GeneralSchedule.org
General Schedule Base Pay Table for 2017
The General Schedule (GS) Payscale is a worldwide pay system that covers more than 1.5 million civilian employees of the United States government. GeneralSchedule.org provides a one-stop source for current and past year General Schedule pay tables, locality adjustment rates, an interactive pay calculator, and more resources to help you understand your compensation as a Federal employee.
A General Schedule employee's pay is determined by two factors. First, base pay is calculated based on an employee's GS Paygrade and Step, which are based on their job title and seniority. Next, the employee's base pay is adjusted based on the current locality adjustment rate for the OPM pay locality in which they work. For more details, see How is my GS Pay calculated?.
GS Locality Adjustments By State
Across the United States, government employees' final General Schedule salaries are determined based on a locality adjustment based on their duty-station.
The adjustment applied to your salary depends on the General Schedule locality in which you work. There are 46 designated locality adjustment areas, plus a catch-all adjustment known as "Rest of U.S."
Learn more about how the GS payscale was created.
Click the map to view a list of applicable General Schedule localities, and their associated adjustment rate, within your state.
2017 General Schedule Pay Table: The table below shows the General Schedule's base pay rates for 2017. This table does not account for locality adjustments - to see a table that includes your applicable locality adjustment, choose your locality from the list of federal pay localities or by using the interactive locality map above.
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $18,526 | $19,146 | $19,762 | $20,375 | $20,991 | $21,351 | $21,960 | $22,575 | $22,599 | $23,171 |
| GS-2 | $20,829 | $21,325 | $22,015 | $22,599 | $22,853 | $23,525 | $24,197 | $24,869 | $25,541 | $26,213 |
| GS-3 | $22,727 | $23,485 | $24,243 | $25,001 | $25,759 | $26,517 | $27,275 | $28,033 | $28,791 | $29,547 |
| GS-4 | $25,514 | $26,364 | $27,214 | $28,064 | $28,914 | $29,764 | $30,614 | $31,464 | $32,314 | $33,164 |
| GS-5 | $28,545 | $29,497 | $30,449 | $31,401 | $32,353 | $33,305 | $34,257 | $35,209 | $36,161 | $37,113 |
| GS-6 | $31,819 | $32,880 | $33,941 | $35,002 | $36,063 | $37,124 | $38,185 | $39,246 | $40,307 | $41,368 |
| GS-7 | $35,359 | $36,538 | $37,717 | $38,896 | $40,075 | $41,254 | $42,433 | $43,612 | $44,791 | $45,970 |
| GS-8 | $39,159 | $40,464 | $41,769 | $43,074 | $44,379 | $45,684 | $46,989 | $48,294 | $49,599 | $50,904 |
| GS-9 | $43,251 | $44,693 | $46,135 | $47,577 | $49,019 | $50,461 | $51,903 | $53,345 | $54,787 | $56,229 |
| GS-10 | $47,630 | $49,218 | $50,806 | $52,394 | $53,982 | $55,570 | $57,158 | $58,746 | $60,334 | $61,922 |
| GS-11 | $52,329 | $54,073 | $55,817 | $57,561 | $59,305 | $61,049 | $62,793 | $64,537 | $66,281 | $68,025 |
| GS-12 | $62,722 | $64,813 | $66,904 | $68,995 | $71,086 | $73,177 | $75,268 | $77,359 | $79,450 | $81,541 |
| GS-13 | $74,584 | $77,070 | $79,556 | $82,042 | $84,528 | $87,014 | $89,500 | $91,986 | $94,472 | $96,958 |
| GS-14 | $88,136 | $91,074 | $94,012 | $96,950 | $99,888 | $102,826 | $105,764 | $108,702 | $111,640 | $114,578 |
| GS-15 | $103,672 | $107,128 | $110,584 | $114,040 | $117,496 | $120,952 | $124,408 | $127,864 | $131,320 | $134,776 |
GS Pay Cap: The 2017 General Schedule pay cap is $161,900.00 per year, which is equivilent to the yearly pay of a Senior Executive Service (SES) level 4 executive. While the base GS payscale doesn't go this high, in several localities with high COLA adjustments employees in the highest GS paygrades may reach this salary ceiling.
