2021 GS-14 Pay Scale
The GS-14 base salary range for 2021 is $93,907 at Step 1, rising to $122,077 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-14 for 2021.
2021 GS-14 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-14 rates for 2021.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $93,907 | $3,611.81 | $45.00 | - |
| Step 2 | $97,037 | $3,732.19 | $46.50 | - |
| Step 3 | $100,167 | $3,852.58 | $48.00 | - |
| Step 4 | $103,297 | $3,972.96 | $49.50 | - |
| Step 5 | $106,427 | $4,093.35 | $51.00 | - |
| Step 6 | $109,557 | $4,213.73 | $52.49 | - |
| Step 7 | $112,687 | $4,334.12 | $53.99 | - |
| Step 8 | $115,817 | $4,454.50 | $55.49 | - |
| Step 9 | $118,947 | $4,574.88 | $56.99 | - |
| Step 10 | $122,077 | $4,695.27 | $58.49 | - |
2021 GS-14 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-14 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 | $93,907 | $3,611.81 | $45.00 | - |
| Step 2 | $97,037 | $3,732.19 | $46.50 | - |
| Step 3 | $100,167 | $3,852.58 | $48.00 | - |
| Step 4 | $103,297 | $3,972.96 | $49.50 | - |
| Step 5 | $106,427 | $4,093.35 | $51.00 | - |
| Step 6 | $109,557 | $4,213.73 | $52.49 | - |
| Step 7 | $112,687 | $4,334.12 | $53.99 | - |
| Step 8 | $115,817 | $4,454.50 | $55.49 | - |
| Step 9 | $118,947 | $4,574.88 | $56.99 | - |
| Step 10 | $122,077 | $4,695.27 | $58.49 | - |
Who is a GS-14?
Typical role. Supervisory managers, senior program leads and senior technical experts. Many agency branch chiefs sit at GS-14.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-15 is selective; many GS-14 employees reach this grade as a career peak.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-14 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-14 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2021, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-14 Step 1 | GS-14 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $132,822 | $172,500 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $125,817 | $163,559 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $125,197 | $162,753 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $124,342 | $161,642 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $122,530 | $159,286 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $121,863 | $158,419 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $121,769 | $158,297 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $121,600 | $158,078 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $121,243 | $157,614 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $120,755 | $156,979 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $119,562 | $155,428 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $119,384 | $155,196 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $119,281 | $155,062 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $118,670 | $154,269 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $118,360 | $153,866 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $117,365 | $152,572 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $117,064 | $152,181 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $116,201 | $151,058 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $115,985 | $150,777 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $114,717 | $149,129 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $113,590 | $147,664 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $113,458 | $147,493 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $113,205 | $147,164 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $113,149 | $147,091 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $112,876 | $146,737 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $112,801 | $146,639 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $112,707 | $146,517 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $112,641 | $146,431 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $112,548 | $146,309 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $112,275 | $145,955 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $112,125 | $145,760 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $111,918 | $145,491 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $111,637 | $145,125 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $110,970 | $144,258 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $110,698 | $143,904 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $110,604 | $143,782 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $110,510 | $143,660 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $110,482 | $143,624 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $110,284 | $143,367 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $110,059 | $143,074 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $110,050 | $143,062 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $109,993 | $142,989 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $109,909 | $142,879 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $109,796 | $142,732 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $109,768 | $142,696 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $109,655 | $142,549 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $109,618 | $142,500 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $109,571 | $142,439 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $109,458 | $142,293 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $109,411 | $142,232 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $109,242 | $142,012 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $109,176 | $141,927 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 15.95% | $108,885 | $141,548 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $108,885 | $141,548 |
Top and bottom GS-14 localities in 2021
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-14 pay scale
GS-14 is part of the 2021 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Supervisory managers, senior program leads and senior technical experts. Many agency branch chiefs sit at GS-14.
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-14 questions for 2021
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What is the starting salary for GS-14 in 2021?
The base starting salary for GS-14 in 2021 is $93,907 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2021 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-14 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-14 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-14 to GS-15?
Promotion from GS-14 to GS-15 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-14 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-15 vacancy. Open the GS-15 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-14?
GS-14 is roughly equivalent to O-6 Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.