2022 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2022 is $47,097 at Step 1, rising to $61,227 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-9 for 2022.
2022 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2022.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $47,097 | $1,811.42 | $22.57 | - |
| Step 2 | $48,667 | $1,871.81 | $23.32 | - |
| Step 3 | $50,237 | $1,932.19 | $24.07 | - |
| Step 4 | $51,807 | $1,992.58 | $24.82 | - |
| Step 5 | $53,377 | $2,052.96 | $25.58 | - |
| Step 6 | $54,947 | $2,113.35 | $26.33 | - |
| Step 7 | $56,517 | $2,173.73 | $27.08 | - |
| Step 8 | $58,087 | $2,234.12 | $27.83 | - |
| Step 9 | $59,657 | $2,294.50 | $28.59 | - |
| Step 10 | $61,227 | $2,354.88 | $29.34 | - |
2022 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $47,097 | $1,811.42 | $22.57 | - |
| Step 2 | $48,667 | $1,871.81 | $23.32 | - |
| Step 3 | $50,237 | $1,932.19 | $24.07 | - |
| Step 4 | $51,807 | $1,992.58 | $24.82 | - |
| Step 5 | $53,377 | $2,052.96 | $25.58 | - |
| Step 6 | $54,947 | $2,113.35 | $26.33 | - |
| Step 7 | $56,517 | $2,173.73 | $27.08 | - |
| Step 8 | $58,087 | $2,234.12 | $27.83 | - |
| Step 9 | $59,657 | $2,294.50 | $28.59 | - |
| Step 10 | $61,227 | $2,354.88 | $29.34 | - |
Who is a GS-9?
Typical role. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT specialists.
Minimum qualifications. A master's degree or equivalent graduate education, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Career progression. Career-ladder promotion to GS-11 after one year of specialized GS-9 experience.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-9 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-9 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2022, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 42.74% | $67,226 | $87,395 |
| New York-Newark | 35.06% | $63,609 | $82,693 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.96% | $63,091 | $82,020 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 33.61% | $62,926 | $81,805 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 31.53% | $61,947 | $80,532 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 30.87% | $61,636 | $80,128 |
| State of Alaska | 30.42% | $61,424 | $79,852 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.20% | $61,320 | $79,718 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 30.09% | $61,268 | $79,650 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.18% | $60,840 | $79,093 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 28.28% | $60,416 | $78,542 |
| Denver-Aurora | 28.10% | $60,331 | $78,432 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.86% | $60,218 | $78,285 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 27.30% | $59,954 | $77,942 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.95% | $59,790 | $77,728 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 25.68% | $59,192 | $76,950 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 25.49% | $59,102 | $76,834 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.34% | $58,560 | $76,130 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.80% | $58,306 | $75,799 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.63% | $57,755 | $75,083 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.32% | $57,138 | $74,281 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.25% | $57,105 | $74,238 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.94% | $56,959 | $74,048 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.94% | $56,959 | $74,048 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.84% | $56,912 | $73,987 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.78% | $56,884 | $73,950 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.69% | $56,841 | $73,895 |
| Richmond | 20.64% | $56,818 | $73,864 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.45% | $56,728 | $73,748 |
| State of Hawaii | 20.40% | $56,705 | $73,717 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.93% | $56,483 | $73,430 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.90% | $56,469 | $73,411 |
| Laredo | 19.85% | $56,446 | $73,381 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.80% | $55,951 | $72,738 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 18.68% | $55,895 | $72,664 |
| Colorado Springs | 18.42% | $55,772 | $72,505 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 18.35% | $55,739 | $72,462 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.25% | $55,692 | $72,401 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.06% | $55,603 | $72,285 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.90% | $55,527 | $72,187 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.77% | $55,466 | $72,107 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.67% | $55,419 | $72,046 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 17.62% | $55,395 | $72,015 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.58% | $55,377 | $71,991 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 17.39% | $55,287 | $71,874 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.26% | $55,226 | $71,795 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.18% | $55,188 | $71,746 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.14% | $55,169 | $71,721 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.01% | $55,108 | $71,642 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.93% | $55,071 | $71,593 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.82% | $55,019 | $71,525 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.81% | $55,014 | $71,519 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 16.52% | $54,877 | $71,342 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.20% | $54,727 | $71,146 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2022
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2022 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT 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-9 questions for 2022
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2022?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2022 is $47,097 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2022 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 42.74%), GS-9 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-9 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-9 to GS-10?
Promotion from GS-9 to GS-10 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-10 vacancy. Open the GS-10 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-9?
GS-9 is roughly equivalent to O-3 Captain. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.