2026 GS-9 Pay Scale
The GS-9 base salary range for 2026 is $52,727 at Step 1, rising to $68,549 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-9 for 2026.
2026 GS-9 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-9 rates for 2026.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $52,727 | $2,027.96 | $25.26 | - |
| Step 2 | $54,485 | $2,095.58 | $26.11 | - |
| Step 3 | $56,243 | $2,163.19 | $26.95 | - |
| Step 4 | $58,001 | $2,230.81 | $27.79 | - |
| Step 5 | $59,759 | $2,298.42 | $28.63 | - |
| Step 6 | $61,517 | $2,366.04 | $29.48 | - |
| Step 7 | $63,275 | $2,433.65 | $30.32 | - |
| Step 8 | $65,033 | $2,501.27 | $31.16 | - |
| Step 9 | $66,791 | $2,568.88 | $32.00 | - |
| Step 10 | $68,549 | $2,636.50 | $32.85 | - |
2026 GS-9 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-9 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 | $52,727 | $2,027.96 | $25.26 | - |
| Step 2 | $54,485 | $2,095.58 | $26.11 | - |
| Step 3 | $56,243 | $2,163.19 | $26.95 | - |
| Step 4 | $58,001 | $2,230.81 | $27.79 | - |
| Step 5 | $59,759 | $2,298.42 | $28.63 | - |
| Step 6 | $61,517 | $2,366.04 | $29.48 | - |
| Step 7 | $63,275 | $2,433.65 | $30.32 | - |
| Step 8 | $65,033 | $2,501.27 | $31.16 | - |
| Step 9 | $66,791 | $2,568.88 | $32.00 | - |
| Step 10 | $68,549 | $2,636.50 | $32.85 | - |
Who is a GS-9?
Typical role. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT specialists.
Minimum qualifications. A master's degree or equivalent graduate education, or one year of specialized experience at the GS-7 level.
Career progression. Career-ladder promotion to GS-11 after one year of specialized GS-9 experience.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-9 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-9 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2026, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-9 Step 1 | GS-9 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 46.34% | $77,161 | $100,315 |
| New York-Newark | 37.95% | $72,737 | $94,563 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 36.47% | $71,957 | $93,549 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 35.00% | $71,181 | $92,541 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.94% | $70,623 | $91,815 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.72% | $70,507 | $91,664 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 32.58% | $69,905 | $90,882 |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $69,789 | $90,731 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 32.08% | $69,642 | $90,540 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 31.57% | $69,373 | $90,190 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.86% | $68,999 | $89,703 |
| Denver-Aurora | 30.52% | $68,819 | $89,470 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.76% | $68,419 | $88,949 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 29.12% | $68,081 | $88,510 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.99% | $68,013 | $88,421 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.62% | $67,290 | $87,482 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 27.26% | $67,100 | $87,235 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 26.13% | $66,505 | $86,461 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.67% | $65,735 | $85,460 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.79% | $65,271 | $84,857 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.45% | $64,564 | $83,938 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.42% | $64,548 | $83,918 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 22.41% | $64,543 | $83,911 |
| Richmond | 22.28% | $64,475 | $83,822 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 22.24% | $64,453 | $83,794 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.23% | $64,448 | $83,787 |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $64,438 | $83,774 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 22.15% | $64,406 | $83,733 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.93% | $64,290 | $83,582 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.91% | $64,279 | $83,568 |
| Laredo | 21.59% | $64,111 | $83,349 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.42% | $64,021 | $83,232 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 21.03% | $63,815 | $82,965 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.77% | $63,678 | $82,787 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 20.35% | $63,457 | $82,499 |
| Colorado Springs | 20.15% | $63,351 | $82,362 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 20.03% | $63,288 | $82,279 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.67% | $63,098 | $82,033 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.57% | $63,046 | $81,964 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 19.45% | $62,982 | $81,882 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.43% | $62,972 | $81,868 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 19.28% | $62,893 | $81,765 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.97% | $62,729 | $81,553 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.93% | $62,708 | $81,525 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.80% | $62,640 | $81,436 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.78% | $62,629 | $81,423 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.33% | $62,392 | $81,114 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 18.24% | $62,344 | $81,052 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 18.23% | $62,339 | $81,045 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 18.15% | $62,297 | $80,991 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 18.01% | $62,223 | $80,895 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.93% | $62,181 | $80,840 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.88% | $62,155 | $80,806 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.67% | $62,044 | $80,662 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.65% | $62,033 | $80,648 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.63% | $62,023 | $80,634 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.52% | $61,965 | $80,559 |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $61,722 | $80,243 |
Top and bottom GS-9 localities in 2026
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-9 pay scale
GS-9 is part of the 2026 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Full performance for many professional and administrative careers, including management analysts, contract specialists, social workers and IT specialists.
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-9 questions for 2026
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What is the starting salary for GS-9 in 2026?
The base starting salary for GS-9 in 2026 is $52,727 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2026 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 46.34%), GS-9 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-9 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-9 to GS-10?
Promotion from GS-9 to GS-10 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-10 vacancy. Open the GS-10 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-9?
GS-9 is roughly equivalent to O-3 Captain. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.