2022 GS-8 Pay Scale
The GS-8 base salary range for 2022 is $42,641 at Step 1, rising to $55,430 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-8 for 2022.
2022 GS-8 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-8 rates for 2022.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $42,641 | $1,640.04 | $20.43 | - |
| Step 2 | $44,062 | $1,694.69 | $21.11 | - |
| Step 3 | $45,483 | $1,749.35 | $21.79 | - |
| Step 4 | $46,904 | $1,804.00 | $22.47 | - |
| Step 5 | $48,325 | $1,858.65 | $23.16 | - |
| Step 6 | $49,746 | $1,913.31 | $23.84 | - |
| Step 7 | $51,167 | $1,967.96 | $24.52 | - |
| Step 8 | $52,588 | $2,022.62 | $25.20 | - |
| Step 9 | $54,009 | $2,077.27 | $25.88 | - |
| Step 10 | $55,430 | $2,131.92 | $26.56 | - |
2022 GS-8 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-8 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 | $42,641 | $1,640.04 | $20.43 | - |
| Step 2 | $44,062 | $1,694.69 | $21.11 | - |
| Step 3 | $45,483 | $1,749.35 | $21.79 | - |
| Step 4 | $46,904 | $1,804.00 | $22.47 | - |
| Step 5 | $48,325 | $1,858.65 | $23.16 | - |
| Step 6 | $49,746 | $1,913.31 | $23.84 | - |
| Step 7 | $51,167 | $1,967.96 | $24.52 | - |
| Step 8 | $52,588 | $2,022.62 | $25.20 | - |
| Step 9 | $54,009 | $2,077.27 | $25.88 | - |
| Step 10 | $55,430 | $2,131.92 | $26.56 | - |
Who is a GS-8?
Typical role. Senior technicians, investigators and lead administrative support. Less common than GS-7 or GS-9, often reserved for specialized technical work.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-9 after one year in grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-8 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-8 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2022, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-8 Step 1 | GS-8 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 42.74% | $60,866 | $79,121 |
| New York-Newark | 35.06% | $57,591 | $74,864 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.96% | $57,122 | $74,254 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 33.61% | $56,973 | $74,060 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 31.53% | $56,086 | $72,907 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 30.87% | $55,804 | $72,541 |
| State of Alaska | 30.42% | $55,612 | $72,292 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.20% | $55,519 | $72,170 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 30.09% | $55,472 | $72,109 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.18% | $55,084 | $71,604 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 28.28% | $54,700 | $71,106 |
| Denver-Aurora | 28.10% | $54,623 | $71,006 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.86% | $54,521 | $70,873 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 27.30% | $54,282 | $70,562 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.95% | $54,133 | $70,368 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 25.68% | $53,591 | $69,664 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 25.49% | $53,510 | $69,559 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.34% | $53,020 | $68,922 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.80% | $52,790 | $68,622 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.63% | $52,291 | $67,974 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.32% | $51,732 | $67,248 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.25% | $51,702 | $67,209 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.94% | $51,570 | $67,037 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.94% | $51,570 | $67,037 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.84% | $51,527 | $66,982 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.78% | $51,502 | $66,948 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.69% | $51,463 | $66,898 |
| Richmond | 20.64% | $51,442 | $66,871 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.45% | $51,361 | $66,765 |
| State of Hawaii | 20.40% | $51,340 | $66,738 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.93% | $51,139 | $66,477 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.90% | $51,127 | $66,461 |
| Laredo | 19.85% | $51,105 | $66,433 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.80% | $50,658 | $65,851 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 18.68% | $50,606 | $65,784 |
| Colorado Springs | 18.42% | $50,495 | $65,640 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 18.35% | $50,466 | $65,601 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.25% | $50,423 | $65,546 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.06% | $50,342 | $65,441 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.90% | $50,274 | $65,352 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.77% | $50,218 | $65,280 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.67% | $50,176 | $65,224 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 17.62% | $50,154 | $65,197 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.58% | $50,137 | $65,175 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 17.39% | $50,056 | $65,069 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.26% | $50,001 | $64,997 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.18% | $49,967 | $64,953 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.14% | $49,950 | $64,931 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.01% | $49,894 | $64,859 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.93% | $49,860 | $64,814 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.82% | $49,813 | $64,753 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.81% | $49,809 | $64,748 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 16.52% | $49,685 | $64,587 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.20% | $49,549 | $64,410 |
Top and bottom GS-8 localities in 2022
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-8 pay scale
GS-8 is part of the 2022 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior technicians, investigators and lead administrative support. Less common than GS-7 or GS-9, often reserved for specialized technical work.
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-8 questions for 2022
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What is the starting salary for GS-8 in 2022?
The base starting salary for GS-8 in 2022 is $42,641 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2022 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 42.74%), GS-8 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-8 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-8 to GS-9?
Promotion from GS-8 to GS-9 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-8 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-9 vacancy. Open the GS-9 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-8?
GS-8 is roughly equivalent to O-3 Captain. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.