2023 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2023 is $49,028 at Step 1, rising to $63,734 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 2023.
2023 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2023.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $49,028 | $1,885.69 | $23.49 | - |
| Step 2 | $50,662 | $1,948.54 | $24.28 | - |
| Step 3 | $52,296 | $2,011.38 | $25.06 | - |
| Step 4 | $53,930 | $2,074.23 | $25.84 | - |
| Step 5 | $55,564 | $2,137.08 | $26.62 | - |
| Step 6 | $57,198 | $2,199.92 | $27.41 | - |
| Step 7 | $58,832 | $2,262.77 | $28.19 | - |
| Step 8 | $60,466 | $2,325.62 | $28.97 | - |
| Step 9 | $62,100 | $2,388.46 | $29.76 | - |
| Step 10 | $63,734 | $2,451.31 | $30.54 | - |
2023 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $49,028 | $1,885.69 | $23.49 | - |
| Step 2 | $50,662 | $1,948.54 | $24.28 | - |
| Step 3 | $52,296 | $2,011.38 | $25.06 | - |
| Step 4 | $53,930 | $2,074.23 | $25.84 | - |
| Step 5 | $55,564 | $2,137.08 | $26.62 | - |
| Step 6 | $57,198 | $2,199.92 | $27.41 | - |
| Step 7 | $58,832 | $2,262.77 | $28.19 | - |
| Step 8 | $60,466 | $2,325.62 | $28.97 | - |
| Step 9 | $62,100 | $2,388.46 | $29.76 | - |
| Step 10 | $63,734 | $2,451.31 | $30.54 | - |
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 2023, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 44.15% | $70,674 | $91,873 |
| New York-Newark | 36.16% | $66,757 | $86,780 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 34.89% | $66,134 | $85,971 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 34.47% | $65,928 | $85,703 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 32.49% | $64,957 | $84,441 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 32.01% | $64,722 | $84,135 |
| State of Alaska | 31.32% | $64,384 | $83,695 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 31.05% | $64,251 | $83,523 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.91% | $64,183 | $83,434 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.79% | $63,633 | $82,720 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 29.57% | $63,526 | $82,580 |
| Denver-Aurora | 29.05% | $63,271 | $82,249 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 28.37% | $62,937 | $81,815 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 28.30% | $62,903 | $81,771 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 27.84% | $62,677 | $81,478 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 26.39% | $61,966 | $80,553 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 26.37% | $61,957 | $80,541 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.98% | $61,275 | $79,655 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.14% | $60,863 | $79,119 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.02% | $60,314 | $78,406 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.74% | $59,687 | $77,590 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.69% | $59,662 | $77,558 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 21.44% | $59,540 | $77,399 |
| Richmond | 21.38% | $59,510 | $77,360 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 21.37% | $59,505 | $77,354 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 21.35% | $59,495 | $77,341 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.35% | $59,495 | $77,341 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 21.27% | $59,456 | $77,290 |
| State of Hawaii | 21.17% | $59,407 | $77,226 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.96% | $59,304 | $77,093 |
| Laredo | 20.64% | $59,147 | $76,889 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 20.59% | $59,123 | $76,857 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 20.37% | $59,015 | $76,717 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 19.45% | $58,564 | $76,130 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 19.40% | $58,539 | $76,098 |
| Colorado Springs | 19.11% | $58,397 | $75,914 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 19.10% | $58,392 | $75,907 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.76% | $58,226 | $75,690 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.63% | $58,162 | $75,608 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 18.59% | $58,142 | $75,582 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 18.40% | $58,049 | $75,461 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 18.31% | $58,005 | $75,404 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.21% | $57,956 | $75,340 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.18% | $57,941 | $75,321 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.00% | $57,853 | $75,206 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.94% | $57,824 | $75,168 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.63% | $57,672 | $74,970 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.57% | $57,642 | $74,932 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 17.52% | $57,618 | $74,900 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 17.41% | $57,564 | $74,830 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.30% | $57,510 | $74,760 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 17.13% | $57,426 | $74,652 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.10% | $57,412 | $74,633 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.50% | $57,118 | $74,250 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2023
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2023 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 2023
GS-9 questions for 2023
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2023?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2023 is $49,028 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2023 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 44.15%), 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.