2025 GS-11 Pay in Chicago
GS-11 employees with a duty station in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI earn 30.86% on top of the base GS-11 pay scale. That means a GS-11 Step 1 salary jumps from $63,163 on the base table to $82,655 in Chicago.
2025 GS-11 Pay in Chicago
Locality-adjusted GS-11 rates for Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $82,655 | $3,179.04 | $39.60 | +$19,492 |
| Step 2 | $85,410 | $3,285.00 | $40.92 | +$20,142 |
| Step 3 | $88,164 | $3,390.92 | $42.24 | +$20,791 |
| Step 4 | $90,919 | $3,496.88 | $43.56 | +$21,441 |
| Step 5 | $93,674 | $3,602.85 | $44.88 | +$22,091 |
| Step 6 | $96,428 | $3,708.77 | $46.20 | +$22,740 |
| Step 7 | $99,183 | $3,814.73 | $47.52 | +$23,390 |
| Step 8 | $101,937 | $3,920.65 | $48.84 | +$24,039 |
| Step 9 | $104,692 | $4,026.62 | $50.16 | +$24,689 |
| Step 10 | $107,447 | $4,132.58 | $51.48 | +$25,339 |
2025 GS-11 pay table for Chicago
Each step below already includes the 30.86% locality adjustment. The "Locality add-on" column shows how much locality pay is adding compared with the base GS-11 table.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $82,655 | $3,179.04 | $39.60 | +$19,492 |
| Step 2 | $85,410 | $3,285.00 | $40.92 | +$20,142 |
| Step 3 | $88,164 | $3,390.92 | $42.24 | +$20,791 |
| Step 4 | $90,919 | $3,496.88 | $43.56 | +$21,441 |
| Step 5 | $93,674 | $3,602.85 | $44.88 | +$22,091 |
| Step 6 | $96,428 | $3,708.77 | $46.20 | +$22,740 |
| Step 7 | $99,183 | $3,814.73 | $47.52 | +$23,390 |
| Step 8 | $101,937 | $3,920.65 | $48.84 | +$24,039 |
| Step 9 | $104,692 | $4,026.62 | $50.16 | +$24,689 |
| Step 10 | $107,447 | $4,132.58 | $51.48 | +$25,339 |
Base vs. locality comparison
How much more Chicago pays
Step-increase waiting periods
GS-11 in Chicago: what to expect
Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
For 2025, the Chicago pay area adds a 30.86% locality adjustment on top of the nationwide base GS schedule. Every GS-11 employee assigned to this area benefits from that same percentage, regardless of step or series.
Qualifications and career path
Minimum qualifications. A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level.
Promotion path. Typical career ladder peak for entry-level hires; competitive promotion to GS-12 requires vacancy and supervisory selection.
The rough military equivalent for GS-11 is O-4 Major, useful for comparing GS roles against enlisted and officer ranks when looking at pay or authority level.
Biweekly take-home for GS-11 in Chicago
Before taxes and deductions, a GS-11 Step 1 employee in Chicago earns roughly $3,179 per biweekly pay period. At Step 10 that rises to $4,133. Actual take-home will be lower after federal tax, state tax, TSP contributions, retirement and health insurance deductions.
Note. This is the archived 2025 table. For current pay, open the latest GS-11 Chicago page.
Other grades in Chicago
GS-11 in Chicago questions
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How much does a GS-11 make in Chicago?
In 2025, a GS-11 Step 1 employee in Chicago earns $82,655 per year. At Step 10 the salary reaches $107,447. This is 30.86% higher than the base GS-11 salary. -
What is the locality adjustment for GS-11 in Chicago?
The locality adjustment is the same for every grade and step within a pay area. For Chicago in 2025, it is 30.86%. On a GS-11 Step 1 salary that translates to an extra $19,492 per year. -
What is the biweekly pay for GS-11 in Chicago?
Biweekly pay is annual salary divided by 26. A GS-11 Step 1 employee in Chicago earns roughly $3,179 per pay period before tax and retirement deductions.