2021 GS-6 Pay Scale
The GS-6 base salary range for 2021 is $33,903 at Step 1, rising to $44,073 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-6 for 2021.
2021 GS-6 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-6 rates for 2021.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $33,903 | $1,303.96 | $16.24 | - |
| Step 2 | $35,033 | $1,347.42 | $16.79 | - |
| Step 3 | $36,163 | $1,390.88 | $17.33 | - |
| Step 4 | $37,293 | $1,434.35 | $17.87 | - |
| Step 5 | $38,423 | $1,477.81 | $18.41 | - |
| Step 6 | $39,553 | $1,521.27 | $18.95 | - |
| Step 7 | $40,683 | $1,564.73 | $19.49 | - |
| Step 8 | $41,813 | $1,608.19 | $20.03 | - |
| Step 9 | $42,943 | $1,651.65 | $20.58 | - |
| Step 10 | $44,073 | $1,695.12 | $21.12 | - |
2021 GS-6 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-6 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 | $33,903 | $1,303.96 | $16.24 | - |
| Step 2 | $35,033 | $1,347.42 | $16.79 | - |
| Step 3 | $36,163 | $1,390.88 | $17.33 | - |
| Step 4 | $37,293 | $1,434.35 | $17.87 | - |
| Step 5 | $38,423 | $1,477.81 | $18.41 | - |
| Step 6 | $39,553 | $1,521.27 | $18.95 | - |
| Step 7 | $40,683 | $1,564.73 | $19.49 | - |
| Step 8 | $41,813 | $1,608.19 | $20.03 | - |
| Step 9 | $42,943 | $1,651.65 | $20.58 | - |
| Step 10 | $44,073 | $1,695.12 | $21.12 | - |
Who is a GS-6?
Typical role. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR specialists.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level, or a master's degree for some series.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-7 after one year of creditable experience in the grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-6 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-6 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2021, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-6 Step 1 | GS-6 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $47,952 | $62,337 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $45,423 | $59,049 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $45,199 | $58,758 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $44,891 | $58,357 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $44,237 | $57,506 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $43,996 | $57,194 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $43,962 | $57,149 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $43,901 | $57,070 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $43,772 | $56,903 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $43,596 | $56,673 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $43,165 | $56,114 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $43,101 | $56,030 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $43,064 | $55,982 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $42,843 | $55,695 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $42,731 | $55,550 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $42,372 | $55,082 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $42,263 | $54,941 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $41,952 | $54,536 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $41,874 | $54,435 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $41,416 | $53,840 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $41,009 | $53,311 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $40,962 | $53,249 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $40,870 | $53,130 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $40,850 | $53,104 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $40,751 | $52,976 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $40,724 | $52,940 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $40,690 | $52,896 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $40,667 | $52,866 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $40,633 | $52,821 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $40,534 | $52,694 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $40,480 | $52,623 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $40,406 | $52,526 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $40,304 | $52,394 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $40,063 | $52,081 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $39,965 | $51,953 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $39,931 | $51,909 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $39,897 | $51,865 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $39,887 | $51,852 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $39,816 | $51,759 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $39,734 | $51,654 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $39,731 | $51,649 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $39,711 | $51,623 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $39,680 | $51,583 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $39,639 | $51,530 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $39,629 | $51,517 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $39,589 | $51,464 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $39,575 | $51,446 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $39,558 | $51,424 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $39,517 | $51,371 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $39,500 | $51,349 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $39,439 | $51,270 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $39,416 | $51,239 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 15.95% | $39,311 | $51,103 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $39,311 | $51,103 |
Top and bottom GS-6 localities in 2021
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-6 pay scale
GS-6 is part of the 2021 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR specialists.
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-6 questions for 2021
-
What is the starting salary for GS-6 in 2021?
The base starting salary for GS-6 in 2021 is $33,903 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2021 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-6 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-6 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-6 to GS-7?
Promotion from GS-6 to GS-7 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-6 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-7 vacancy. Open the GS-7 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-6?
GS-6 is roughly equivalent to O-1 Second Lieutenant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.