83,885 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $64,462 | $83,799 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $64,440 | $83,770 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $64,412 | $83,734 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $64,346 | $83,648 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $64,318 | $83,612 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $64,219 | $83,483 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $64,180 | $83,433 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $64,009 | $83,210 |
Top and bottom GS-11 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-11 pay scale
GS-11 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
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-11 questions for 2020
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What is the starting salary for GS-11 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-11 in 2020 is $55,204 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-11 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-11 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-11 to GS-12?
Promotion from GS-11 to GS-12 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-12 vacancy. Open the GS-12 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-11?
GS-11 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.