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General Schedule (GS) Pay Scales

2023 GS Pay Scale

2023 GS Pay Scales | General Schedule Pay Scale | WG Pay Scale | Executive Pay Scales

On this page you will find government pay scale & salary information for various pay grades & localities in 2023. All General Schedule (GS) government employees in the U.S. earn more than the base rate pay through locality adjustments. Locality pay rates for all areas are listed on this site. For those not in a specific locality area use the table titled Rest of U.S. The GS-9 step-1 pay on the Base Rate Chart is $49,028. The same grade pays $57,118 on the Rest of U.S. chart and $70,674 in the San Jose, San Francisco-Oakland areas. Look up the locality tables for your metropolitan area to determine the actual salary for your location.

 Federal Pay

2018 Pay Increase General Schedule employees will receive an across-the-board federal pay raise of 4.1% in 2023 plus a locality pay adjustment. The 2023 pay charts are now available.

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2023 Annual Rates by GS Pay grade and Step

Approximately 10 percent of total federal non-postal employment is classified under the Wage Grade (WG) blue-collar pay schedules. Wage Grade workers, typically those who work in the trades or general labor, are placed in a five step pay system and their pay is based on competitive rates that are established by an annual wage survey. The Department of Defense employs the largest number of Wage Grade workers. If you work in this group view the Wage Grade Rate Tables for these occupations. Just look for your GS pay grade and pay grade step to find your annual rate.

Salary Charts & Pay Information:

2023 BASE RATE SALARY CHART

INCORPORATING THE 4.1% GENERAL SCHEDULE INCREASE

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2023

Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10 WGI
1 20999 21704 22401 23097 23794 24202 24893 25589 25617 26273 VARIES
2 23612 24174 24956 25617 25906 26668 27430 28192 28954 29716 VARIES
3 25764 26623 27482 28341 29200 30059 30918 31777 32636 33495 859
4 28921 29885 30849 31813 32777 33741 34705 35669 36633 37597 964
5 32357 33436 34515 35594 36673 37752 38831 39910 40989 42068 1079
6 36070 37272 38474 39676 40878 42080 43282 44484 45686 46888 1202
7 40082 41418 42754 44090 45426 46762 48098 49434 50770 52106 1336
8 44389 45869 47349 48829 50309 51789 53269 54749 56229 57709 1480
9 49028 50662 52296 53930 55564 57198 58832 60466 62100 63734 1634
10 53990 55790 57590 59390 61190 62990 64790 66590 68390 70190 1800
11 59319 61296 63273 65250 67227 69204 71181 73158 75135 77112 1977
12 71099 73469 75839 78209 80579 82949 85319 87689 90059 92429 2370
13 84546 87364 90182 93000 95818 98636 101454 104272 107090 109908 2818
14 99908 103238 106568 109898 113228 116558 119888 123218 126548 129878 3330
15 117518 121435 125352 129269 133186 137103 141020 144937 148854 152771 3917

Check out the 2023 hourly GS pay scale below. Annual base rates by grade and step

Note: This is a base rate chart. All federal employees receive pay adjustments above the base rate chart in the form of locality pay adjustments. To determine what your annual pay will be for your location view our Locality Pay Charts.

2023 HOURLY RATE SALARY CHART

SALARY TABLE 2023-GS
INCORPORATING THE 4.1% GENERAL SCHEDULE INCREASE
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2023
Hourly Basic (B) Rates by Grade and Step
Hourly Title 5 Overtime (O) Rates for FLSA-Exempt Employees by Grade and Step

Note: This is a base rate chart. All federal employees receive pay adjustments above the base rate chart in the form of locality pay adjustments. To determine the hourly rate for your location, view our Locality Pay Charts for your area.

