2020 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2020 is $45,627 at Step 1, rising to $59,316 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-9 for 2020.
2020 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $45,627 | $1,754.88 | $21.86 | - |
| Step 2 | $47,148 | $1,813.38 | $22.59 | - |
| Step 3 | $48,669 | $1,871.88 | $23.32 | - |
| Step 4 | $50,190 | $1,930.38 | $24.05 | - |
| Step 5 | $51,711 | $1,988.88 | $24.78 | - |
| Step 6 | $53,232 | $2,047.38 | $25.51 | - |
| Step 7 | $54,753 | $2,105.88 | $26.24 | - |
| Step 8 | $56,274 | $2,164.38 | $26.96 | - |
| Step 9 | $57,795 | $2,222.88 | $27.69 | - |
| Step 10 | $59,316 | $2,281.38 | $28.42 | - |
2020 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $45,627 | $1,754.88 | $21.86 | - |
| Step 2 | $47,148 | $1,813.38 | $22.59 | - |
| Step 3 | $48,669 | $1,871.88 | $23.32 | - |
| Step 4 | $50,190 | $1,930.38 | $24.05 | - |
| Step 5 | $51,711 | $1,988.88 | $24.78 | - |
| Step 6 | $53,232 | $2,047.38 | $25.51 | - |
| Step 7 | $54,753 | $2,105.88 | $26.24 | - |
| Step 8 | $56,274 | $2,164.38 | $26.96 | - |
| Step 9 | $57,795 | $2,222.88 | $27.69 | - |
| Step 10 | $59,316 | $2,281.38 | $28.42 | - |
Who is a GS-9?
Typical role. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT specialists.
Minimum qualifications. A master's degree or equivalent graduate education, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Career progression. Career-ladder promotion to GS-11 after one year of specialized GS-9 experience.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-9 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-9 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $64,535 | $83,897 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $61,131 | $79,472 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $60,830 | $79,080 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $60,415 | $78,540 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $59,534 | $77,396 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $59,210 | $76,974 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $59,165 | $76,915 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $59,082 | $76,808 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $58,909 | $76,583 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $58,672 | $76,274 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $58,092 | $75,521 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $58,006 | $75,408 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $57,955 | $75,343 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $57,659 | $74,958 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $57,508 | $74,762 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $57,025 | $74,133 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $56,879 | $73,943 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $56,459 | $73,398 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $56,354 | $73,261 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $55,738 | $72,460 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $55,190 | $71,749 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $55,127 | $71,666 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $55,003 | $71,505 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $54,976 | $71,470 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $54,844 | $71,298 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $54,807 | $71,250 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $54,762 | $71,191 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $54,730 | $71,150 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $54,684 | $71,090 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $54,552 | $70,918 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $54,479 | $70,823 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $54,378 | $70,693 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $54,241 | $70,515 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $53,917 | $70,094 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $53,785 | $69,922 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $53,739 | $69,862 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $53,694 | $69,803 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $53,680 | $69,785 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $53,584 | $69,661 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $53,475 | $69,518 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $53,470 | $69,512 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $53,443 | $69,477 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $53,402 | $69,423 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $53,347 | $69,352 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $53,333 | $69,334 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $53,279 | $69,263 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $53,260 | $69,240 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $53,238 | $69,210 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $53,183 | $69,139 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $53,160 | $69,109 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $53,078 | $69,002 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $53,046 | $68,961 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $52,905 | $68,777 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2020 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT 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-9 questions for 2020
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2020 is $45,627 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-9 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-9 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-9 to GS-10?
Promotion from GS-9 to GS-10 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-10 vacancy. Open the GS-10 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-9?
GS-9 is roughly equivalent to O-3 Captain. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.