2021 GS-11 Pay Scale
The GS-11 base salary range for 2021 is $55,756 at Step 1, rising to $72,487 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-11 for 2021.
2021 GS-11 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-11 rates for 2021.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $55,756 | $2,144.46 | $26.72 | - |
| Step 2 | $57,615 | $2,215.96 | $27.61 | - |
| Step 3 | $59,474 | $2,287.46 | $28.50 | - |
| Step 4 | $61,333 | $2,358.96 | $29.39 | - |
| Step 5 | $63,192 | $2,430.46 | $30.28 | - |
| Step 6 | $65,051 | $2,501.96 | $31.17 | - |
| Step 7 | $66,910 | $2,573.46 | $32.06 | - |
| Step 8 | $68,769 | $2,644.96 | $32.95 | - |
| Step 9 | $70,628 | $2,716.46 | $33.84 | - |
| Step 10 | $72,487 | $2,787.96 | $34.73 | - |
2021 GS-11 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-11 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 | $55,756 | $2,144.46 | $26.72 | - |
| Step 2 | $57,615 | $2,215.96 | $27.61 | - |
| Step 3 | $59,474 | $2,287.46 | $28.50 | - |
| Step 4 | $61,333 | $2,358.96 | $29.39 | - |
| Step 5 | $63,192 | $2,430.46 | $30.28 | - |
| Step 6 | $65,051 | $2,501.96 | $31.17 | - |
| Step 7 | $66,910 | $2,573.46 | $32.06 | - |
| Step 8 | $68,769 | $2,644.96 | $32.95 | - |
| Step 9 | $70,628 | $2,716.46 | $33.84 | - |
| Step 10 | $72,487 | $2,787.96 | $34.73 | - |
Who is a GS-11?
Typical role. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
Minimum qualifications. A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level.
Career progression. Typical career ladder peak for entry-level hires; competitive promotion to GS-12 requires vacancy and supervisory selection.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-11 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-11 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2021, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-11 Step 1 | GS-11 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $78,861 | $102,526 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $74,702 | $97,118 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $74,334 | $96,640 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $73,827 | $95,980 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $72,750 | $94,581 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $72,355 | $94,066 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $72,299 | $93,994 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $72,198 | $93,863 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $71,987 | $93,588 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $71,697 | $93,211 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $70,989 | $92,290 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $70,883 | $92,153 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $70,821 | $92,073 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $70,459 | $91,602 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $70,275 | $91,363 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $69,684 | $90,594 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $69,505 | $90,362 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $68,992 | $89,695 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $68,864 | $89,529 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $68,112 | $88,550 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $67,442 | $87,680 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $67,364 | $87,579 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $67,214 | $87,383 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $67,180 | $87,340 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $67,019 | $87,129 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $66,974 | $87,071 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $66,918 | $86,999 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $66,879 | $86,948 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $66,824 | $86,876 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $66,662 | $86,665 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $66,573 | $86,549 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $66,450 | $86,390 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $66,283 | $86,173 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $65,887 | $85,658 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $65,725 | $85,448 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $65,669 | $85,375 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $65,614 | $85,303 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $65,597 | $85,281 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $65,480 | $85,129 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $65,346 | $84,955 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $65,340 | $84,948 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $65,307 | $84,904 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $65,257 | $84,839 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $65,190 | $84,752 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $65,173 | $84,730 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $65,106 | $84,643 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $65,084 | $84,614 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $65,056 | $84,578 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $64,989 | $84,491 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $64,961 | $84,455 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $64,861 | $84,324 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $64,822 | $84,273 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 15.95% | $64,649 | $84,049 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $64,649 | $84,049 |
Top and bottom GS-11 localities in 2021
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-11 pay scale
GS-11 is part of the 2021 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
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-11 questions for 2021
-
What is the starting salary for GS-11 in 2021?
The base starting salary for GS-11 in 2021 is $55,756 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2021 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-11 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-11 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-11 to GS-12?
Promotion from GS-11 to GS-12 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-12 vacancy. Open the GS-12 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-11?
GS-11 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.