2020 GS-8 Pay Scale
The GS-8 base salary range for 2020 is $41,310 at Step 1, rising to $53,703 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-8 for 2020.
2020 GS-8 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-8 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $41,310 | $1,588.85 | $19.79 | - |
| Step 2 | $42,687 | $1,641.81 | $20.45 | - |
| Step 3 | $44,064 | $1,694.77 | $21.11 | - |
| Step 4 | $45,441 | $1,747.73 | $21.77 | - |
| Step 5 | $46,818 | $1,800.69 | $22.43 | - |
| Step 6 | $48,195 | $1,853.65 | $23.09 | - |
| Step 7 | $49,572 | $1,906.62 | $23.75 | - |
| Step 8 | $50,949 | $1,959.58 | $24.41 | - |
| Step 9 | $52,326 | $2,012.54 | $25.07 | - |
| Step 10 | $53,703 | $2,065.50 | $25.73 | - |
2020 GS-8 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-8 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 | $41,310 | $1,588.85 | $19.79 | - |
| Step 2 | $42,687 | $1,641.81 | $20.45 | - |
| Step 3 | $44,064 | $1,694.77 | $21.11 | - |
| Step 4 | $45,441 | $1,747.73 | $21.77 | - |
| Step 5 | $46,818 | $1,800.69 | $22.43 | - |
| Step 6 | $48,195 | $1,853.65 | $23.09 | - |
| Step 7 | $49,572 | $1,906.62 | $23.75 | - |
| Step 8 | $50,949 | $1,959.58 | $24.41 | - |
| Step 9 | $52,326 | $2,012.54 | $25.07 | - |
| Step 10 | $53,703 | $2,065.50 | $25.73 | - |
Who is a GS-8?
Typical role. Senior technicians, investigators and lead administrative support. Less common than GS-7 or GS-9, often reserved for specialized technical work.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-9 after one year in grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-8 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-8 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-8 Step 1 | GS-8 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $58,429 | $75,958 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $55,347 | $71,951 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $55,074 | $71,597 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $54,699 | $71,108 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $53,901 | $70,072 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $53,608 | $69,690 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $53,567 | $69,637 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $53,492 | $69,540 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $53,335 | $69,336 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $53,121 | $69,057 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $52,596 | $68,375 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $52,517 | $68,273 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $52,472 | $68,214 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $52,203 | $67,864 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $52,067 | $67,687 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $51,629 | $67,118 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $51,497 | $66,946 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $51,117 | $66,452 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $51,022 | $66,329 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $50,464 | $65,604 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $49,969 | $64,959 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $49,911 | $64,884 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $49,799 | $64,739 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $49,774 | $64,707 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $49,655 | $64,551 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $49,622 | $64,508 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $49,580 | $64,454 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $49,551 | $64,417 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $49,510 | $64,363 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $49,390 | $64,207 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $49,324 | $64,121 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $49,233 | $64,003 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $49,109 | $63,842 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $48,816 | $63,461 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $48,696 | $63,305 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $48,655 | $63,251 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $48,614 | $63,198 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $48,601 | $63,182 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $48,514 | $63,069 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $48,415 | $62,940 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $48,411 | $62,935 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $48,386 | $62,902 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $48,349 | $62,854 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $48,300 | $62,790 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $48,287 | $62,773 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $48,238 | $62,709 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $48,221 | $62,688 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $48,201 | $62,661 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $48,151 | $62,596 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $48,130 | $62,569 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $48,056 | $62,473 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $48,027 | $62,435 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $47,899 | $62,269 |
Top and bottom GS-8 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-8 pay scale
GS-8 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior technicians, investigators and lead administrative support. Less common than GS-7 or GS-9, often reserved for specialized technical work.
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-8 questions for 2020
-
What is the starting salary for GS-8 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-8 in 2020 is $41,310 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-8 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-8 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-8 to GS-9?
Promotion from GS-8 to GS-9 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-8 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-9 vacancy. Open the GS-9 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-8?
GS-8 is roughly equivalent to O-3 Captain. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.