2024 GS-2 Pay Scale
The GS-2 base salary range for 2024 is $24,722 at Step 1, rising to $31,114 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-2 for 2024.
2024 GS-2 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-2 rates for 2024.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $24,722 | $950.85 | $11.85 | - |
| Step 2 | $25,310 | $973.46 | $12.13 | - |
| Step 3 | $26,129 | $1,004.96 | $12.52 | - |
| Step 4 | $26,821 | $1,031.58 | $12.85 | - |
| Step 5 | $27,124 | $1,043.23 | $13.00 | - |
| Step 6 | $27,922 | $1,073.92 | $13.38 | - |
| Step 7 | $28,720 | $1,104.62 | $13.76 | - |
| Step 8 | $29,518 | $1,135.31 | $14.14 | - |
| Step 9 | $30,316 | $1,166.00 | $14.53 | - |
| Step 10 | $31,114 | $1,196.69 | $14.91 | - |
2024 GS-2 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-2 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 | $24,722 | $950.85 | $11.85 | - |
| Step 2 | $25,310 | $973.46 | $12.13 | - |
| Step 3 | $26,129 | $1,004.96 | $12.52 | - |
| Step 4 | $26,821 | $1,031.58 | $12.85 | - |
| Step 5 | $27,124 | $1,043.23 | $13.00 | - |
| Step 6 | $27,922 | $1,073.92 | $13.38 | - |
| Step 7 | $28,720 | $1,104.62 | $13.76 | - |
| Step 8 | $29,518 | $1,135.31 | $14.14 | - |
| Step 9 | $30,316 | $1,166.00 | $14.53 | - |
| Step 10 | $31,114 | $1,196.69 | $14.91 | - |
Who is a GS-2?
Typical role. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
Minimum qualifications. High school or equivalent, or three months of general experience.
Career progression. Most GS-2 employees advance to GS-3 after one year.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-2 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-2 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2024, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-2 Step 1 | GS-2 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 45.41% | $35,948 | $45,243 |
| New York-Newark | 37.24% | $33,928 | $42,701 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 35.84% | $33,582 | $42,265 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 34.72% | $33,305 | $41,917 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.26% | $32,945 | $41,463 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.05% | $32,893 | $41,397 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 31.97% | $32,626 | $41,061 |
| State of Alaska | 31.96% | $32,623 | $41,058 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 31.62% | $32,539 | $40,952 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 30.81% | $32,339 | $40,700 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.41% | $32,240 | $40,576 |
| Denver-Aurora | 29.88% | $32,109 | $40,411 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.16% | $31,931 | $40,187 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 28.82% | $31,847 | $40,081 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.55% | $31,780 | $39,997 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.15% | $31,434 | $39,561 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 26.91% | $31,375 | $39,487 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 25.66% | $31,066 | $39,098 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.42% | $30,759 | $38,712 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.45% | $30,519 | $38,410 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.15% | $30,198 | $38,006 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.02% | $30,166 | $37,965 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.01% | $30,163 | $37,962 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 21.99% | $30,158 | $37,956 |
| Richmond | 21.91% | $30,139 | $37,931 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 21.90% | $30,136 | $37,928 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 21.80% | $30,111 | $37,897 |
| State of Hawaii | 21.79% | $30,109 | $37,894 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.69% | $30,084 | $37,863 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.48% | $30,032 | $37,797 |
| Laredo | 21.33% | $29,995 | $37,751 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.14% | $29,948 | $37,691 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 20.78% | $29,859 | $37,579 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.25% | $29,728 | $37,415 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 19.99% | $29,664 | $37,334 |
| Colorado Springs | 19.73% | $29,600 | $37,253 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 19.63% | $29,575 | $37,222 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.26% | $29,483 | $37,107 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.23% | $29,476 | $37,097 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.10% | $29,444 | $37,057 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 18.97% | $29,412 | $37,016 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 18.92% | $29,399 | $37,001 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.66% | $29,335 | $36,920 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.65% | $29,333 | $36,917 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.49% | $29,293 | $36,867 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.46% | $29,286 | $36,858 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.05% | $29,184 | $36,730 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 17.94% | $29,157 | $36,696 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 17.91% | $29,150 | $36,687 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.89% | $29,145 | $36,680 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 17.68% | $29,093 | $36,615 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.60% | $29,073 | $36,590 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.40% | $29,024 | $36,528 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.35% | $29,011 | $36,512 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.18% | $28,969 | $36,459 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.15% | $28,962 | $36,450 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.11% | $28,952 | $36,438 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.82% | $28,880 | $36,347 |
Top and bottom GS-2 localities in 2024
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-2 pay scale
GS-2 is part of the 2024 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
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-2 questions for 2024
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What is the starting salary for GS-2 in 2024?
The base starting salary for GS-2 in 2024 is $24,722 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2024 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 45.41%), GS-2 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-2 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-2 to GS-3?
Promotion from GS-2 to GS-3 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-2 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-3 vacancy. Open the GS-3 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-2?
GS-2 is roughly equivalent to E-3 Private First Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.