2026 GS-11 Pay Scale
The GS-11 base salary range for 2026 is $63,795 at Step 1, rising to $82,938 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-11 for 2026.
2026 GS-11 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-11 rates for 2026.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $63,795 | $2,453.65 | $30.57 | - |
| Step 2 | $65,922 | $2,535.46 | $31.59 | - |
| Step 3 | $68,049 | $2,617.27 | $32.61 | - |
| Step 4 | $70,176 | $2,699.08 | $33.63 | - |
| Step 5 | $72,303 | $2,780.88 | $34.64 | - |
| Step 6 | $74,430 | $2,862.69 | $35.66 | - |
| Step 7 | $76,557 | $2,944.50 | $36.68 | - |
| Step 8 | $78,684 | $3,026.31 | $37.70 | - |
| Step 9 | $80,811 | $3,108.12 | $38.72 | - |
| Step 10 | $82,938 | $3,189.92 | $39.74 | - |
2026 GS-11 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-11 salary schedule for 2026, 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 | $63,795 | $2,453.65 | $30.57 | - |
| Step 2 | $65,922 | $2,535.46 | $31.59 | - |
| Step 3 | $68,049 | $2,617.27 | $32.61 | - |
| Step 4 | $70,176 | $2,699.08 | $33.63 | - |
| Step 5 | $72,303 | $2,780.88 | $34.64 | - |
| Step 6 | $74,430 | $2,862.69 | $35.66 | - |
| Step 7 | $76,557 | $2,944.50 | $36.68 | - |
| Step 8 | $78,684 | $3,026.31 | $37.70 | - |
| Step 9 | $80,811 | $3,108.12 | $38.72 | - |
| Step 10 | $82,938 | $3,189.92 | $39.74 | - |
Who is a GS-11?
Typical role. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
Minimum qualifications. A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level.
Career progression. Typical career ladder peak for entry-level hires; competitive promotion to GS-12 requires vacancy and supervisory selection.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-11 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-11 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2026, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-11 Step 1 | GS-11 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 46.34% | $93,358 | $121,371 |
| New York-Newark | 37.95% | $88,005 | $114,413 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 36.47% | $87,061 | $113,185 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 35.00% | $86,123 | $111,966 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.94% | $85,447 | $111,087 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.72% | $85,307 | $110,905 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 32.58% | $84,579 | $109,959 |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $84,439 | $109,777 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 32.08% | $84,260 | $109,545 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 31.57% | $83,935 | $109,122 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.86% | $83,482 | $108,533 |
| Denver-Aurora | 30.52% | $83,265 | $108,251 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.76% | $82,780 | $107,620 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 29.12% | $82,372 | $107,090 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.99% | $82,289 | $106,982 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.62% | $81,415 | $105,845 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 27.26% | $81,186 | $105,547 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 26.13% | $80,465 | $104,610 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.67% | $79,533 | $103,399 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.79% | $78,972 | $102,669 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.45% | $78,117 | $101,558 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.42% | $78,098 | $101,533 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 22.41% | $78,091 | $101,524 |
| Richmond | 22.28% | $78,009 | $101,417 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 22.24% | $77,983 | $101,383 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.23% | $77,977 | $101,375 |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $77,964 | $101,359 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 22.15% | $77,926 | $101,309 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.93% | $77,785 | $101,126 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.91% | $77,772 | $101,110 |
| Laredo | 21.59% | $77,568 | $100,844 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.42% | $77,460 | $100,703 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 21.03% | $77,211 | $100,380 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.77% | $77,045 | $100,164 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 20.35% | $76,777 | $99,816 |
| Colorado Springs | 20.15% | $76,650 | $99,650 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 20.03% | $76,573 | $99,550 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.67% | $76,343 | $99,252 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.57% | $76,280 | $99,169 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 19.45% | $76,203 | $99,069 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.43% | $76,190 | $99,053 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 19.28% | $76,095 | $98,928 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.97% | $75,897 | $98,671 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.93% | $75,871 | $98,638 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.80% | $75,788 | $98,530 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.78% | $75,776 | $98,514 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.33% | $75,489 | $98,141 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 18.24% | $75,431 | $98,066 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 18.23% | $75,425 | $98,058 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 18.15% | $75,374 | $97,991 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 18.01% | $75,284 | $97,875 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.93% | $75,233 | $97,809 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.88% | $75,202 | $97,767 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.67% | $75,068 | $97,593 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.65% | $75,055 | $97,577 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.63% | $75,042 | $97,560 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.52% | $74,972 | $97,469 |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $74,678 | $97,087 |
Top and bottom GS-11 localities in 2026
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-11 pay scale
GS-11 is part of the 2026 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
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 2026
GS-11 questions for 2026
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What is the starting salary for GS-11 in 2026?
The base starting salary for GS-11 in 2026 is $63,795 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2026 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 46.34%), GS-11 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-11 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-11 to GS-12?
Promotion from GS-11 to GS-12 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-12 vacancy. Open the GS-12 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-11?
GS-11 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.