2025 GS-5 Pay Scale
The GS-5 base salary range for 2025 is $34,454 at Step 1, rising to $44,786 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-5 for 2025.
2025 GS-5 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-5 rates for 2025.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $34,454 | $1,325.15 | $16.51 | - |
| Step 2 | $35,602 | $1,369.31 | $17.06 | - |
| Step 3 | $36,750 | $1,413.46 | $17.61 | - |
| Step 4 | $37,898 | $1,457.62 | $18.16 | - |
| Step 5 | $39,046 | $1,501.77 | $18.71 | - |
| Step 6 | $40,194 | $1,545.92 | $19.26 | - |
| Step 7 | $41,342 | $1,590.08 | $19.81 | - |
| Step 8 | $42,490 | $1,634.23 | $20.36 | - |
| Step 9 | $43,638 | $1,678.38 | $20.91 | - |
| Step 10 | $44,786 | $1,722.54 | $21.46 | - |
2025 GS-5 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-5 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 | $34,454 | $1,325.15 | $16.51 | - |
| Step 2 | $35,602 | $1,369.31 | $17.06 | - |
| Step 3 | $36,750 | $1,413.46 | $17.61 | - |
| Step 4 | $37,898 | $1,457.62 | $18.16 | - |
| Step 5 | $39,046 | $1,501.77 | $18.71 | - |
| Step 6 | $40,194 | $1,545.92 | $19.26 | - |
| Step 7 | $41,342 | $1,590.08 | $19.81 | - |
| Step 8 | $42,490 | $1,634.23 | $20.36 | - |
| Step 9 | $43,638 | $1,678.38 | $20.91 | - |
| Step 10 | $44,786 | $1,722.54 | $21.46 | - |
Who is a GS-5?
Typical role. Entry-level professional and administrative positions, including many recent college graduates hired into program, budget, or HR roles.
Minimum qualifications. A bachelor's degree, three years of general experience, or one year at the GS-4 level.
Career progression. GS-5 is a common ladder start. Typical progression is GS-5 → GS-7 → GS-9.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-5 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-5 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2025, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-5 Step 1 | GS-5 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 46.34% | $50,420 | $65,540 |
| New York-Newark | 37.95% | $47,529 | $61,782 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 36.47% | $47,019 | $61,119 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 35.00% | $46,513 | $60,461 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.94% | $46,148 | $59,986 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.72% | $46,072 | $59,888 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 32.58% | $45,679 | $59,377 |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $45,603 | $59,279 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 32.08% | $45,507 | $59,153 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 31.57% | $45,331 | $58,925 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.86% | $45,087 | $58,607 |
| Denver-Aurora | 30.52% | $44,969 | $58,455 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.76% | $44,708 | $58,114 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 29.12% | $44,487 | $57,828 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.99% | $44,442 | $57,769 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.62% | $43,970 | $57,156 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 27.26% | $43,846 | $56,995 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 26.13% | $43,457 | $56,489 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.67% | $42,954 | $55,835 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.79% | $42,651 | $55,441 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.45% | $42,189 | $54,840 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.42% | $42,179 | $54,827 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 22.41% | $42,175 | $54,823 |
| Richmond | 22.28% | $42,130 | $54,764 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 22.24% | $42,117 | $54,746 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.23% | $42,113 | $54,742 |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $42,106 | $54,733 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 22.15% | $42,086 | $54,706 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.93% | $42,010 | $54,608 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.91% | $42,003 | $54,599 |
| Laredo | 21.59% | $41,893 | $54,455 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.42% | $41,834 | $54,379 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 21.03% | $41,700 | $54,204 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.77% | $41,610 | $54,088 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 20.35% | $41,465 | $53,900 |
| Colorado Springs | 20.15% | $41,396 | $53,810 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 20.03% | $41,355 | $53,757 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.67% | $41,231 | $53,595 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.57% | $41,197 | $53,551 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 19.45% | $41,155 | $53,497 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.43% | $41,148 | $53,488 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 19.28% | $41,097 | $53,421 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.97% | $40,990 | $53,282 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.93% | $40,976 | $53,264 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.80% | $40,931 | $53,206 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.78% | $40,924 | $53,197 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.33% | $40,769 | $52,995 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 18.24% | $40,738 | $52,955 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 18.23% | $40,735 | $52,950 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 18.15% | $40,707 | $52,915 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 18.01% | $40,659 | $52,852 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.93% | $40,632 | $52,816 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.88% | $40,614 | $52,794 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.67% | $40,542 | $52,700 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.65% | $40,535 | $52,691 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.63% | $40,528 | $52,682 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.52% | $40,490 | $52,633 |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $40,332 | $52,426 |
Top and bottom GS-5 localities in 2025
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-5 pay scale
GS-5 is part of the 2025 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Entry-level professional and administrative positions, including many recent college graduates hired into program, budget, or HR roles.
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-5 questions for 2025
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What is the starting salary for GS-5 in 2025?
The base starting salary for GS-5 in 2025 is $34,454 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2025 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 46.34%), GS-5 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-5 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-5 to GS-6?
Promotion from GS-5 to GS-6 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-5 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-6 vacancy. Open the GS-6 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-5?
GS-5 is roughly equivalent to E-6 Staff Sergeant. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.