2020 GS-13 Pay Scale
The GS-13 base salary range for 2020 is $78,681 at Step 1, rising to $102,288 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-13 for 2020.
2020 GS-13 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-13 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $78,681 | $3,026.19 | $37.70 | - |
| Step 2 | $81,304 | $3,127.08 | $38.96 | - |
| Step 3 | $83,927 | $3,227.96 | $40.21 | - |
| Step 4 | $86,550 | $3,328.85 | $41.47 | - |
| Step 5 | $89,173 | $3,429.73 | $42.73 | - |
| Step 6 | $91,796 | $3,530.62 | $43.98 | - |
| Step 7 | $94,419 | $3,631.50 | $45.24 | - |
| Step 8 | $97,042 | $3,732.38 | $46.50 | - |
| Step 9 | $99,665 | $3,833.27 | $47.76 | - |
| Step 10 | $102,288 | $3,934.15 | $49.01 | - |
2020 GS-13 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-13 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 | $78,681 | $3,026.19 | $37.70 | - |
| Step 2 | $81,304 | $3,127.08 | $38.96 | - |
| Step 3 | $83,927 | $3,227.96 | $40.21 | - |
| Step 4 | $86,550 | $3,328.85 | $41.47 | - |
| Step 5 | $89,173 | $3,429.73 | $42.73 | - |
| Step 6 | $91,796 | $3,530.62 | $43.98 | - |
| Step 7 | $94,419 | $3,631.50 | $45.24 | - |
| Step 8 | $97,042 | $3,732.38 | $46.50 | - |
| Step 9 | $99,665 | $3,833.27 | $47.76 | - |
| Step 10 | $102,288 | $3,934.15 | $49.01 | - |
Who is a GS-13?
Typical role. Senior specialists, first-line supervisors and subject-matter experts. Many IT, acquisition, legal and program-manager roles live at GS-13.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-14 requires a GS-14 vacancy, often with supervisory responsibilities.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-13 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-13 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-13 Step 1 | GS-13 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $111,286 | $144,676 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $105,417 | $137,045 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $104,898 | $136,370 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $104,182 | $135,440 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $102,663 | $133,465 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $102,104 | $132,739 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $102,026 | $132,637 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $101,884 | $132,453 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $101,585 | $132,064 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $101,176 | $131,532 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $100,177 | $130,233 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $100,027 | $130,039 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $99,941 | $129,926 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $99,429 | $129,261 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $99,170 | $128,924 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $98,336 | $127,840 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $98,084 | $127,512 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $97,360 | $126,571 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $97,179 | $126,336 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $96,117 | $124,955 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $95,173 | $123,728 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $95,062 | $123,584 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $94,850 | $123,308 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $94,803 | $123,247 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $94,575 | $122,950 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $94,512 | $122,868 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $94,433 | $122,766 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $94,378 | $122,694 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $94,299 | $122,592 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $94,071 | $122,296 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $93,945 | $122,132 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $93,772 | $121,907 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $93,536 | $121,600 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $92,977 | $120,874 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $92,749 | $120,577 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $92,670 | $120,475 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $92,592 | $120,373 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $92,568 | $120,342 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $92,403 | $120,127 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $92,214 | $119,882 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $92,206 | $119,871 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $92,159 | $119,810 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $92,088 | $119,718 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $91,994 | $119,595 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $91,970 | $119,564 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $91,876 | $119,442 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $91,844 | $119,401 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $91,805 | $119,350 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $91,711 | $119,227 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $91,671 | $119,176 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $91,530 | $118,992 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $91,475 | $118,920 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $91,231 | $118,603 |
Top and bottom GS-13 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-13 pay scale
GS-13 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior specialists, first-line supervisors and subject-matter experts. Many IT, acquisition, legal and program-manager roles live at GS-13.
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-13 questions for 2020
-
What is the starting salary for GS-13 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-13 in 2020 is $78,681 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-13 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-13 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-13 to GS-14?
Promotion from GS-13 to GS-14 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-14 vacancy. Open the GS-14 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-13?
GS-13 is roughly equivalent to O-5 Lieutenant Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.