2022 GS-13 Pay Scale
The GS-13 base salary range for 2022 is $81,216 at Step 1, rising to $105,579 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-13 for 2022.
2022 GS-13 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-13 rates for 2022.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $81,216 | $3,123.69 | $38.92 | - |
| Step 2 | $83,923 | $3,227.81 | $40.21 | - |
| Step 3 | $86,630 | $3,331.92 | $41.51 | - |
| Step 4 | $89,337 | $3,436.04 | $42.81 | - |
| Step 5 | $92,044 | $3,540.15 | $44.10 | - |
| Step 6 | $94,751 | $3,644.27 | $45.40 | - |
| Step 7 | $97,458 | $3,748.38 | $46.70 | - |
| Step 8 | $100,165 | $3,852.50 | $47.99 | - |
| Step 9 | $102,872 | $3,956.62 | $49.29 | - |
| Step 10 | $105,579 | $4,060.73 | $50.59 | - |
2022 GS-13 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-13 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 | $81,216 | $3,123.69 | $38.92 | - |
| Step 2 | $83,923 | $3,227.81 | $40.21 | - |
| Step 3 | $86,630 | $3,331.92 | $41.51 | - |
| Step 4 | $89,337 | $3,436.04 | $42.81 | - |
| Step 5 | $92,044 | $3,540.15 | $44.10 | - |
| Step 6 | $94,751 | $3,644.27 | $45.40 | - |
| Step 7 | $97,458 | $3,748.38 | $46.70 | - |
| Step 8 | $100,165 | $3,852.50 | $47.99 | - |
| Step 9 | $102,872 | $3,956.62 | $49.29 | - |
| Step 10 | $105,579 | $4,060.73 | $50.59 | - |
Who is a GS-13?
Typical role. Senior specialists, first-line supervisors and subject-matter experts. Many IT, acquisition, legal and program-manager roles live at GS-13.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-12 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-14 requires a GS-14 vacancy, often with supervisory responsibilities.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-13 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-13 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2022, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-13 Step 1 | GS-13 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 42.74% | $115,928 | $150,703 |
| New York-Newark | 35.06% | $109,690 | $142,595 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.96% | $108,797 | $141,434 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 33.61% | $108,513 | $141,064 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 31.53% | $106,823 | $138,868 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 30.87% | $106,287 | $138,171 |
| State of Alaska | 30.42% | $105,922 | $137,696 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.20% | $105,743 | $137,464 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 30.09% | $105,654 | $137,348 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.18% | $104,915 | $136,387 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 28.28% | $104,184 | $135,437 |
| Denver-Aurora | 28.10% | $104,038 | $135,247 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.86% | $103,843 | $134,993 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 27.30% | $103,388 | $134,402 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.95% | $103,104 | $134,033 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 25.68% | $102,072 | $132,692 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 25.49% | $101,918 | $132,491 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.34% | $100,984 | $131,277 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.80% | $100,545 | $130,707 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.63% | $99,595 | $129,472 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.32% | $98,531 | $128,088 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.25% | $98,474 | $128,015 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.94% | $98,223 | $127,687 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.94% | $98,223 | $127,687 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.84% | $98,141 | $127,582 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.78% | $98,093 | $127,518 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.69% | $98,020 | $127,423 |
| Richmond | 20.64% | $97,979 | $127,371 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.45% | $97,825 | $127,170 |
| State of Hawaii | 20.40% | $97,784 | $127,117 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.93% | $97,402 | $126,621 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.90% | $97,378 | $126,589 |
| Laredo | 19.85% | $97,337 | $126,536 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.80% | $96,485 | $125,428 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 18.68% | $96,387 | $125,301 |
| Colorado Springs | 18.42% | $96,176 | $125,027 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 18.35% | $96,119 | $124,953 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.25% | $96,038 | $124,847 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.06% | $95,884 | $124,647 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.90% | $95,754 | $124,478 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.77% | $95,648 | $124,340 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.67% | $95,567 | $124,235 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 17.62% | $95,526 | $124,182 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.58% | $95,494 | $124,140 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 17.39% | $95,339 | $123,939 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.26% | $95,234 | $123,802 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.18% | $95,169 | $123,717 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.14% | $95,136 | $123,675 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.01% | $95,031 | $123,538 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.93% | $94,966 | $123,454 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.82% | $94,877 | $123,337 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.81% | $94,868 | $123,327 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 16.52% | $94,633 | $123,021 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.20% | $94,373 | $122,683 |
Top and bottom GS-13 localities in 2022
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-13 pay scale
GS-13 is part of the 2022 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior specialists, first-line supervisors and subject-matter experts. Many IT, acquisition, legal and program-manager roles live at GS-13.
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-13 questions for 2022
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What is the starting salary for GS-13 in 2022?
The base starting salary for GS-13 in 2022 is $81,216 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2022 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 42.74%), GS-13 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-13 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-13 to GS-14?
Promotion from GS-13 to GS-14 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-14 vacancy. Open the GS-14 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-13?
GS-13 is roughly equivalent to O-5 Lieutenant Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.