2025 GS-9 Pay in San Diego
GS-9 employees with a duty station in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA earn 33.72% on top of the base GS-9 pay scale. That means a GS-9 Step 1 salary jumps from $52,205 on the base table to $69,809 in San Diego.
2025 GS-9 Pay in San Diego
Locality-adjusted GS-9 rates for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $69,809 | $2,684.96 | $33.45 | +$17,604 |
| Step 2 | $72,135 | $2,774.42 | $34.56 | +$18,190 |
| Step 3 | $74,462 | $2,863.92 | $35.68 | +$18,777 |
| Step 4 | $76,789 | $2,953.42 | $36.79 | +$19,364 |
| Step 5 | $79,115 | $3,042.88 | $37.91 | +$19,950 |
| Step 6 | $81,442 | $3,132.38 | $39.02 | +$20,537 |
| Step 7 | $83,769 | $3,221.88 | $40.14 | +$21,124 |
| Step 8 | $86,096 | $3,311.38 | $41.25 | +$21,711 |
| Step 9 | $88,422 | $3,400.85 | $42.37 | +$22,297 |
| Step 10 | $90,749 | $3,490.35 | $43.48 | +$22,884 |
2025 GS-9 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-9 table.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $69,809 | $2,684.96 | $33.45 | +$17,604 |
| Step 2 | $72,135 | $2,774.42 | $34.56 | +$18,190 |
| Step 3 | $74,462 | $2,863.92 | $35.68 | +$18,777 |
| Step 4 | $76,789 | $2,953.42 | $36.79 | +$19,364 |
| Step 5 | $79,115 | $3,042.88 | $37.91 | +$19,950 |
| Step 6 | $81,442 | $3,132.38 | $39.02 | +$20,537 |
| Step 7 | $83,769 | $3,221.88 | $40.14 | +$21,124 |
| Step 8 | $86,096 | $3,311.38 | $41.25 | +$21,711 |
| Step 9 | $88,422 | $3,400.85 | $42.37 | +$22,297 |
| Step 10 | $90,749 | $3,490.35 | $43.48 | +$22,884 |
Base vs. locality comparison
How much more San Diego pays
Step-increase waiting periods
GS-9 in San Diego: what to expect
Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT specialists.
For 2025, the San Diego pay area adds a 33.72% locality adjustment on top of the nationwide base GS schedule. Every GS-9 employee assigned to this area benefits from that same percentage, regardless of step or series.
Qualifications and career path
Minimum qualifications. A master's degree or equivalent graduate education, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Promotion path. Career-ladder promotion to GS-11 after one year of specialized GS-9 experience.
The rough military equivalent for GS-9 is O-3 Captain, useful for comparing GS roles against enlisted and officer ranks when looking at pay or authority level.
Biweekly take-home for GS-9 in San Diego
Before taxes and deductions, a GS-9 Step 1 employee in San Diego earns roughly $2,685 per biweekly pay period. At Step 10 that rises to $3,490. 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-9 San Diego page.
Other grades in San Diego
GS-9 in San Diego questions
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How much does a GS-9 make in San Diego?
In 2025, a GS-9 Step 1 employee in San Diego earns $69,809 per year. At Step 10 the salary reaches $90,749. This is 33.72% higher than the base GS-9 salary. -
What is the locality adjustment for GS-9 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-9 Step 1 salary that translates to an extra $17,604 per year. -
What is the biweekly pay for GS-9 in San Diego?
Biweekly pay is annual salary divided by 26. A GS-9 Step 1 employee in San Diego earns roughly $2,685 per pay period before tax and retirement deductions.