Grade B/O Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
1 B 10.06 10.40 10.73 11.07 11.40 11.60 11.93 12.26 12.27 12.59
O 15.09 15.60 16.10 16.61 17.10 17.40 17.90 18.39 18.41 18.89
2 B 11.31 11.58 11.96 12.27 12.41 12.78 13.14 13.51 13.87 14.24
O 16.97 17.37 17.94 18.41 18.62 19.17 19.71 20.27 20.81 21.36
3 B 12.34 12.76 13.17 13.58 13.99 14.40 14.81 15.23 15.64 16.05
O 18.51 19.14 19.76 20.37 20.99 21.60 22.22 22.85 23.46 24.08
4 B 13.86 14.32 14.78 15.24 15.71 16.17 16.63 17.09 17.55 18.01
O 20.79 21.48 22.17 22.86 23.57 24.26 24.95 25.64 26.33 27.02
5 B 15.50 16.02 16.54 17.06 17.57 18.09 18.61 19.12 19.64 20.16
O 23.25 24.03 24.81 25.59 26.36 27.14 27.92 28.68 29.46 30.24
6 B 17.28 17.86 18.44 19.01 19.59 20.16 20.74 21.31 21.89 22.47
O 25.92 26.79 27.66 28.52 29.39 30.24 31.11 31.97 32.84 33.71
7 B 19.21 19.85 20.49 21.13 21.77 22.41 23.05 23.69 24.33 24.97
O 28.82 29.78 30.74 31.70 32.66 33.62 34.58 35.54 36.50 37.46
8 B 21.27 21.98 22.69 23.40 24.11 24.82 25.52 26.23 26.94 27.65
O 31.91 32.97 34.04 35.10 36.17 37.23 38.28 38.81 38.81 38.81
9 B 23.49 24.28 25.06 25.84 26.62 27.41 28.19 28.97 29.76 30.54
O 35.24 36.42 37.59 38.76 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81
10 B 25.87 26.73 27.59 28.46 29.32 30.18 31.04 31.91 32.77 33.63
O 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81
11 B 28.42 29.37 30.32 31.26 32.21 33.16 34.11 35.05 36.00 36.95
O 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81
12 B 34.07 35.20 36.34 37.47 38.61 39.75 40.88 42.02 43.15 44.29
O 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 38.81 39.75 40.88 42.02 43.15 44.29
13 B 40.51 41.86 43.21 44.56 45.91 47.26 48.61 49.96 51.31 52.66
O 40.51 41.86 43.21 44.56 45.91 47.26 48.61 49.96 51.31 52.66
14 B 47.87 49.47 51.06 52.66 54.25 55.85 57.45 59.04 60.64 62.23
O 47.87 49.47 51.06 52.66 54.25 55.85 57.45 59.04 60.64 62.23
15 B 56.31 58.19 60.06 61.94 63.82 65.69 67.57 69.45 71.32 73.20
O 56.31 58.19 60.06 61.94 63.82 65.69 67.57 69.45 71.32 73.20

SALARY TABLE 2022 – RUS

SALARY TABLE 2023-RUS
INCORPORATING THE 4.1% GENERAL SCHEDULE INCREASE AND A LOCALITY PAYMENT OF 16.50%
FOR THE LOCALITY PAY AREA OF REST OF U.S.
TOTAL INCREASE: 4.37%

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2023

Annual Rates by Grade and Step

Note: This is a base rate chart for those not covered in one of the 47 Locality Areas. If your town is not included in a specific locality area, this chart reflects your pay.

Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
1 24464 25285 26097 26908 27720 28195 29000 29811 29844 30608
2 27508 28163 29074 29844 30180 31068 31956 32844 33731 34619
3 30015 31016 32017 33017 34018 35019 36019 37020 38021 39022
4 33693 34816 35939 37062 38185 39308 40431 41554 42677 43801
5 37696 38953 40210 41467 42724 43981 45238 46495 47752 49009
6 42022 43422 44822 46223 47623 49023 50424 51824 53224 54625
7 46696 48252 49808 51365 52921 54478 56034 57591 59147 60703
8 51713 53437 55162 56886 58610 60334 62058 63783 65507 67231
9 57118 59021 60925 62828 64732 66636 68539 70443 72347 74250
10 62898 64995 67092 69189 71286 73383 75480 77577 79674 81771
11 69107 71410 73713 76016 78319 80623 82926 85229 87532 89835
12 82830 85591 88352 91113 93875 96636 99397 102158 104919 107680
13 98496 101779 105062 108345 111628 114911 118194 121477 124760 128043
14 116393 120272 124152 128031 131911 135790 139670 143549 147428 151308
15 136908 141472 146035 150598 155162 159725 164288 168852 173415 177978

