2025 GS-2 Pay Scale
The GS-2 base salary range for 2025 is $25,142 at Step 1, rising to $31,638 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-2 for 2025.
2025 GS-2 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-2 rates for 2025.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $25,142 | $967.00 | $12.05 | - |
| Step 2 | $25,740 | $990.00 | $12.33 | - |
| Step 3 | $26,573 | $1,022.04 | $12.73 | - |
| Step 4 | $27,277 | $1,049.12 | $13.07 | - |
| Step 5 | $27,583 | $1,060.88 | $13.22 | - |
| Step 6 | $28,394 | $1,092.08 | $13.61 | - |
| Step 7 | $29,205 | $1,123.27 | $13.99 | - |
| Step 8 | $30,016 | $1,154.46 | $14.38 | - |
| Step 9 | $30,827 | $1,185.65 | $14.77 | - |
| Step 10 | $31,638 | $1,216.85 | $15.16 | - |
2025 GS-2 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-2 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 | $25,142 | $967.00 | $12.05 | - |
| Step 2 | $25,740 | $990.00 | $12.33 | - |
| Step 3 | $26,573 | $1,022.04 | $12.73 | - |
| Step 4 | $27,277 | $1,049.12 | $13.07 | - |
| Step 5 | $27,583 | $1,060.88 | $13.22 | - |
| Step 6 | $28,394 | $1,092.08 | $13.61 | - |
| Step 7 | $29,205 | $1,123.27 | $13.99 | - |
| Step 8 | $30,016 | $1,154.46 | $14.38 | - |
| Step 9 | $30,827 | $1,185.65 | $14.77 | - |
| Step 10 | $31,638 | $1,216.85 | $15.16 | - |
Who is a GS-2?
Typical role. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
Minimum qualifications. High school or equivalent, or three months of general experience.
Career progression. Most GS-2 employees advance to GS-3 after one year.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-2 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-2 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2025, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-2 Step 1 | GS-2 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 46.34% | $36,793 | $46,299 |
| New York-Newark | 37.95% | $34,683 | $43,645 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 36.47% | $34,311 | $43,176 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 35.00% | $33,942 | $42,711 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.94% | $33,675 | $42,376 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.72% | $33,620 | $42,306 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 32.58% | $33,333 | $41,946 |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $33,278 | $41,876 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 32.08% | $33,208 | $41,787 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 31.57% | $33,079 | $41,626 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.86% | $32,901 | $41,401 |
| Denver-Aurora | 30.52% | $32,815 | $41,294 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.76% | $32,624 | $41,053 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 29.12% | $32,463 | $40,851 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.99% | $32,431 | $40,810 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.62% | $32,086 | $40,376 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 27.26% | $31,996 | $40,263 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 26.13% | $31,712 | $39,905 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.67% | $31,345 | $39,443 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.79% | $31,123 | $39,165 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.45% | $30,786 | $38,741 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.42% | $30,779 | $38,731 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 22.41% | $30,776 | $38,728 |
| Richmond | 22.28% | $30,744 | $38,687 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 22.24% | $30,734 | $38,674 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.23% | $30,731 | $38,671 |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $30,726 | $38,665 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 22.15% | $30,711 | $38,646 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.93% | $30,656 | $38,576 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.91% | $30,651 | $38,570 |
| Laredo | 21.59% | $30,570 | $38,469 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.42% | $30,527 | $38,415 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 21.03% | $30,429 | $38,291 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.77% | $30,364 | $38,209 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 20.35% | $30,258 | $38,076 |
| Colorado Springs | 20.15% | $30,208 | $38,013 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 20.03% | $30,178 | $37,975 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.67% | $30,087 | $37,861 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.57% | $30,062 | $37,830 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 19.45% | $30,032 | $37,792 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.43% | $30,027 | $37,785 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 19.28% | $29,989 | $37,738 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.97% | $29,911 | $37,640 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.93% | $29,901 | $37,627 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.80% | $29,869 | $37,586 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.78% | $29,864 | $37,580 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.33% | $29,751 | $37,437 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 18.24% | $29,728 | $37,409 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 18.23% | $29,725 | $37,406 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 18.15% | $29,705 | $37,380 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 18.01% | $29,670 | $37,336 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.93% | $29,650 | $37,311 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.88% | $29,637 | $37,295 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.67% | $29,585 | $37,228 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.65% | $29,580 | $37,222 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.63% | $29,575 | $37,216 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.52% | $29,547 | $37,181 |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $29,431 | $37,035 |
Top and bottom GS-2 localities in 2025
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-2 pay scale
GS-2 is part of the 2025 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Basic clerical, file-room and light-labor assignments. Often a starting point for summer hires and interns.
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-2 questions for 2025
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What is the starting salary for GS-2 in 2025?
The base starting salary for GS-2 in 2025 is $25,142 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2025 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 46.34%), GS-2 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-2 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-2 to GS-3?
Promotion from GS-2 to GS-3 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-2 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-3 vacancy. Open the GS-3 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-2?
GS-2 is roughly equivalent to E-3 Private First Class. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.