2020 GS-6 Pay Scale
The GS-6 base salary range for 2020 is $33,567 at Step 1, rising to $43,638 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-6 for 2020.
2020 GS-6 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-6 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $33,567 | $1,291.04 | $16.08 | - |
| Step 2 | $34,686 | $1,334.08 | $16.62 | - |
| Step 3 | $35,805 | $1,377.12 | $17.16 | - |
| Step 4 | $36,924 | $1,420.15 | $17.69 | - |
| Step 5 | $38,043 | $1,463.19 | $18.23 | - |
| Step 6 | $39,162 | $1,506.23 | $18.76 | - |
| Step 7 | $40,281 | $1,549.27 | $19.30 | - |
| Step 8 | $41,400 | $1,592.31 | $19.84 | - |
| Step 9 | $42,519 | $1,635.35 | $20.37 | - |
| Step 10 | $43,638 | $1,678.38 | $20.91 | - |
2020 GS-6 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-6 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 | $33,567 | $1,291.04 | $16.08 | - |
| Step 2 | $34,686 | $1,334.08 | $16.62 | - |
| Step 3 | $35,805 | $1,377.12 | $17.16 | - |
| Step 4 | $36,924 | $1,420.15 | $17.69 | - |
| Step 5 | $38,043 | $1,463.19 | $18.23 | - |
| Step 6 | $39,162 | $1,506.23 | $18.76 | - |
| Step 7 | $40,281 | $1,549.27 | $19.30 | - |
| Step 8 | $41,400 | $1,592.31 | $19.84 | - |
| Step 9 | $42,519 | $1,635.35 | $20.37 | - |
| Step 10 | $43,638 | $1,678.38 | $20.91 | - |
Who is a GS-6?
Typical role. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR specialists.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level, or a master's degree for some series.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-7 after one year of creditable experience in the grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-6 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-6 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-6 Step 1 | GS-6 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $47,477 | $61,722 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $44,973 | $58,466 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $44,752 | $58,178 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $44,446 | $57,781 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $43,798 | $56,939 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $43,560 | $56,629 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $43,526 | $56,585 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $43,466 | $56,507 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $43,338 | $56,341 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $43,164 | $56,114 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $42,738 | $55,560 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $42,674 | $55,477 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $42,637 | $55,429 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $42,419 | $55,145 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $42,308 | $55,001 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $41,952 | $54,539 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $41,845 | $54,399 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $41,536 | $53,998 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $41,459 | $53,897 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $41,005 | $53,308 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $40,603 | $52,785 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $40,556 | $52,723 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $40,465 | $52,606 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $40,445 | $52,579 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $40,348 | $52,453 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $40,321 | $52,418 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $40,287 | $52,374 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $40,264 | $52,344 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $40,230 | $52,300 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $40,133 | $52,174 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $40,079 | $52,104 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $40,005 | $52,008 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $39,904 | $51,877 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $39,666 | $51,567 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $39,569 | $51,440 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $39,535 | $51,397 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $39,502 | $51,353 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $39,492 | $51,340 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $39,421 | $51,248 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $39,341 | $51,144 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $39,337 | $51,139 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $39,317 | $51,113 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $39,287 | $51,074 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $39,247 | $51,022 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $39,236 | $51,008 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $39,196 | $50,956 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $39,183 | $50,939 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $39,166 | $50,917 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $39,126 | $50,864 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $39,109 | $50,843 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $39,048 | $50,764 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $39,025 | $50,734 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $38,921 | $50,598 |
Top and bottom GS-6 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-6 pay scale
GS-6 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR specialists.
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-6 questions for 2020
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What is the starting salary for GS-6 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-6 in 2020 is $33,567 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-6 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-6 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-6 to GS-7?
Promotion from GS-6 to GS-7 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-6 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-7 vacancy. Open the GS-7 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-6?
GS-6 is roughly equivalent to O-1 Second Lieutenant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.