2024 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2024 is $51,332 at Step 1, rising to $66,731 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 2024.
2024 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2024.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $51,332 | $1,974.31 | $24.60 | - |
| Step 2 | $53,043 | $2,040.12 | $25.42 | - |
| Step 3 | $54,754 | $2,105.92 | $26.24 | - |
| Step 4 | $56,465 | $2,171.73 | $27.06 | - |
| Step 5 | $58,176 | $2,237.54 | $27.88 | - |
| Step 6 | $59,887 | $2,303.35 | $28.70 | - |
| Step 7 | $61,598 | $2,369.15 | $29.52 | - |
| Step 8 | $63,309 | $2,434.96 | $30.33 | - |
| Step 9 | $65,020 | $2,500.77 | $31.15 | - |
| Step 10 | $66,731 | $2,566.58 | $31.97 | - |
2024 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $51,332 | $1,974.31 | $24.60 | - |
| Step 2 | $53,043 | $2,040.12 | $25.42 | - |
| Step 3 | $54,754 | $2,105.92 | $26.24 | - |
| Step 4 | $56,465 | $2,171.73 | $27.06 | - |
| Step 5 | $58,176 | $2,237.54 | $27.88 | - |
| Step 6 | $59,887 | $2,303.35 | $28.70 | - |
| Step 7 | $61,598 | $2,369.15 | $29.52 | - |
| Step 8 | $63,309 | $2,434.96 | $30.33 | - |
| Step 9 | $65,020 | $2,500.77 | $31.15 | - |
| Step 10 | $66,731 | $2,566.58 | $31.97 | - |
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 2024, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 45.41% | $74,642 | $97,034 |
| New York-Newark | 37.24% | $70,448 | $91,582 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 35.84% | $69,729 | $90,647 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 34.72% | $69,154 | $89,900 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.26% | $68,405 | $88,926 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.05% | $68,297 | $88,786 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 31.97% | $67,743 | $88,065 |
| State of Alaska | 31.96% | $67,738 | $88,058 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 31.62% | $67,563 | $87,831 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 30.81% | $67,147 | $87,291 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.41% | $66,942 | $87,024 |
| Denver-Aurora | 29.88% | $66,670 | $86,670 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.16% | $66,300 | $86,190 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 28.82% | $66,126 | $85,963 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.55% | $65,987 | $85,783 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.15% | $65,269 | $84,848 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 26.91% | $65,145 | $84,688 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 25.66% | $64,504 | $83,854 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.42% | $63,867 | $83,027 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.45% | $63,369 | $82,379 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.15% | $62,702 | $81,512 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.02% | $62,635 | $81,425 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.01% | $62,630 | $81,418 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 21.99% | $62,620 | $81,405 |
| Richmond | 21.91% | $62,579 | $81,352 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 21.90% | $62,574 | $81,345 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 21.80% | $62,522 | $81,278 |
| State of Hawaii | 21.79% | $62,517 | $81,272 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.69% | $62,466 | $81,205 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.48% | $62,358 | $81,065 |
| Laredo | 21.33% | $62,281 | $80,965 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.14% | $62,184 | $80,838 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 20.78% | $61,999 | $80,598 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.25% | $61,727 | $80,244 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 19.99% | $61,593 | $80,071 |
| Colorado Springs | 19.73% | $61,460 | $79,897 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 19.63% | $61,408 | $79,830 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.26% | $61,219 | $79,583 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.23% | $61,203 | $79,563 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.10% | $61,136 | $79,477 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 18.97% | $61,070 | $79,390 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 18.92% | $61,044 | $79,357 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.66% | $60,911 | $79,183 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.65% | $60,905 | $79,176 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.49% | $60,823 | $79,070 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.46% | $60,808 | $79,050 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.05% | $60,597 | $78,776 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 17.94% | $60,541 | $78,703 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 17.91% | $60,526 | $78,683 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.89% | $60,515 | $78,669 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 17.68% | $60,407 | $78,529 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.60% | $60,366 | $78,476 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.40% | $60,264 | $78,342 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.35% | $60,238 | $78,309 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.18% | $60,151 | $78,195 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.15% | $60,135 | $78,175 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.11% | $60,115 | $78,149 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.82% | $59,966 | $77,955 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2024
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2024 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 2024
GS-9 questions for 2024
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2024?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2024 is $51,332 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2024 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 45.41%), 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.