2022 GS-6 Pay Scale
The GS-6 base salary range for 2022 is $34,649 at Step 1, rising to $45,044 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-6 for 2022.
2022 GS-6 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-6 rates for 2022.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $34,649 | $1,332.65 | $16.60 | - |
| Step 2 | $35,804 | $1,377.08 | $17.16 | - |
| Step 3 | $36,959 | $1,421.50 | $17.71 | - |
| Step 4 | $38,114 | $1,465.92 | $18.26 | - |
| Step 5 | $39,269 | $1,510.35 | $18.82 | - |
| Step 6 | $40,424 | $1,554.77 | $19.37 | - |
| Step 7 | $41,579 | $1,599.19 | $19.92 | - |
| Step 8 | $42,734 | $1,643.62 | $20.48 | - |
| Step 9 | $43,889 | $1,688.04 | $21.03 | - |
| Step 10 | $45,044 | $1,732.46 | $21.58 | - |
2022 GS-6 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-6 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 | $34,649 | $1,332.65 | $16.60 | - |
| Step 2 | $35,804 | $1,377.08 | $17.16 | - |
| Step 3 | $36,959 | $1,421.50 | $17.71 | - |
| Step 4 | $38,114 | $1,465.92 | $18.26 | - |
| Step 5 | $39,269 | $1,510.35 | $18.82 | - |
| Step 6 | $40,424 | $1,554.77 | $19.37 | - |
| Step 7 | $41,579 | $1,599.19 | $19.92 | - |
| Step 8 | $42,734 | $1,643.62 | $20.48 | - |
| Step 9 | $43,889 | $1,688.04 | $21.03 | - |
| Step 10 | $45,044 | $1,732.46 | $21.58 | - |
Who is a GS-6?
Typical role. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR specialists.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level, or a master's degree for some series.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-7 after one year of creditable experience in the grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-6 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-6 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2022, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-6 Step 1 | GS-6 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 42.74% | $49,458 | $64,296 |
| New York-Newark | 35.06% | $46,797 | $60,836 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.96% | $46,416 | $60,341 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 33.61% | $46,295 | $60,183 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 31.53% | $45,574 | $59,246 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 30.87% | $45,345 | $58,949 |
| State of Alaska | 30.42% | $45,189 | $58,746 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.20% | $45,113 | $58,647 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 30.09% | $45,075 | $58,598 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.18% | $44,760 | $58,188 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 28.28% | $44,448 | $57,782 |
| Denver-Aurora | 28.10% | $44,385 | $57,701 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.86% | $44,302 | $57,593 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 27.30% | $44,108 | $57,341 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.95% | $43,987 | $57,183 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 25.68% | $43,547 | $56,611 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 25.49% | $43,481 | $56,526 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.34% | $43,083 | $56,008 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.80% | $42,895 | $55,764 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.63% | $42,490 | $55,237 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.32% | $42,036 | $54,647 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.25% | $42,012 | $54,616 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.94% | $41,905 | $54,476 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.94% | $41,905 | $54,476 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.84% | $41,870 | $54,431 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.78% | $41,849 | $54,404 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.69% | $41,818 | $54,364 |
| Richmond | 20.64% | $41,801 | $54,341 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.45% | $41,735 | $54,255 |
| State of Hawaii | 20.40% | $41,717 | $54,233 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.93% | $41,555 | $54,021 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.90% | $41,544 | $54,008 |
| Laredo | 19.85% | $41,527 | $53,985 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.80% | $41,163 | $53,512 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 18.68% | $41,121 | $53,458 |
| Colorado Springs | 18.42% | $41,031 | $53,341 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 18.35% | $41,007 | $53,310 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.25% | $40,972 | $53,265 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.06% | $40,907 | $53,179 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.90% | $40,851 | $53,107 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.77% | $40,806 | $53,048 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.67% | $40,771 | $53,003 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 17.62% | $40,754 | $52,981 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.58% | $40,740 | $52,963 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 17.39% | $40,674 | $52,877 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.26% | $40,629 | $52,819 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.18% | $40,602 | $52,783 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.14% | $40,588 | $52,765 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.01% | $40,543 | $52,706 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.93% | $40,515 | $52,670 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.82% | $40,477 | $52,620 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.81% | $40,473 | $52,616 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 16.52% | $40,373 | $52,485 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.20% | $40,262 | $52,341 |
Top and bottom GS-6 localities in 2022
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-6 pay scale
GS-6 is part of the 2022 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR 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 2022
GS-6 questions for 2022
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What is the starting salary for GS-6 in 2022?
The base starting salary for GS-6 in 2022 is $34,649 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2022 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 42.74%), GS-6 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-6 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-6 to GS-7?
Promotion from GS-6 to GS-7 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-6 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-7 vacancy. Open the GS-7 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-6?
GS-6 is roughly equivalent to O-1 Second Lieutenant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.