2021 GS-12 Pay Scale
The GS-12 base salary range for 2021 is $66,829 at Step 1, rising to $86,881 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-12 for 2021.
2021 GS-12 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-12 rates for 2021.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $66,829 | $2,570.35 | $32.02 | - |
| Step 2 | $69,057 | $2,656.04 | $33.09 | - |
| Step 3 | $71,285 | $2,741.73 | $34.16 | - |
| Step 4 | $73,513 | $2,827.42 | $35.22 | - |
| Step 5 | $75,741 | $2,913.12 | $36.29 | - |
| Step 6 | $77,969 | $2,998.81 | $37.36 | - |
| Step 7 | $80,197 | $3,084.50 | $38.43 | - |
| Step 8 | $82,425 | $3,170.19 | $39.49 | - |
| Step 9 | $84,653 | $3,255.88 | $40.56 | - |
| Step 10 | $86,881 | $3,341.58 | $41.63 | - |
2021 GS-12 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-12 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 | $66,829 | $2,570.35 | $32.02 | - |
| Step 2 | $69,057 | $2,656.04 | $33.09 | - |
| Step 3 | $71,285 | $2,741.73 | $34.16 | - |
| Step 4 | $73,513 | $2,827.42 | $35.22 | - |
| Step 5 | $75,741 | $2,913.12 | $36.29 | - |
| Step 6 | $77,969 | $2,998.81 | $37.36 | - |
| Step 7 | $80,197 | $3,084.50 | $38.43 | - |
| Step 8 | $82,425 | $3,170.19 | $39.49 | - |
| Step 9 | $84,653 | $3,255.88 | $40.56 | - |
| Step 10 | $86,881 | $3,341.58 | $41.63 | - |
Who is a GS-12?
Typical role. Experienced professionals and working-level experts. This is the most common GS grade for mid-career federal employees. Many policy, acquisition, engineering and scientific specialists sit at GS-12.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-13 requires a GS-13 vacancy and selection on merit.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-12 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-12 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2021, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-12 Step 1 | GS-12 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $94,523 | $122,884 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $89,537 | $116,403 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $89,096 | $115,830 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $88,488 | $115,039 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $87,198 | $113,362 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $86,724 | $112,745 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $86,657 | $112,659 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $86,537 | $112,502 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $86,283 | $112,172 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $85,935 | $111,720 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $85,087 | $110,617 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $84,960 | $110,452 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $84,886 | $110,356 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $84,452 | $109,792 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $84,231 | $109,505 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $83,523 | $108,584 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $83,309 | $108,306 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $82,694 | $107,507 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $82,540 | $107,307 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $81,638 | $106,134 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $80,836 | $105,091 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $80,743 | $104,970 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $80,562 | $104,735 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $80,522 | $104,683 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $80,328 | $104,431 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $80,275 | $104,361 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $80,208 | $104,275 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $80,161 | $104,214 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $80,095 | $104,127 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $79,901 | $103,875 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $79,794 | $103,736 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $79,647 | $103,545 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $79,446 | $103,284 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $78,972 | $102,667 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $78,778 | $102,415 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $78,711 | $102,328 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $78,644 | $102,242 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $78,624 | $102,215 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $78,484 | $102,033 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $78,324 | $101,825 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $78,317 | $101,816 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $78,277 | $101,764 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $78,217 | $101,686 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $78,136 | $101,581 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $78,116 | $101,555 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $78,036 | $101,451 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $78,009 | $101,416 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $77,976 | $101,373 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $77,896 | $101,268 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $77,862 | $101,225 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $77,742 | $101,069 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $77,695 | $101,008 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 15.95% | $77,488 | $100,739 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $77,488 | $100,739 |
Top and bottom GS-12 localities in 2021
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-12 pay scale
GS-12 is part of the 2021 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Experienced professionals and working-level experts. This is the most common GS grade for mid-career federal employees. Many policy, acquisition, engineering and scientific specialists sit at GS-12.
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-12 questions for 2021
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What is the starting salary for GS-12 in 2021?
The base starting salary for GS-12 in 2021 is $66,829 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2021 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-12 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-12 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-12 to GS-13?
Promotion from GS-12 to GS-13 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-13 vacancy. Open the GS-13 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-12?
GS-12 is roughly equivalent to O-5 Lieutenant Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.