2025 GS-11 Pay Scale
The GS-11 base salary range for 2025 is $63,163 at Step 1, rising to $82,108 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-11 for 2025.
2025 GS-11 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-11 rates for 2025.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $63,163 | $2,429.35 | $30.26 | - |
| Step 2 | $65,268 | $2,510.31 | $31.27 | - |
| Step 3 | $67,373 | $2,591.27 | $32.28 | - |
| Step 4 | $69,478 | $2,672.23 | $33.29 | - |
| Step 5 | $71,583 | $2,753.19 | $34.30 | - |
| Step 6 | $73,688 | $2,834.15 | $35.31 | - |
| Step 7 | $75,793 | $2,915.12 | $36.32 | - |
| Step 8 | $77,898 | $2,996.08 | $37.33 | - |
| Step 9 | $80,003 | $3,077.04 | $38.33 | - |
| Step 10 | $82,108 | $3,158.00 | $39.34 | - |
2025 GS-11 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-11 salary schedule for 2025, 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 | $63,163 | $2,429.35 | $30.26 | - |
| Step 2 | $65,268 | $2,510.31 | $31.27 | - |
| Step 3 | $67,373 | $2,591.27 | $32.28 | - |
| Step 4 | $69,478 | $2,672.23 | $33.29 | - |
| Step 5 | $71,583 | $2,753.19 | $34.30 | - |
| Step 6 | $73,688 | $2,834.15 | $35.31 | - |
| Step 7 | $75,793 | $2,915.12 | $36.32 | - |
| Step 8 | $77,898 | $2,996.08 | $37.33 | - |
| Step 9 | $80,003 | $3,077.04 | $38.33 | - |
| Step 10 | $82,108 | $3,158.00 | $39.34 | - |
Who is a GS-11?
Typical role. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
Minimum qualifications. A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level.
Career progression. Typical career ladder peak for entry-level hires; competitive promotion to GS-12 requires vacancy and supervisory selection.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-11 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-11 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2025, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-11 Step 1 | GS-11 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 46.34% | $92,433 | $120,157 |
| New York-Newark | 37.95% | $87,133 | $113,268 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 36.47% | $86,199 | $112,053 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 35.00% | $85,270 | $110,846 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.94% | $84,601 | $109,975 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.72% | $84,462 | $109,795 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 32.58% | $83,742 | $108,859 |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $83,603 | $108,678 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 32.08% | $83,426 | $108,448 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 31.57% | $83,104 | $108,029 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.86% | $82,655 | $107,447 |
| Denver-Aurora | 30.52% | $82,440 | $107,167 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.76% | $81,960 | $106,543 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 29.12% | $81,556 | $106,018 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.99% | $81,474 | $105,911 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.62% | $80,609 | $104,786 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 27.26% | $80,381 | $104,491 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 26.13% | $79,667 | $103,563 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.67% | $78,745 | $102,364 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.79% | $78,189 | $101,641 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.45% | $77,343 | $100,541 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.42% | $77,324 | $100,517 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 22.41% | $77,318 | $100,508 |
| Richmond | 22.28% | $77,236 | $100,402 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 22.24% | $77,210 | $100,369 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.23% | $77,204 | $100,361 |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $77,192 | $100,344 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 22.15% | $77,154 | $100,295 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.93% | $77,015 | $100,114 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.91% | $77,002 | $100,098 |
| Laredo | 21.59% | $76,800 | $99,835 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.42% | $76,693 | $99,696 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 21.03% | $76,446 | $99,375 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.77% | $76,282 | $99,162 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 20.35% | $76,017 | $98,817 |
| Colorado Springs | 20.15% | $75,890 | $98,653 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 20.03% | $75,815 | $98,554 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.67% | $75,587 | $98,259 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.57% | $75,524 | $98,177 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 19.45% | $75,448 | $98,078 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.43% | $75,436 | $98,062 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 19.28% | $75,341 | $97,938 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.97% | $75,145 | $97,684 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.93% | $75,120 | $97,651 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.80% | $75,038 | $97,544 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.78% | $75,025 | $97,528 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.33% | $74,741 | $97,158 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 18.24% | $74,684 | $97,084 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 18.23% | $74,678 | $97,076 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 18.15% | $74,627 | $97,011 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 18.01% | $74,539 | $96,896 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.93% | $74,488 | $96,830 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.88% | $74,457 | $96,789 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.67% | $74,324 | $96,616 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.65% | $74,311 | $96,600 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.63% | $74,299 | $96,584 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.52% | $74,229 | $96,493 |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $73,939 | $96,116 |
Top and bottom GS-11 localities in 2025
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-11 pay scale
GS-11 is part of the 2025 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
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 2025
GS-11 questions for 2025
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What is the starting salary for GS-11 in 2025?
The base starting salary for GS-11 in 2025 is $63,163 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2025 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 46.34%), GS-11 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-11 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-11 to GS-12?
Promotion from GS-11 to GS-12 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-12 vacancy. Open the GS-12 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-11?
GS-11 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.