2022 GS-12 Pay Scale
The GS-12 base salary range for 2022 is $68,299 at Step 1, rising to $88,792 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-12 for 2022.
2022 GS-12 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-12 rates for 2022.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $68,299 | $2,626.88 | $32.73 | - |
| Step 2 | $70,576 | $2,714.46 | $33.82 | - |
| Step 3 | $72,853 | $2,802.04 | $34.91 | - |
| Step 4 | $75,130 | $2,889.62 | $36.00 | - |
| Step 5 | $77,407 | $2,977.19 | $37.09 | - |
| Step 6 | $79,684 | $3,064.77 | $38.18 | - |
| Step 7 | $81,961 | $3,152.35 | $39.27 | - |
| Step 8 | $84,238 | $3,239.92 | $40.36 | - |
| Step 9 | $86,515 | $3,327.50 | $41.45 | - |
| Step 10 | $88,792 | $3,415.08 | $42.55 | - |
2022 GS-12 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-12 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 | $68,299 | $2,626.88 | $32.73 | - |
| Step 2 | $70,576 | $2,714.46 | $33.82 | - |
| Step 3 | $72,853 | $2,802.04 | $34.91 | - |
| Step 4 | $75,130 | $2,889.62 | $36.00 | - |
| Step 5 | $77,407 | $2,977.19 | $37.09 | - |
| Step 6 | $79,684 | $3,064.77 | $38.18 | - |
| Step 7 | $81,961 | $3,152.35 | $39.27 | - |
| Step 8 | $84,238 | $3,239.92 | $40.36 | - |
| Step 9 | $86,515 | $3,327.50 | $41.45 | - |
| Step 10 | $88,792 | $3,415.08 | $42.55 | - |
Who is a GS-12?
Typical role. Experienced professionals and working-level experts. This is the most common GS grade for mid-career federal employees. Many policy, acquisition, engineering and scientific specialists sit at GS-12.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-13 requires a GS-13 vacancy and selection on merit.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-12 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-12 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2022, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-12 Step 1 | GS-12 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 42.74% | $97,490 | $126,742 |
| New York-Newark | 35.06% | $92,245 | $119,922 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.96% | $91,493 | $118,946 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 33.61% | $91,254 | $118,635 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 31.53% | $89,834 | $116,788 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 30.87% | $89,383 | $116,202 |
| State of Alaska | 30.42% | $89,076 | $115,803 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.20% | $88,925 | $115,607 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 30.09% | $88,850 | $115,510 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.18% | $88,229 | $114,702 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 28.28% | $87,614 | $113,902 |
| Denver-Aurora | 28.10% | $87,491 | $113,743 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.86% | $87,327 | $113,529 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 27.30% | $86,945 | $113,032 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.95% | $86,706 | $112,721 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 25.68% | $85,838 | $111,594 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 25.49% | $85,708 | $111,425 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.34% | $84,923 | $110,404 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.80% | $84,554 | $109,924 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.63% | $83,755 | $108,886 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.32% | $82,860 | $107,722 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.25% | $82,813 | $107,660 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.94% | $82,601 | $107,385 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.94% | $82,601 | $107,385 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.84% | $82,533 | $107,296 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.78% | $82,492 | $107,243 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.69% | $82,430 | $107,163 |
| Richmond | 20.64% | $82,396 | $107,119 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.45% | $82,266 | $106,950 |
| State of Hawaii | 20.40% | $82,232 | $106,906 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.93% | $81,911 | $106,488 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.90% | $81,891 | $106,462 |
| Laredo | 19.85% | $81,856 | $106,417 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.80% | $81,139 | $105,485 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 18.68% | $81,057 | $105,378 |
| Colorado Springs | 18.42% | $80,880 | $105,147 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 18.35% | $80,832 | $105,085 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.25% | $80,764 | $104,997 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.06% | $80,634 | $104,828 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.90% | $80,525 | $104,686 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.77% | $80,436 | $104,570 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.67% | $80,367 | $104,482 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 17.62% | $80,333 | $104,437 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.58% | $80,306 | $104,402 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 17.39% | $80,176 | $104,233 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.26% | $80,087 | $104,117 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.18% | $80,033 | $104,046 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.14% | $80,005 | $104,011 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.01% | $79,917 | $103,896 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.93% | $79,862 | $103,824 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.82% | $79,787 | $103,727 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.81% | $79,780 | $103,718 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 16.52% | $79,582 | $103,460 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.20% | $79,363 | $103,176 |
Top and bottom GS-12 localities in 2022
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-12 pay scale
GS-12 is part of the 2022 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Experienced professionals and working-level experts. This is the most common GS grade for mid-career federal employees. Many policy, acquisition, engineering and scientific specialists sit at GS-12.
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-12 questions for 2022
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What is the starting salary for GS-12 in 2022?
The base starting salary for GS-12 in 2022 is $68,299 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2022 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 42.74%), GS-12 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-12 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-12 to GS-13?
Promotion from GS-12 to GS-13 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-13 vacancy. Open the GS-13 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-12?
GS-12 is roughly equivalent to O-5 Lieutenant Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.