2022 GS-2 Pay Scale
The GS-2 base salary range for 2022 is $22,682 at Step 1, rising to $28,546 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-2 for 2022.
2022 GS-2 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-2 rates for 2022.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $22,682 | $872.38 | $10.87 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,222 | $893.15 | $11.13 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,973 | $922.04 | $11.49 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,608 | $946.46 | $11.79 | - |
| Step 5 | $24,886 | $957.15 | $11.92 | - |
| Step 6 | $25,618 | $985.31 | $12.28 | - |
| Step 7 | $26,350 | $1,013.46 | $12.63 | - |
| Step 8 | $27,082 | $1,041.62 | $12.98 | - |
| Step 9 | $27,814 | $1,069.77 | $13.33 | - |
| Step 10 | $28,546 | $1,097.92 | $13.68 | - |
2022 GS-2 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-2 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 | $22,682 | $872.38 | $10.87 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,222 | $893.15 | $11.13 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,973 | $922.04 | $11.49 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,608 | $946.46 | $11.79 | - |
| Step 5 | $24,886 | $957.15 | $11.92 | - |
| Step 6 | $25,618 | $985.31 | $12.28 | - |
| Step 7 | $26,350 | $1,013.46 | $12.63 | - |
| Step 8 | $27,082 | $1,041.62 | $12.98 | - |
| Step 9 | $27,814 | $1,069.77 | $13.33 | - |
| Step 10 | $28,546 | $1,097.92 | $13.68 | - |
Who is a GS-2?
Typical role. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
Minimum qualifications. High school or equivalent, or three months of general experience.
Career progression. Most GS-2 employees advance to GS-3 after one year.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-2 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-2 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2022, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-2 Step 1 | GS-2 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 42.74% | $32,376 | $40,747 |
| New York-Newark | 35.06% | $30,634 | $38,554 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.96% | $30,385 | $38,240 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 33.61% | $30,305 | $38,140 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 31.53% | $29,834 | $37,547 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 30.87% | $29,684 | $37,358 |
| State of Alaska | 30.42% | $29,582 | $37,230 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.20% | $29,532 | $37,167 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 30.09% | $29,507 | $37,135 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.18% | $29,301 | $36,876 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 28.28% | $29,096 | $36,619 |
| Denver-Aurora | 28.10% | $29,056 | $36,567 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.86% | $29,001 | $36,499 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 27.30% | $28,874 | $36,339 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.95% | $28,795 | $36,239 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 25.68% | $28,507 | $35,877 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 25.49% | $28,464 | $35,822 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.34% | $28,203 | $35,494 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.80% | $28,080 | $35,340 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.63% | $27,815 | $35,006 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.32% | $27,518 | $34,632 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.25% | $27,502 | $34,612 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.94% | $27,432 | $34,524 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.94% | $27,432 | $34,524 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.84% | $27,409 | $34,495 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.78% | $27,395 | $34,478 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.69% | $27,375 | $34,452 |
| Richmond | 20.64% | $27,364 | $34,438 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.45% | $27,320 | $34,384 |
| State of Hawaii | 20.40% | $27,309 | $34,369 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.93% | $27,203 | $34,235 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.90% | $27,196 | $34,227 |
| Laredo | 19.85% | $27,184 | $34,212 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.80% | $26,946 | $33,913 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 18.68% | $26,919 | $33,878 |
| Colorado Springs | 18.42% | $26,860 | $33,804 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 18.35% | $26,844 | $33,784 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.25% | $26,821 | $33,756 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.06% | $26,778 | $33,701 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.90% | $26,742 | $33,656 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.77% | $26,713 | $33,619 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.67% | $26,690 | $33,590 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 17.62% | $26,679 | $33,576 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.58% | $26,669 | $33,564 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 17.39% | $26,626 | $33,510 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.26% | $26,597 | $33,473 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.18% | $26,579 | $33,450 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.14% | $26,570 | $33,439 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.01% | $26,540 | $33,402 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.93% | $26,522 | $33,379 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.82% | $26,497 | $33,347 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.81% | $26,495 | $33,345 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 16.52% | $26,429 | $33,262 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.20% | $26,356 | $33,170 |
Top and bottom GS-2 localities in 2022
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-2 pay scale
GS-2 is part of the 2022 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
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-2 questions for 2022
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What is the starting salary for GS-2 in 2022?
The base starting salary for GS-2 in 2022 is $22,682 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2022 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 42.74%), GS-2 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-2 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-2 to GS-3?
Promotion from GS-2 to GS-3 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-2 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-3 vacancy. Open the GS-3 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-2?
GS-2 is roughly equivalent to E-3 Private First Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.