2024 GS-6 Pay Scale
The GS-6 base salary range for 2024 is $37,765 at Step 1, rising to $49,096 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-6 for 2024.
2024 GS-6 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-6 rates for 2024.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $37,765 | $1,452.50 | $18.10 | - |
| Step 2 | $39,024 | $1,500.92 | $18.70 | - |
| Step 3 | $40,283 | $1,549.35 | $19.30 | - |
| Step 4 | $41,542 | $1,597.77 | $19.91 | - |
| Step 5 | $42,801 | $1,646.19 | $20.51 | - |
| Step 6 | $44,060 | $1,694.62 | $21.11 | - |
| Step 7 | $45,319 | $1,743.04 | $21.71 | - |
| Step 8 | $46,578 | $1,791.46 | $22.32 | - |
| Step 9 | $47,837 | $1,839.88 | $22.92 | - |
| Step 10 | $49,096 | $1,888.31 | $23.52 | - |
2024 GS-6 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-6 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 | $37,765 | $1,452.50 | $18.10 | - |
| Step 2 | $39,024 | $1,500.92 | $18.70 | - |
| Step 3 | $40,283 | $1,549.35 | $19.30 | - |
| Step 4 | $41,542 | $1,597.77 | $19.91 | - |
| Step 5 | $42,801 | $1,646.19 | $20.51 | - |
| Step 6 | $44,060 | $1,694.62 | $21.11 | - |
| Step 7 | $45,319 | $1,743.04 | $21.71 | - |
| Step 8 | $46,578 | $1,791.46 | $22.32 | - |
| Step 9 | $47,837 | $1,839.88 | $22.92 | - |
| Step 10 | $49,096 | $1,888.31 | $23.52 | - |
Who is a GS-6?
Typical role. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR specialists.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level, or a master's degree for some series.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-7 after one year of creditable experience in the grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-6 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-6 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2024, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-6 Step 1 | GS-6 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 45.41% | $54,914 | $71,390 |
| New York-Newark | 37.24% | $51,829 | $67,379 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 35.84% | $51,300 | $66,692 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 34.72% | $50,877 | $66,142 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.26% | $50,326 | $65,425 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.05% | $50,246 | $65,322 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 31.97% | $49,838 | $64,792 |
| State of Alaska | 31.96% | $49,835 | $64,787 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 31.62% | $49,706 | $64,620 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 30.81% | $49,400 | $64,222 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.41% | $49,249 | $64,026 |
| Denver-Aurora | 29.88% | $49,049 | $63,766 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.16% | $48,777 | $63,412 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 28.82% | $48,649 | $63,245 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.55% | $48,547 | $63,113 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.15% | $48,018 | $62,426 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 26.91% | $47,928 | $62,308 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 25.66% | $47,455 | $61,694 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.42% | $46,987 | $61,085 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.45% | $46,621 | $60,609 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.15% | $46,130 | $59,971 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.02% | $46,081 | $59,907 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.01% | $46,077 | $59,902 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 21.99% | $46,070 | $59,892 |
| Richmond | 21.91% | $46,039 | $59,853 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 21.90% | $46,036 | $59,848 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 21.80% | $45,998 | $59,799 |
| State of Hawaii | 21.79% | $45,994 | $59,794 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.69% | $45,956 | $59,745 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.48% | $45,877 | $59,642 |
| Laredo | 21.33% | $45,820 | $59,568 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.14% | $45,749 | $59,475 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 20.78% | $45,613 | $59,298 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.25% | $45,412 | $59,038 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 19.99% | $45,314 | $58,910 |
| Colorado Springs | 19.73% | $45,216 | $58,783 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 19.63% | $45,178 | $58,734 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.26% | $45,039 | $58,552 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.23% | $45,027 | $58,537 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.10% | $44,978 | $58,473 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 18.97% | $44,929 | $58,410 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 18.92% | $44,910 | $58,385 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.66% | $44,812 | $58,257 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.65% | $44,808 | $58,252 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.49% | $44,748 | $58,174 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.46% | $44,736 | $58,159 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.05% | $44,582 | $57,958 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 17.94% | $44,540 | $57,904 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 17.91% | $44,529 | $57,889 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.89% | $44,521 | $57,879 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 17.68% | $44,442 | $57,776 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.60% | $44,412 | $57,737 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.40% | $44,336 | $57,639 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.35% | $44,317 | $57,614 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.18% | $44,253 | $57,531 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.15% | $44,242 | $57,516 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.11% | $44,227 | $57,496 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.82% | $44,117 | $57,354 |
Top and bottom GS-6 localities in 2024
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-6 pay scale
GS-6 is part of the 2024 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Experienced technicians and mid-level administrative support, including contract specialists, paralegals, medical technicians and HR 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 2024
GS-6 questions for 2024
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What is the starting salary for GS-6 in 2024?
The base starting salary for GS-6 in 2024 is $37,765 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2024 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 45.41%), GS-6 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-6 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-6 to GS-7?
Promotion from GS-6 to GS-7 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-6 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-7 vacancy. Open the GS-7 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-6?
GS-6 is roughly equivalent to O-1 Second Lieutenant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.