2022 GS-1 Pay Scale
The GS-1 base salary range for 2022 is $20,172 at Step 1, rising to $25,234 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-1 for 2022.
2022 GS-1 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-1 rates for 2022.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $20,172 | $775.85 | $9.67 | - |
| Step 2 | $20,849 | $801.88 | $9.99 | - |
| Step 3 | $21,519 | $827.65 | $10.31 | - |
| Step 4 | $22,187 | $853.35 | $10.63 | - |
| Step 5 | $22,857 | $879.12 | $10.95 | - |
| Step 6 | $23,249 | $894.19 | $11.14 | - |
| Step 7 | $23,913 | $919.73 | $11.46 | - |
| Step 8 | $24,581 | $945.42 | $11.78 | - |
| Step 9 | $24,608 | $946.46 | $11.79 | - |
| Step 10 | $25,234 | $970.54 | $12.09 | - |
2022 GS-1 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-1 salary schedule for 2022, 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 | $20,172 | $775.85 | $9.67 | - |
| Step 2 | $20,849 | $801.88 | $9.99 | - |
| Step 3 | $21,519 | $827.65 | $10.31 | - |
| Step 4 | $22,187 | $853.35 | $10.63 | - |
| Step 5 | $22,857 | $879.12 | $10.95 | - |
| Step 6 | $23,249 | $894.19 | $11.14 | - |
| Step 7 | $23,913 | $919.73 | $11.46 | - |
| Step 8 | $24,581 | $945.42 | $11.78 | - |
| Step 9 | $24,608 | $946.46 | $11.79 | - |
| Step 10 | $25,234 | $970.54 | $12.09 | - |
Who is a GS-1?
Typical role. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.
Minimum qualifications. No formal education or experience required. Generally filled by workers with basic literacy and ability to follow simple instructions.
Career progression. Promotion to GS-2 typically follows one year of satisfactory service.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-1 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-1 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2022, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-1 Step 1 | GS-1 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 42.74% | $28,794 | $36,019 |
| New York-Newark | 35.06% | $27,244 | $34,081 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.96% | $27,022 | $33,803 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 33.61% | $26,952 | $33,715 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 31.53% | $26,532 | $33,190 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 30.87% | $26,399 | $33,024 |
| State of Alaska | 30.42% | $26,308 | $32,910 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.20% | $26,264 | $32,855 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 30.09% | $26,242 | $32,827 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.18% | $26,058 | $32,597 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 28.28% | $25,877 | $32,370 |
| Denver-Aurora | 28.10% | $25,840 | $32,325 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.86% | $25,792 | $32,264 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 27.30% | $25,679 | $32,123 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.95% | $25,608 | $32,035 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 25.68% | $25,352 | $31,714 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 25.49% | $25,314 | $31,666 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.34% | $25,082 | $31,376 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.80% | $24,973 | $31,240 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.63% | $24,737 | $30,944 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.32% | $24,473 | $30,614 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.25% | $24,459 | $30,596 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.94% | $24,396 | $30,518 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.94% | $24,396 | $30,518 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.84% | $24,376 | $30,493 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.78% | $24,364 | $30,478 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.69% | $24,346 | $30,455 |
| Richmond | 20.64% | $24,336 | $30,442 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.45% | $24,297 | $30,394 |
| State of Hawaii | 20.40% | $24,287 | $30,382 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.93% | $24,192 | $30,263 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.90% | $24,186 | $30,256 |
| Laredo | 19.85% | $24,176 | $30,243 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.80% | $23,964 | $29,978 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 18.68% | $23,940 | $29,948 |
| Colorado Springs | 18.42% | $23,888 | $29,882 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 18.35% | $23,874 | $29,864 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.25% | $23,853 | $29,839 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.06% | $23,815 | $29,791 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.90% | $23,783 | $29,751 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.77% | $23,757 | $29,718 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.67% | $23,736 | $29,693 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 17.62% | $23,726 | $29,680 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.58% | $23,718 | $29,670 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 17.39% | $23,680 | $29,622 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.26% | $23,654 | $29,589 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.18% | $23,638 | $29,569 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.14% | $23,629 | $29,559 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.01% | $23,603 | $29,526 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.93% | $23,587 | $29,506 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.82% | $23,565 | $29,478 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.81% | $23,563 | $29,476 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 16.52% | $23,504 | $29,403 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.20% | $23,440 | $29,322 |
Top and bottom GS-1 localities in 2022
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-1 pay scale
GS-1 is part of the 2022 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.
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 2022
GS-1 questions for 2022
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What is the starting salary for GS-1 in 2022?
The base starting salary for GS-1 in 2022 is $20,172 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2022 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 42.74%), GS-1 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-1 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-1 to GS-2?
Promotion from GS-1 to GS-2 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-1 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-2 vacancy. Open the GS-2 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-1?
GS-1 is roughly equivalent to E-2 Private Second Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.