2020 GS-14 Pay Scale
The GS-14 base salary range for 2020 is $92,977 at Step 1, rising to $120,868 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-14 for 2020.
2020 GS-14 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-14 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $92,977 | $3,576.04 | $44.55 | - |
| Step 2 | $96,076 | $3,695.23 | $46.04 | - |
| Step 3 | $99,175 | $3,814.42 | $47.52 | - |
| Step 4 | $102,274 | $3,933.62 | $49.01 | - |
| Step 5 | $105,373 | $4,052.81 | $50.49 | - |
| Step 6 | $108,472 | $4,172.00 | $51.98 | - |
| Step 7 | $111,571 | $4,291.19 | $53.46 | - |
| Step 8 | $114,670 | $4,410.38 | $54.94 | - |
| Step 9 | $117,769 | $4,529.58 | $56.43 | - |
| Step 10 | $120,868 | $4,648.77 | $57.91 | - |
2020 GS-14 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-14 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 | $92,977 | $3,576.04 | $44.55 | - |
| Step 2 | $96,076 | $3,695.23 | $46.04 | - |
| Step 3 | $99,175 | $3,814.42 | $47.52 | - |
| Step 4 | $102,274 | $3,933.62 | $49.01 | - |
| Step 5 | $105,373 | $4,052.81 | $50.49 | - |
| Step 6 | $108,472 | $4,172.00 | $51.98 | - |
| Step 7 | $111,571 | $4,291.19 | $53.46 | - |
| Step 8 | $114,670 | $4,410.38 | $54.94 | - |
| Step 9 | $117,769 | $4,529.58 | $56.43 | - |
| Step 10 | $120,868 | $4,648.77 | $57.91 | - |
Who is a GS-14?
Typical role. Supervisory managers, senior program leads and senior technical experts. Many agency branch chiefs sit at GS-14.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-15 is selective; many GS-14 employees reach this grade as a career peak.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-14 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-14 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-14 Step 1 | GS-14 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $131,507 | $170,800 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $124,571 | $161,939 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $123,957 | $161,141 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $123,111 | $160,041 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $121,316 | $157,709 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $120,656 | $156,850 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $120,563 | $156,730 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $120,396 | $156,512 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $120,043 | $156,053 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $119,559 | $155,424 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $118,378 | $153,889 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $118,202 | $153,659 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $118,099 | $153,527 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $117,495 | $152,741 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $117,188 | $152,342 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $116,203 | $151,061 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $115,905 | $150,674 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $115,050 | $149,562 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $114,836 | $149,284 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $113,581 | $147,652 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $112,465 | $146,202 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $112,335 | $146,033 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $112,084 | $145,706 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $112,028 | $145,634 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $111,758 | $145,283 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $111,684 | $145,187 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $111,591 | $145,066 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $111,526 | $144,981 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $111,433 | $144,860 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $111,163 | $144,510 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $111,015 | $144,316 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $110,810 | $144,050 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $110,531 | $143,688 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $109,871 | $142,830 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $109,601 | $142,479 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $109,508 | $142,358 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $109,415 | $142,237 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $109,387 | $142,201 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $109,192 | $141,947 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $108,969 | $141,657 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $108,960 | $141,645 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $108,904 | $141,573 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $108,820 | $141,464 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $108,709 | $141,319 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $108,681 | $141,283 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $108,569 | $141,138 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $108,532 | $141,089 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $108,486 | $141,029 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $108,374 | $140,884 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $108,328 | $140,823 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $108,160 | $140,606 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $108,095 | $140,521 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $107,807 | $140,146 |
Top and bottom GS-14 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-14 pay scale
GS-14 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Supervisory managers, senior program leads and senior technical experts. Many agency branch chiefs sit at GS-14.
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-14 questions for 2020
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What is the starting salary for GS-14 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-14 in 2020 is $92,977 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-14 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-14 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-14 to GS-15?
Promotion from GS-14 to GS-15 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-14 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-15 vacancy. Open the GS-15 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-14?
GS-14 is roughly equivalent to O-6 Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.