2021 GS-4 Pay Scale
The GS-4 base salary range for 2021 is $27,184 at Step 1, rising to $35,338 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-4 for 2021.
2021 GS-4 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-4 rates for 2021.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $27,184 | $1,045.54 | $13.03 | - |
| Step 2 | $28,090 | $1,080.38 | $13.46 | - |
| Step 3 | $28,996 | $1,115.23 | $13.89 | - |
| Step 4 | $29,902 | $1,150.08 | $14.33 | - |
| Step 5 | $30,808 | $1,184.92 | $14.76 | - |
| Step 6 | $31,714 | $1,219.77 | $15.20 | - |
| Step 7 | $32,620 | $1,254.62 | $15.63 | - |
| Step 8 | $33,526 | $1,289.46 | $16.06 | - |
| Step 9 | $34,432 | $1,324.31 | $16.50 | - |
| Step 10 | $35,338 | $1,359.15 | $16.93 | - |
2021 GS-4 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-4 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 | $27,184 | $1,045.54 | $13.03 | - |
| Step 2 | $28,090 | $1,080.38 | $13.46 | - |
| Step 3 | $28,996 | $1,115.23 | $13.89 | - |
| Step 4 | $29,902 | $1,150.08 | $14.33 | - |
| Step 5 | $30,808 | $1,184.92 | $14.76 | - |
| Step 6 | $31,714 | $1,219.77 | $15.20 | - |
| Step 7 | $32,620 | $1,254.62 | $15.63 | - |
| Step 8 | $33,526 | $1,289.46 | $16.06 | - |
| Step 9 | $34,432 | $1,324.31 | $16.50 | - |
| Step 10 | $35,338 | $1,359.15 | $16.93 | - |
Who is a GS-4?
Typical role. Office assistants, supply and inventory clerks, entry-level technicians and program aides.
Minimum qualifications. Two years of post-secondary education, an associate's degree, or one year of GS-3 equivalent experience.
Career progression. Usually promoted to GS-5 after one year in the grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-4 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-4 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2021, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-4 Step 1 | GS-4 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $38,449 | $49,982 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $36,421 | $47,346 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $36,242 | $47,113 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $35,994 | $46,791 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $35,470 | $46,109 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $35,277 | $45,858 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $35,249 | $45,823 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $35,201 | $45,759 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $35,097 | $45,625 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $34,956 | $45,441 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $34,611 | $44,992 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $34,559 | $44,925 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $34,529 | $44,886 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $34,352 | $44,657 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $34,263 | $44,540 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $33,975 | $44,165 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $33,888 | $44,052 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $33,637 | $43,727 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $33,575 | $43,646 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $33,208 | $43,169 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $32,882 | $42,745 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $32,844 | $42,695 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $32,770 | $42,600 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $32,754 | $42,579 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $32,675 | $42,476 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $32,653 | $42,448 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $32,626 | $42,413 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $32,607 | $42,388 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $32,580 | $42,353 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $32,501 | $42,250 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $32,458 | $42,194 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $32,398 | $42,116 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $32,316 | $42,010 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $32,123 | $41,759 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $32,044 | $41,656 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $32,017 | $41,621 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $31,990 | $41,586 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $31,982 | $41,575 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $31,925 | $41,501 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $31,860 | $41,416 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $31,857 | $41,413 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $31,841 | $41,391 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $31,816 | $41,360 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $31,784 | $41,317 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $31,775 | $41,307 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $31,743 | $41,264 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $31,732 | $41,250 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $31,718 | $41,232 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $31,686 | $41,190 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $31,672 | $41,172 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $31,623 | $41,109 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $31,604 | $41,084 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 15.95% | $31,520 | $40,974 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $31,520 | $40,974 |
Top and bottom GS-4 localities in 2021
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-4 pay scale
GS-4 is part of the 2021 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Office assistants, supply and inventory clerks, entry-level technicians and program aides.
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-4 questions for 2021
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What is the starting salary for GS-4 in 2021?
The base starting salary for GS-4 in 2021 is $27,184 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2021 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-4 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-4 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-4 to GS-5?
Promotion from GS-4 to GS-5 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-4 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-5 vacancy. Open the GS-5 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-4?
GS-4 is roughly equivalent to E-5 Sergeant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.