2023 GS-11 Pay Scale
The GS-11 base salary range for 2023 is $59,319 at Step 1, rising to $77,112 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-11 for 2023.
2023 GS-11 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-11 rates for 2023.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $59,319 | $2,281.50 | $28.42 | - |
| Step 2 | $61,296 | $2,357.54 | $29.37 | - |
| Step 3 | $63,273 | $2,433.58 | $30.32 | - |
| Step 4 | $65,250 | $2,509.62 | $31.26 | - |
| Step 5 | $67,227 | $2,585.65 | $32.21 | - |
| Step 6 | $69,204 | $2,661.69 | $33.16 | - |
| Step 7 | $71,181 | $2,737.73 | $34.11 | - |
| Step 8 | $73,158 | $2,813.77 | $35.05 | - |
| Step 9 | $75,135 | $2,889.81 | $36.00 | - |
| Step 10 | $77,112 | $2,965.85 | $36.95 | - |
2023 GS-11 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-11 salary schedule for 2023, 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 | $59,319 | $2,281.50 | $28.42 | - |
| Step 2 | $61,296 | $2,357.54 | $29.37 | - |
| Step 3 | $63,273 | $2,433.58 | $30.32 | - |
| Step 4 | $65,250 | $2,509.62 | $31.26 | - |
| Step 5 | $67,227 | $2,585.65 | $32.21 | - |
| Step 6 | $69,204 | $2,661.69 | $33.16 | - |
| Step 7 | $71,181 | $2,737.73 | $34.11 | - |
| Step 8 | $73,158 | $2,813.77 | $35.05 | - |
| Step 9 | $75,135 | $2,889.81 | $36.00 | - |
| Step 10 | $77,112 | $2,965.85 | $36.95 | - |
Who is a GS-11?
Typical role. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
Minimum qualifications. A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level.
Career progression. Typical career ladder peak for entry-level hires; competitive promotion to GS-12 requires vacancy and supervisory selection.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-11 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-11 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2023, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-11 Step 1 | GS-11 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 44.15% | $85,508 | $111,157 |
| New York-Newark | 36.16% | $80,769 | $104,996 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 34.89% | $80,015 | $104,016 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 34.47% | $79,766 | $103,693 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 32.49% | $78,592 | $102,166 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 32.01% | $78,307 | $101,796 |
| State of Alaska | 31.32% | $77,898 | $101,263 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 31.05% | $77,738 | $101,055 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.91% | $77,655 | $100,947 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.79% | $76,990 | $100,084 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 29.57% | $76,860 | $99,914 |
| Denver-Aurora | 29.05% | $76,551 | $99,513 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 28.37% | $76,148 | $98,989 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 28.30% | $76,106 | $98,935 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 27.84% | $75,833 | $98,580 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 26.39% | $74,973 | $97,462 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 26.37% | $74,961 | $97,446 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.98% | $74,137 | $96,375 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.14% | $73,639 | $95,727 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.02% | $72,974 | $94,863 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.74% | $72,215 | $93,876 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.69% | $72,185 | $93,838 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 21.44% | $72,037 | $93,645 |
| Richmond | 21.38% | $72,001 | $93,599 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 21.37% | $71,995 | $93,591 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 21.35% | $71,984 | $93,575 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.35% | $71,984 | $93,575 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 21.27% | $71,936 | $93,514 |
| State of Hawaii | 21.17% | $71,877 | $93,437 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.96% | $71,752 | $93,275 |
| Laredo | 20.64% | $71,562 | $93,028 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 20.59% | $71,533 | $92,989 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 20.37% | $71,402 | $92,820 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 19.45% | $70,857 | $92,110 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 19.40% | $70,827 | $92,072 |
| Colorado Springs | 19.11% | $70,655 | $91,848 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 19.10% | $70,649 | $91,840 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.76% | $70,447 | $91,578 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.63% | $70,370 | $91,478 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 18.59% | $70,346 | $91,447 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 18.40% | $70,234 | $91,301 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 18.31% | $70,180 | $91,231 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.21% | $70,121 | $91,154 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.18% | $70,103 | $91,131 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.00% | $69,996 | $90,992 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.94% | $69,961 | $90,946 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.63% | $69,777 | $90,707 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.57% | $69,741 | $90,661 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 17.52% | $69,712 | $90,622 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 17.41% | $69,646 | $90,537 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.30% | $69,581 | $90,452 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 17.13% | $69,480 | $90,321 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.10% | $69,463 | $90,298 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.50% | $69,107 | $89,835 |
Top and bottom GS-11 localities in 2023
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-11 pay scale
GS-11 is part of the 2023 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
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 2023
GS-11 questions for 2023
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What is the starting salary for GS-11 in 2023?
The base starting salary for GS-11 in 2023 is $59,319 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2023 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 44.15%), GS-11 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-11 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-11 to GS-12?
Promotion from GS-11 to GS-12 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-12 vacancy. Open the GS-12 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-11?
GS-11 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.