2020 GS-2 Pay Scale
The GS-2 base salary range for 2020 is $21,974 at Step 1, rising to $27,653 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-2 for 2020.
2020 GS-2 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-2 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $21,974 | $845.15 | $10.53 | - |
| Step 2 | $22,497 | $865.27 | $10.78 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,225 | $893.27 | $11.13 | - |
| Step 4 | $23,840 | $916.92 | $11.42 | - |
| Step 5 | $24,108 | $927.23 | $11.55 | - |
| Step 6 | $24,817 | $954.50 | $11.89 | - |
| Step 7 | $25,526 | $981.77 | $12.23 | - |
| Step 8 | $26,235 | $1,009.04 | $12.57 | - |
| Step 9 | $26,944 | $1,036.31 | $12.91 | - |
| Step 10 | $27,653 | $1,063.58 | $13.25 | - |
2020 GS-2 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-2 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 | $21,974 | $845.15 | $10.53 | - |
| Step 2 | $22,497 | $865.27 | $10.78 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,225 | $893.27 | $11.13 | - |
| Step 4 | $23,840 | $916.92 | $11.42 | - |
| Step 5 | $24,108 | $927.23 | $11.55 | - |
| Step 6 | $24,817 | $954.50 | $11.89 | - |
| Step 7 | $25,526 | $981.77 | $12.23 | - |
| Step 8 | $26,235 | $1,009.04 | $12.57 | - |
| Step 9 | $26,944 | $1,036.31 | $12.91 | - |
| Step 10 | $27,653 | $1,063.58 | $13.25 | - |
Who is a GS-2?
Typical role. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
Minimum qualifications. High school or equivalent, or three months of general experience.
Career progression. Most GS-2 employees advance to GS-3 after one year.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-2 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-2 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-2 Step 1 | GS-2 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $31,080 | $39,112 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $29,441 | $37,049 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $29,296 | $36,867 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $29,096 | $36,615 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $28,672 | $36,082 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $28,516 | $35,885 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $28,494 | $35,858 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $28,454 | $35,808 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $28,371 | $35,703 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $28,256 | $35,559 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $27,977 | $35,208 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $27,936 | $35,155 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $27,911 | $35,125 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $27,769 | $34,945 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $27,696 | $34,854 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $27,463 | $34,561 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $27,393 | $34,472 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $27,191 | $34,218 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $27,140 | $34,154 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $26,843 | $33,781 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $26,580 | $33,449 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $26,549 | $33,410 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $26,490 | $33,336 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $26,476 | $33,319 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $26,413 | $33,239 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $26,395 | $33,217 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $26,373 | $33,189 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $26,358 | $33,170 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $26,336 | $33,142 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $26,272 | $33,062 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $26,237 | $33,018 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $26,189 | $32,957 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $26,123 | $32,874 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $25,967 | $32,678 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $25,903 | $32,597 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $25,881 | $32,570 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $25,859 | $32,542 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $25,852 | $32,534 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $25,806 | $32,476 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $25,754 | $32,409 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $25,751 | $32,407 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $25,738 | $32,390 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $25,718 | $32,365 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $25,692 | $32,332 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $25,685 | $32,324 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $25,659 | $32,290 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $25,650 | $32,279 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $25,639 | $32,266 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $25,613 | $32,232 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $25,602 | $32,219 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $25,562 | $32,169 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $25,547 | $32,149 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $25,479 | $32,064 |
Top and bottom GS-2 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-2 pay scale
GS-2 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
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-2 questions for 2020
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What is the starting salary for GS-2 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-2 in 2020 is $21,974 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-2 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-2 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-2 to GS-3?
Promotion from GS-2 to GS-3 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-2 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-3 vacancy. Open the GS-3 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-2?
GS-2 is roughly equivalent to E-3 Private First Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.