2024 GS-1 Pay Scale
The GS-1 base salary range for 2024 is $21,986 at Step 1, rising to $27,502 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-1 for 2024.
2024 GS-1 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-1 rates for 2024.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $21,986 | $845.62 | $10.53 | - |
| Step 2 | $22,724 | $874.00 | $10.89 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,454 | $902.08 | $11.24 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,183 | $930.12 | $11.59 | - |
| Step 5 | $24,912 | $958.15 | $11.94 | - |
| Step 6 | $25,339 | $974.58 | $12.14 | - |
| Step 7 | $26,063 | $1,002.42 | $12.49 | - |
| Step 8 | $26,792 | $1,030.46 | $12.84 | - |
| Step 9 | $26,821 | $1,031.58 | $12.85 | - |
| Step 10 | $27,502 | $1,057.77 | $13.18 | - |
2024 GS-1 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-1 salary schedule for 2024, 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 | $21,986 | $845.62 | $10.53 | - |
| Step 2 | $22,724 | $874.00 | $10.89 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,454 | $902.08 | $11.24 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,183 | $930.12 | $11.59 | - |
| Step 5 | $24,912 | $958.15 | $11.94 | - |
| Step 6 | $25,339 | $974.58 | $12.14 | - |
| Step 7 | $26,063 | $1,002.42 | $12.49 | - |
| Step 8 | $26,792 | $1,030.46 | $12.84 | - |
| Step 9 | $26,821 | $1,031.58 | $12.85 | - |
| Step 10 | $27,502 | $1,057.77 | $13.18 | - |
Who is a GS-1?
Typical role. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.
Minimum qualifications. No formal education or experience required. Generally filled by workers with basic literacy and ability to follow simple instructions.
Career progression. Promotion to GS-2 typically follows one year of satisfactory service.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-1 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-1 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2024, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-1 Step 1 | GS-1 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 45.41% | $31,970 | $39,991 |
| New York-Newark | 37.24% | $30,174 | $37,744 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 35.84% | $29,866 | $37,359 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 34.72% | $29,620 | $37,051 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.26% | $29,299 | $36,649 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.05% | $29,252 | $36,591 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 31.97% | $29,015 | $36,294 |
| State of Alaska | 31.96% | $29,013 | $36,292 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 31.62% | $28,938 | $36,198 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 30.81% | $28,760 | $35,975 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.41% | $28,672 | $35,865 |
| Denver-Aurora | 29.88% | $28,555 | $35,720 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.16% | $28,397 | $35,522 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 28.82% | $28,322 | $35,428 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.55% | $28,263 | $35,354 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.15% | $27,955 | $34,969 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 26.91% | $27,902 | $34,903 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 25.66% | $27,628 | $34,559 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.42% | $27,355 | $34,218 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.45% | $27,142 | $33,951 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.15% | $26,856 | $33,594 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.02% | $26,827 | $33,558 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.01% | $26,825 | $33,555 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 21.99% | $26,821 | $33,550 |
| Richmond | 21.91% | $26,803 | $33,528 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 21.90% | $26,801 | $33,525 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 21.80% | $26,779 | $33,497 |
| State of Hawaii | 21.79% | $26,777 | $33,495 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.69% | $26,755 | $33,467 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.48% | $26,709 | $33,409 |
| Laredo | 21.33% | $26,676 | $33,368 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.14% | $26,634 | $33,316 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 20.78% | $26,555 | $33,217 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.25% | $26,438 | $33,071 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 19.99% | $26,381 | $33,000 |
| Colorado Springs | 19.73% | $26,324 | $32,928 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 19.63% | $26,302 | $32,901 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.26% | $26,221 | $32,799 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.23% | $26,214 | $32,791 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.10% | $26,185 | $32,755 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 18.97% | $26,157 | $32,719 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 18.92% | $26,146 | $32,705 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.66% | $26,089 | $32,634 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.65% | $26,086 | $32,631 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.49% | $26,051 | $32,587 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.46% | $26,045 | $32,579 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.05% | $25,954 | $32,466 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 17.94% | $25,930 | $32,436 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 17.91% | $25,924 | $32,428 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.89% | $25,919 | $32,422 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 17.68% | $25,873 | $32,364 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.60% | $25,856 | $32,342 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.40% | $25,812 | $32,287 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.35% | $25,801 | $32,274 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.18% | $25,763 | $32,227 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.15% | $25,757 | $32,219 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.11% | $25,748 | $32,208 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.82% | $25,684 | $32,128 |
Top and bottom GS-1 localities in 2024
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-1 pay scale
GS-1 is part of the 2024 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Entry-level clerical, labor and support positions. GS-1 is rarely used today; most entry roles now start at GS-2 or GS-3.
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 2024
GS-1 questions for 2024
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What is the starting salary for GS-1 in 2024?
The base starting salary for GS-1 in 2024 is $21,986 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2024 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 45.41%), GS-1 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-1 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-1 to GS-2?
Promotion from GS-1 to GS-2 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-1 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-2 vacancy. Open the GS-2 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-1?
GS-1 is roughly equivalent to E-2 Private Second Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.