2023 Executive & Senior Level Employee Pay Tables

  • Rates of Pay for the Executive Schedule (Web file)
  • Basic Rates of Pay for Members of the Senior Executive Service (Web file)
  • Basic Rates of Pay for Employees in Senior-Level and Scientific or Professional Positions (Web file)
  • Basic Rates of Pay for Administrative Law Judges (Web file)
  • Basic Rates of Pay for Administrative Appeals Judges (Web file)
  • Basic Rates of Pay for Members of Boards of Contract Appeals (Web file)
  • Locality Rates of Pay for Administrative Law Judges (Web file)
  • Locality Rates of Pay for Administrative Appeals Judges (Web file)
  • Locality Rates of Pay for Members of Boards of Contract Appeals (Web file)

General Schedule (GS) How it Works

General Schedule (GS) base pay varies from the GS-1 level at $20,999 per annum to $152,771 per annum at step 10 of the GS-15 grade, not including locality pay adjustments. The Senior Executive Service salary tops out at $226,300 per annum. The average annual salary for full-time non-postal employees has increased to just over $90,500 in 2021. Starting pay depends on the level of experience, education and complexity of the position applied for. You may also be able to negotiate your starting salary if your previous employer pay was greater than step 1 of the pay grade you are hired into.

Each GS grade has 10 pay steps. Currently, a GS-9 starts at $49,028 for step 1 in the Base Rate Table and reaches $63,764 per year at step 10 (not including locality pay adjustments). At the GS-9 grade, each pay step adds $1,634 to the annual salary. Pay steps are earned based on time in service and the employee’s work performance. General Schedule employees are referred to as white-collar workers under the federal classification system. There are 53 locality pay areas.
Target Text
2023 Locality Payments

 

Locality pay adjustments basically level the playing field for all federal employees across the country in different major metropolitan areas. OPM is added the following Locality Pay Areas: Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL; Burlington-South Burlington, VT; San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX; and Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC last year. The proposed rule also added two “Rest of U.S.” locations to the geographic definitions of two existing locality pay areas and making minor, clarifying changes to the names of two locality pay areas. The 53 designated locality area salaries are adjusted by comparing GS and non-Federal pay in each locality pay area, based on salary surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

The lowest adjustment to the basic rate schedule listed above is for the “Rest of the US.” This group includes federal employees that do not reside in one of the 55 locality rate areas. The highest locality rate is assigned to for the San Jose, San-Francisco-Oakland California locality area.  You can determine what your salary would be at any location by using OPM’s salary calculator that you will find under resources on this page.

 Locality Areas

Locality Pay Tables (Click on the locality area to view the pay table)

Historical Rates

UPDATE: Six additional areas were added in 2018, one for Virginia Beach, VA and a second one for those working in and around Burlington, Vt. There were thirteen cities added to the 2016 locality rate tables. The 13 cities included Albany, N.Y.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; Charlotte, N.C.; Colorado Springs, Co.; Davenport, Iowa; Harrisburg, Pa.; Kansas City, Mo.; Laredo, Texas; Las Vegas, Nev.; Palm Bay, Fla.; St. Louis, Mo.; and Tucson, Ariz.

BASIC PAY

It’s important to note that a locality rate is considered basic pay for computing the following, as applicable:

