2021 GS-10 Pay Scale
The GS-10 base salary range for 2021 is $50,748 at Step 1, rising to $65,976 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-10 for 2021.
2021 GS-10 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-10 rates for 2021.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $50,748 | $1,951.85 | $24.32 | - |
| Step 2 | $52,440 | $2,016.92 | $25.13 | - |
| Step 3 | $54,132 | $2,082.00 | $25.94 | - |
| Step 4 | $55,824 | $2,147.08 | $26.75 | - |
| Step 5 | $57,516 | $2,212.15 | $27.56 | - |
| Step 6 | $59,208 | $2,277.23 | $28.37 | - |
| Step 7 | $60,900 | $2,342.31 | $29.18 | - |
| Step 8 | $62,592 | $2,407.38 | $29.99 | - |
| Step 9 | $64,284 | $2,472.46 | $30.80 | - |
| Step 10 | $65,976 | $2,537.54 | $31.61 | - |
2021 GS-10 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-10 salary schedule for 2021, 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 | $50,748 | $1,951.85 | $24.32 | - |
| Step 2 | $52,440 | $2,016.92 | $25.13 | - |
| Step 3 | $54,132 | $2,082.00 | $25.94 | - |
| Step 4 | $55,824 | $2,147.08 | $26.75 | - |
| Step 5 | $57,516 | $2,212.15 | $27.56 | - |
| Step 6 | $59,208 | $2,277.23 | $28.37 | - |
| Step 7 | $60,900 | $2,342.31 | $29.18 | - |
| Step 8 | $62,592 | $2,407.38 | $29.99 | - |
| Step 9 | $64,284 | $2,472.46 | $30.80 | - |
| Step 10 | $65,976 | $2,537.54 | $31.61 | - |
Who is a GS-10?
Typical role. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, plus agency-specific requirements.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-11 after one year of creditable experience in grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-10 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-10 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2021, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-10 Step 1 | GS-10 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $71,778 | $93,316 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $67,992 | $88,395 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $67,657 | $87,959 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $67,195 | $87,359 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $66,216 | $86,085 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $65,856 | $85,617 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $65,805 | $85,551 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $65,714 | $85,432 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $65,521 | $85,182 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $65,257 | $84,839 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $64,612 | $84,001 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $64,516 | $83,875 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $64,460 | $83,803 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $64,130 | $83,374 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $63,963 | $83,156 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $63,425 | $82,457 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $63,262 | $82,246 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $62,796 | $81,639 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $62,679 | $81,487 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $61,994 | $80,596 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $61,385 | $79,805 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $61,314 | $79,712 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $61,177 | $79,534 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $61,146 | $79,494 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $60,999 | $79,303 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $60,958 | $79,250 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $60,908 | $79,184 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $60,872 | $79,138 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $60,821 | $79,072 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $60,674 | $78,881 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $60,593 | $78,775 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $60,481 | $78,630 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $60,329 | $78,432 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $59,969 | $77,964 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $59,822 | $77,773 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $59,771 | $77,707 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $59,720 | $77,641 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $59,705 | $77,621 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $59,598 | $77,482 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $59,477 | $77,324 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $59,472 | $77,317 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $59,441 | $77,278 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $59,395 | $77,218 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $59,335 | $77,139 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $59,319 | $77,119 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $59,258 | $77,040 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $59,238 | $77,014 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $59,213 | $76,981 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $59,152 | $76,902 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $59,126 | $76,869 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $59,035 | $76,750 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $59,000 | $76,704 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 15.95% | $58,842 | $76,499 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $58,842 | $76,499 |
Top and bottom GS-10 localities in 2021
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-10 pay scale
GS-10 is part of the 2021 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
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 2021
GS-10 questions for 2021
-
What is the starting salary for GS-10 in 2021?
The base starting salary for GS-10 in 2021 is $50,748 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2021 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-10 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-10 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-10 to GS-11?
Promotion from GS-10 to GS-11 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-10 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-11 vacancy. Open the GS-11 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-10?
GS-10 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.