2021 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2021 is $46,083 at Step 1, rising to $59,907 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-9 for 2021.
2021 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2021.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $46,083 | $1,772.42 | $22.08 | - |
| Step 2 | $47,619 | $1,831.50 | $22.82 | - |
| Step 3 | $49,155 | $1,890.58 | $23.55 | - |
| Step 4 | $50,691 | $1,949.65 | $24.29 | - |
| Step 5 | $52,227 | $2,008.73 | $25.02 | - |
| Step 6 | $53,763 | $2,067.81 | $25.76 | - |
| Step 7 | $55,299 | $2,126.88 | $26.50 | - |
| Step 8 | $56,835 | $2,185.96 | $27.23 | - |
| Step 9 | $58,371 | $2,245.04 | $27.97 | - |
| Step 10 | $59,907 | $2,304.12 | $28.70 | - |
2021 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $46,083 | $1,772.42 | $22.08 | - |
| Step 2 | $47,619 | $1,831.50 | $22.82 | - |
| Step 3 | $49,155 | $1,890.58 | $23.55 | - |
| Step 4 | $50,691 | $1,949.65 | $24.29 | - |
| Step 5 | $52,227 | $2,008.73 | $25.02 | - |
| Step 6 | $53,763 | $2,067.81 | $25.76 | - |
| Step 7 | $55,299 | $2,126.88 | $26.50 | - |
| Step 8 | $56,835 | $2,185.96 | $27.23 | - |
| Step 9 | $58,371 | $2,245.04 | $27.97 | - |
| Step 10 | $59,907 | $2,304.12 | $28.70 | - |
Who is a GS-9?
Typical role. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT specialists.
Minimum qualifications. A master's degree or equivalent graduate education, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Career progression. Career-ladder promotion to GS-11 after one year of specialized GS-9 experience.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-9 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-9 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2021, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $65,180 | $84,732 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $61,742 | $80,263 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $61,438 | $79,868 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $61,019 | $79,323 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $60,129 | $78,167 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $59,802 | $77,741 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $59,756 | $77,681 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $59,673 | $77,574 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $59,498 | $77,346 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $59,258 | $77,034 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $58,673 | $76,274 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $58,585 | $76,160 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $58,535 | $76,094 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $58,235 | $75,704 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $58,083 | $75,507 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $57,595 | $74,872 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $57,447 | $74,680 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $57,023 | $74,129 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $56,917 | $73,991 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $56,295 | $73,182 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $55,742 | $72,464 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $55,677 | $72,380 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $55,553 | $72,218 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $55,525 | $72,182 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $55,392 | $72,008 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $55,355 | $71,960 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $55,309 | $71,900 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $55,277 | $71,858 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $55,230 | $71,799 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $55,097 | $71,625 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $55,023 | $71,529 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $54,922 | $71,397 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $54,783 | $71,217 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $54,456 | $70,792 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $54,323 | $70,618 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $54,277 | $70,558 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $54,230 | $70,499 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $54,217 | $70,481 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $54,120 | $70,355 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $54,009 | $70,211 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $54,005 | $70,205 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $53,977 | $70,169 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $53,936 | $70,115 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $53,880 | $70,043 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $53,866 | $70,025 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $53,811 | $69,953 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $53,793 | $69,929 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $53,770 | $69,899 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $53,714 | $69,828 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $53,691 | $69,798 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $53,608 | $69,690 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $53,576 | $69,648 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 15.95% | $53,433 | $69,462 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $53,433 | $69,462 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2021
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2021 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT 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-9 questions for 2021
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2021?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2021 is $46,083 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2021 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), GS-9 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-9 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-9 to GS-10?
Promotion from GS-9 to GS-10 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-10 vacancy. Open the GS-10 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-9?
GS-9 is roughly equivalent to O-3 Captain. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.