  • Deductions for benefits including retirement
  • Premiums for life insurance and benefits
  • Premium pay and premium pay limitations
  • Pay Advances
  • Severance pay
  • Lump-sum payments for accrued and accumulated annual leave
  • Post differentials under 5 U.S.C. 5925(a) and danger pay allowances under 5 U.S.C. 5928 for an employee temporarily working in a foreign area when the employee’s official worksite is located in a locality pay area
  • Post differentials under 5 U.S.C. 5941 and 5 CFR part 591, subpart B, for an employee temporarily working in a nonforeign area when the employee’s official worksite is located in a locality pay area” –with “Nonforeign area cost-of-living allowances and post differentials under 5 U.S.C. 5941 and 5 CFR part 591, subpart B
  • Relocation, recruitment, and retention incentives, supervisory differentials, and extended assignment incentives
  • Performance-based cash awards when the award is computed as a percentage of an employee’s rate of basic pay
  • GS pay administration provisions (e.g., promotions) to the extent provided in 5 CFR part 531, subpart B
  • Pay administration provisions for prevailing rate employees which consider rates of basic pay under the GS pay system in setting pay (except as otherwise provided in 5 CFR part 532), subject to the requirement that, if the employee’s actual locality rate would not apply at the official worksite for the prevailing rate position, that locality rate must be converted to a corresponding rate on the locality rate schedule for that official worksite; and
  • Grade and pay retention to the extent provided in 5 CFR part 536

Reference: 5 U.S.C. 5304(c)(2) and 5 CFR 531.610.)

Wage Grade (WG) How it Works

The government’s Personnel Classification System includes Wage Grade occupations grouped into families of like jobs. The 36 occupational families range from WG-2500 to WG-9000. Each occupational family has its own group number and title which makes it distinctive from every other family grouping. View the list of the Wage Grade Families that are concentrated in the trades and labor occupations.

Wage Grade Salary Tables

The Department of Defense (DOD) issues wage schedules and they conduct Federal Wage System (FWS) surveys. The Department of Defense’s Advisory Service maintains these rates and publishes them on their website. Visit the FWS wage schedules website for updated 2021 WG pay scales & schedules for your area.

Special Compensations Systems

There are a number of special compensation systems that augment the general schedule pay scale. Physicians receive signing bonuses for a one-year continued-service agreement and additional bonuses for two years. The Federal Aviation Administration pays employees in safety-related careers under a “Core Compensation” multi-pay band system. Organizations such as the General Accounting Office (GAO), NASA, and the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology either are exempt from or have exceptions to the GS pay system.  You can search special rate schedules for your area at the OPM website.

Federal employee special pay and benefits apply to eligible civilian employee that are assigned to duty in designated foreign areas, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Three departments, including The Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the Department of Labor administer most of the pay and benefits programs offered to such employees.  Certain foreign areas may be determined to have a special status due to U.S. military operations in the area or for other reasons.  Pay and benefits may vary depending on pay system of the employee, the assignment location, scope and nature of duties, and nature other assignment.

As missions in overseas locations change, certain authorities and benefits can also change.  We recommend that employees contact their agency’s human resources and/or benefits officers to determine if their overseas location qualifies for the authorities listed below.

Physician’s Comparability Allowance (PCA)

The head of each agency must determine categories of physician positions for which there is a significant recruitment and retention problem. A PCA may be paid only to physicians serving in positions in one of the categories. In determining the categories, the agency must, as a minimum, establish as separate categories the following types of positions:

Clinical Positions: Positions primarily involving the practice of medicine or direct service to patients, involving the performance of diagnostic, preventive, or therapeutic services to patients in hospitals, clinics, public health programs, diagnostic centers, and similar settings.

Research Positions: Positions primarily involving the conduct of medical research and experimental work, including the conduct of medical work pertaining to food, drugs, cosmetics, and devices (or the review or evaluation of such medical research and experimental work), or the identification of causes or sources of disease or disease outbreaks.

Occupational Health: Positions primarily involving the evaluation of physical fitness, or the provision of initial treatment of on-the-job illness or injury, or the performance of preemployment examinations, preventive health screenings, or fitness-for-duty examinations.

Disability Evaluation and Administration of Health and Medical Programs: Positions involving disability evaluation and rating, the performance of medicolegal autopsies, training activities, or the administration of medical and health programs, including the administration of patient care or medical research and experimental programs.

  • PCA Payments: Agencies may pay a PCA of up to $14,000 annually to a physician with 24 months or less of service as a government physician. Agencies may pay a PCA of up to $30,000 annually to a physician with more than 24 months of service as a government physician. PCAs are subject to the aggregate limitation on pay under 5 U.S.C. 5307 and 5 CFR part 530, subpart B.

Pay – Related Legislative Changes

Additional Resources

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