2025 GS-11 Pay in San Diego
GS-11 employees with a duty station in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA earn 33.72% 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 $84,462 in San Diego.
2025 GS-11 Pay in San Diego
Locality-adjusted GS-11 rates for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $84,462 | $3,248.54 | $40.47 | +$21,299 |
| Step 2 | $87,276 | $3,356.77 | $41.82 | +$22,008 |
| Step 3 | $90,091 | $3,465.04 | $43.17 | +$22,718 |
| Step 4 | $92,906 | $3,573.31 | $44.52 | +$23,428 |
| Step 5 | $95,721 | $3,681.58 | $45.87 | +$24,138 |
| Step 6 | $98,536 | $3,789.85 | $47.21 | +$24,848 |
| Step 7 | $101,350 | $3,898.08 | $48.56 | +$25,557 |
| Step 8 | $104,165 | $4,006.35 | $49.91 | +$26,267 |
| Step 9 | $106,980 | $4,114.62 | $51.26 | +$26,977 |
| Step 10 | $109,795 | $4,222.88 | $52.61 | +$27,687 |
2025 GS-11 pay table for San Diego
Each step below already includes the 33.72% 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 | $84,462 | $3,248.54 | $40.47 | +$21,299 |
| Step 2 | $87,276 | $3,356.77 | $41.82 | +$22,008 |
| Step 3 | $90,091 | $3,465.04 | $43.17 | +$22,718 |
| Step 4 | $92,906 | $3,573.31 | $44.52 | +$23,428 |
| Step 5 | $95,721 | $3,681.58 | $45.87 | +$24,138 |
| Step 6 | $98,536 | $3,789.85 | $47.21 | +$24,848 |
| Step 7 | $101,350 | $3,898.08 | $48.56 | +$25,557 |
| Step 8 | $104,165 | $4,006.35 | $49.91 | +$26,267 |
| Step 9 | $106,980 | $4,114.62 | $51.26 | +$26,977 |
| Step 10 | $109,795 | $4,222.88 | $52.61 | +$27,687 |
Base vs. locality comparison
How much more San Diego pays
Step-increase waiting periods
GS-11 in San Diego: what to expect
Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
For 2025, the San Diego pay area adds a 33.72% 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 San Diego
Before taxes and deductions, a GS-11 Step 1 employee in San Diego earns roughly $3,249 per biweekly pay period. At Step 10 that rises to $4,223. 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 San Diego page.
Other grades in San Diego
GS-11 in San Diego questions
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How much does a GS-11 make in San Diego?
In 2025, a GS-11 Step 1 employee in San Diego earns $84,462 per year. At Step 10 the salary reaches $109,795. This is 33.72% higher than the base GS-11 salary. -
What is the locality adjustment for GS-11 in San Diego?
The locality adjustment is the same for every grade and step within a pay area. For San Diego in 2025, it is 33.72%. On a GS-11 Step 1 salary that translates to an extra $21,299 per year. -
What is the biweekly pay for GS-11 in San Diego?
Biweekly pay is annual salary divided by 26. A GS-11 Step 1 employee in San Diego earns roughly $3,249 per pay period before tax and retirement deductions.