2026 GS-11 Pay in San Francisco
GS-11 employees with a duty station in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA earn 46.34% on top of the base GS-11 pay scale. That means a GS-11 Step 1 salary jumps from $63,795 on the base table to $93,358 in San Francisco.
2026 GS-11 Pay in San Francisco
Locality-adjusted GS-11 rates for San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $93,358 | $3,590.69 | $44.73 | +$29,563 |
| Step 2 | $96,470 | $3,710.38 | $46.22 | +$30,548 |
| Step 3 | $99,583 | $3,830.12 | $47.72 | +$31,534 |
| Step 4 | $102,696 | $3,949.85 | $49.21 | +$32,520 |
| Step 5 | $105,808 | $4,069.54 | $50.70 | +$33,505 |
| Step 6 | $108,921 | $4,189.27 | $52.19 | +$34,491 |
| Step 7 | $112,034 | $4,309.00 | $53.68 | +$35,477 |
| Step 8 | $115,146 | $4,428.69 | $55.17 | +$36,462 |
| Step 9 | $118,259 | $4,548.42 | $56.66 | +$37,448 |
| Step 10 | $121,371 | $4,668.12 | $58.16 | +$38,433 |
2026 GS-11 pay table for San Francisco
Each step below already includes the 46.34% 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 | $93,358 | $3,590.69 | $44.73 | +$29,563 |
| Step 2 | $96,470 | $3,710.38 | $46.22 | +$30,548 |
| Step 3 | $99,583 | $3,830.12 | $47.72 | +$31,534 |
| Step 4 | $102,696 | $3,949.85 | $49.21 | +$32,520 |
| Step 5 | $105,808 | $4,069.54 | $50.70 | +$33,505 |
| Step 6 | $108,921 | $4,189.27 | $52.19 | +$34,491 |
| Step 7 | $112,034 | $4,309.00 | $53.68 | +$35,477 |
| Step 8 | $115,146 | $4,428.69 | $55.17 | +$36,462 |
| Step 9 | $118,259 | $4,548.42 | $56.66 | +$37,448 |
| Step 10 | $121,371 | $4,668.12 | $58.16 | +$38,433 |
Base vs. locality comparison
How much more San Francisco pays
Step-increase waiting periods
GS-11 in San Francisco: what to expect
Full performance for most professional careers: budget analysts, program managers, engineers, IT specialists and criminal investigators.
For 2026, the San Francisco pay area adds a 46.34% 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 Francisco
Before taxes and deductions, a GS-11 Step 1 employee in San Francisco earns roughly $3,591 per biweekly pay period. At Step 10 that rises to $4,668. Actual take-home will be lower after federal tax, state tax, TSP contributions, retirement and health insurance deductions.
Other grades in San Francisco
GS-11 in San Francisco questions
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How much does a GS-11 make in San Francisco?
In 2026, a GS-11 Step 1 employee in San Francisco earns $93,358 per year. At Step 10 the salary reaches $121,371. This is 46.34% higher than the base GS-11 salary. -
What is the locality adjustment for GS-11 in San Francisco?
The locality adjustment is the same for every grade and step within a pay area. For San Francisco in 2026, it is 46.34%. On a GS-11 Step 1 salary that translates to an extra $29,563 per year. -
What is the biweekly pay for GS-11 in San Francisco?
Biweekly pay is annual salary divided by 26. A GS-11 Step 1 employee in San Francisco earns roughly $3,591 per pay period before tax and retirement deductions.