2020 GS-12 Pay Scale
The GS-12 base salary range for 2020 is $66,167 at Step 1, rising to $86,021 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-12 for 2020.
2020 GS-12 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-12 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $66,167 | $2,544.88 | $31.70 | - |
| Step 2 | $68,373 | $2,629.73 | $32.76 | - |
| Step 3 | $70,579 | $2,714.58 | $33.82 | - |
| Step 4 | $72,785 | $2,799.42 | $34.88 | - |
| Step 5 | $74,991 | $2,884.27 | $35.93 | - |
| Step 6 | $77,197 | $2,969.12 | $36.99 | - |
| Step 7 | $79,403 | $3,053.96 | $38.05 | - |
| Step 8 | $81,609 | $3,138.81 | $39.10 | - |
| Step 9 | $83,815 | $3,223.65 | $40.16 | - |
| Step 10 | $86,021 | $3,308.50 | $41.22 | - |
2020 GS-12 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-12 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 | $66,167 | $2,544.88 | $31.70 | - |
| Step 2 | $68,373 | $2,629.73 | $32.76 | - |
| Step 3 | $70,579 | $2,714.58 | $33.82 | - |
| Step 4 | $72,785 | $2,799.42 | $34.88 | - |
| Step 5 | $74,991 | $2,884.27 | $35.93 | - |
| Step 6 | $77,197 | $2,969.12 | $36.99 | - |
| Step 7 | $79,403 | $3,053.96 | $38.05 | - |
| Step 8 | $81,609 | $3,138.81 | $39.10 | - |
| Step 9 | $83,815 | $3,223.65 | $40.16 | - |
| Step 10 | $86,021 | $3,308.50 | $41.22 | - |
Who is a GS-12?
Typical role. Experienced professionals and working-level experts. This is the most common GS grade for mid-career federal employees. Many policy, acquisition, engineering and scientific specialists sit at GS-12.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-13 requires a GS-13 vacancy and selection on merit.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-12 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-12 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-12 Step 1 | GS-12 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $93,587 | $121,668 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $88,651 | $115,251 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $88,214 | $114,683 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $87,612 | $113,900 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $86,335 | $112,240 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $85,865 | $111,629 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $85,799 | $111,543 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $85,680 | $111,389 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $85,428 | $111,062 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $85,084 | $110,614 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $84,244 | $109,522 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $84,118 | $109,358 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $84,045 | $109,264 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $83,615 | $108,705 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $83,397 | $108,421 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $82,696 | $107,509 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $82,484 | $107,234 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $81,875 | $106,442 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $81,723 | $106,245 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $80,830 | $105,083 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $80,036 | $104,051 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $79,943 | $103,931 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $79,764 | $103,698 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $79,725 | $103,647 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $79,533 | $103,397 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $79,480 | $103,328 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $79,414 | $103,242 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $79,367 | $103,182 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $79,301 | $103,096 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $79,109 | $102,847 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $79,003 | $102,709 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $78,858 | $102,520 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $78,659 | $102,262 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $78,190 | $101,651 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $77,998 | $101,402 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $77,931 | $101,316 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $77,865 | $101,230 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $77,845 | $101,204 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $77,707 | $101,023 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $77,548 | $100,817 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $77,541 | $100,808 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $77,501 | $100,756 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $77,442 | $100,679 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $77,362 | $100,576 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $77,343 | $100,550 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $77,263 | $100,447 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $77,237 | $100,412 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $77,204 | $100,369 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $77,124 | $100,266 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $77,091 | $100,223 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $76,972 | $100,068 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $76,926 | $100,008 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $76,721 | $99,741 |
Top and bottom GS-12 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-12 pay scale
GS-12 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Experienced professionals and working-level experts. This is the most common GS grade for mid-career federal employees. Many policy, acquisition, engineering and scientific specialists sit at GS-12.
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-12 questions for 2020
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What is the starting salary for GS-12 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-12 in 2020 is $66,167 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-12 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-12 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-12 to GS-13?
Promotion from GS-12 to GS-13 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-13 vacancy. Open the GS-13 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-12?
GS-12 is roughly equivalent to O-5 Lieutenant Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.