2021 GS-7 Pay Scale
The GS-7 base salary range for 2021 is $37,674 at Step 1, rising to $48,978 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-7 for 2021.
2021 GS-7 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-7 rates for 2021.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $37,674 | $1,449.00 | $18.05 | - |
| Step 2 | $38,930 | $1,497.31 | $18.65 | - |
| Step 3 | $40,186 | $1,545.62 | $19.26 | - |
| Step 4 | $41,442 | $1,593.92 | $19.86 | - |
| Step 5 | $42,698 | $1,642.23 | $20.46 | - |
| Step 6 | $43,954 | $1,690.54 | $21.06 | - |
| Step 7 | $45,210 | $1,738.85 | $21.66 | - |
| Step 8 | $46,466 | $1,787.15 | $22.26 | - |
| Step 9 | $47,722 | $1,835.46 | $22.87 | - |
| Step 10 | $48,978 | $1,883.77 | $23.47 | - |
2021 GS-7 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-7 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 | $37,674 | $1,449.00 | $18.05 | - |
| Step 2 | $38,930 | $1,497.31 | $18.65 | - |
| Step 3 | $40,186 | $1,545.62 | $19.26 | - |
| Step 4 | $41,442 | $1,593.92 | $19.86 | - |
| Step 5 | $42,698 | $1,642.23 | $20.46 | - |
| Step 6 | $43,954 | $1,690.54 | $21.06 | - |
| Step 7 | $45,210 | $1,738.85 | $21.66 | - |
| Step 8 | $46,466 | $1,787.15 | $22.26 | - |
| Step 9 | $47,722 | $1,835.46 | $22.87 | - |
| Step 10 | $48,978 | $1,883.77 | $23.47 | - |
Who is a GS-7?
Typical role. Entry-level professional roles for college graduates with superior academic achievement, plus more senior technician positions.
Minimum qualifications. Bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement, one year of graduate study, or one year of GS-5-equivalent experience.
Career progression. Usual career-ladder promotion to GS-9 after one year of specialized experience.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-7 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-7 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2021, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-7 Step 1 | GS-7 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $53,286 | $69,274 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $50,476 | $65,621 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $50,227 | $65,297 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $49,884 | $64,852 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $49,157 | $63,906 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $48,890 | $63,559 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $48,852 | $63,510 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $48,784 | $63,422 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $48,641 | $63,235 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $48,445 | $62,981 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $47,967 | $62,359 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $47,895 | $62,266 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $47,854 | $62,212 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $47,609 | $61,893 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $47,484 | $61,732 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $47,085 | $61,213 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $46,964 | $61,056 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $46,618 | $60,605 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $46,531 | $60,493 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $46,023 | $59,832 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $45,570 | $59,244 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $45,518 | $59,175 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $45,416 | $59,043 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $45,393 | $59,014 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $45,284 | $58,872 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $45,254 | $58,832 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $45,216 | $58,783 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $45,190 | $58,749 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $45,152 | $58,700 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $45,043 | $58,558 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $44,983 | $58,480 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $44,900 | $58,372 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $44,787 | $58,225 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $44,519 | $57,877 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $44,410 | $57,735 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $44,372 | $57,686 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $44,335 | $57,637 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $44,323 | $57,623 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $44,244 | $57,520 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $44,154 | $57,402 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $44,150 | $57,397 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $44,128 | $57,368 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $44,094 | $57,324 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $44,048 | $57,265 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $44,037 | $57,250 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $43,992 | $57,192 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $43,977 | $57,172 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $43,958 | $57,148 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $43,913 | $57,089 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $43,894 | $57,064 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $43,826 | $56,976 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $43,800 | $56,942 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 15.95% | $43,683 | $56,790 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $43,683 | $56,790 |
Top and bottom GS-7 localities in 2021
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-7 pay scale
GS-7 is part of the 2021 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Entry-level professional roles for college graduates with superior academic achievement, plus more senior technician positions.
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-7 questions for 2021
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What is the starting salary for GS-7 in 2021?
The base starting salary for GS-7 in 2021 is $37,674 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2021 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-7 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-7 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-7 to GS-8?
Promotion from GS-7 to GS-8 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-8 vacancy. Open the GS-8 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-7?
GS-7 is roughly equivalent to O-2 First Lieutenant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.