2017 GS Pay Raise: This year, the General Schedule base payscale received a 1% across-the-board pay raise. A GS-13 Step 3 federal employee would receive an effective raise of $786.00 in 2017, from $78,770.00 per year (based on the 2016 GS base table) to $79,556.00 per year.
the U.S. Federal Employment Statistics
This section provides statistics on Federal government employees in the U.S., including most common occupations, agencies with the most local employees, and the average paygrade and salary rates of general schedule employees in the area. All data in this section is derived from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)'s most recent available listings of federal employees in the U.S..
Common Occupations in the U.S.
| Occupation | Number Employed | Avg. Salary | Avg. Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact Representative | 21,768 | $54,906.00 | $5.00 |
| Medical Support Assistance | 21,428 | $46,053.00 | $29.00 |
| Management And Program Analysis | 18,642 | $124,155.00 | $54.00 |
| Information Technology Management | 18,323 | $129,288.00 | $75.00 |
| Miscellaneous Administration And Program | 12,824 | $119,327.00 | $68.00 |
| Veterans Claims Examining | 12,253 | $79,946.00 | $64.00 |
| Tax Examining | 10,003 | $50,197.00 | $2.00 |
| General Attorney | 8,523 | $147,586.00 | $119.00 |
| Nursing Assistant | 8,180 | $43,984.00 | $61.00 |
| Social Insurance Administration | 7,548 | $95,642.00 | $0.00 |
| General Health Science | 6,437 | $101,590.00 | $44.00 |
| Miscellaneous Clerk And Assistant | 6,191 | $48,617.00 | $40.00 |
| Social Work | 5,637 | $89,681.00 | $41.00 |
| General Legal And Kindred Administration | 4,663 | $65,932.00 | $22.00 |
| Practical Nurse | 3,700 | $60,126.00 | $78.00 |
| Aerospace Engineering | 3,554 | $139,299.00 | $8.00 |
| General Engineering | 2,976 | $142,481.00 | $49.00 |
| Financial Administration And Program | 2,807 | $98,769.00 | $23.00 |
| Health Aid And Technician | 2,492 | $49,359.00 | $98.00 |
| General Natural Resources Management And Biological Sciences | 2,438 | $115,690.00 | $65.00 |
| Pharmacist | 2,396 | $142,990.00 | $49.00 |
| Financial Clerical And Assistance | 2,363 | $50,516.00 | $8.00 |
| Human Resources Management | 2,361 | $105,988.00 | $43.00 |
| Contracting | 2,280 | $117,805.00 | $22.00 |
| General Business And Industry | 2,276 | $122,687.00 | $34.00 |
| Foreign Affairs | 2,150 | $136,124.00 | $42.00 |
| General Physical Science | 1,698 | $126,419.00 | $1.00 |
| Nurse | 1,595 | $107,611.00 | $82.00 |
| Health Insurance Administration | 1,582 | $130,180.00 | $3.00 |
| Statistics | 1,514 | $126,338.00 | $68.00 |
| Social Science | 1,250 | $108,931.00 | $0.00 |
| Security Administration | 1,066 | $118,477.00 | $29.00 |
| Public Health Program Specialist | 1,027 | $126,733.00 | $3.00 |
| Economist | 965 | $124,264.00 | $40.00 |
| Administrative Officer | 928 | $122,668.00 | $17.00 |
| General Arts And Information | 804 | $110,909.00 | $105.00 |
| Environmental Protection Specialist | 724 | $138,730.00 | $0.00 |
| Environmental Engineering | 706 | $130,697.00 | $0.00 |
| Accounting | 705 | $98,464.00 | $220.00 |
| Passport And Visa Examining | 676 | $86,250.00 | $9.00 |
| Civil Engineering | 658 | $108,486.00 | $27.00 |
| Agricultural Commodity Aid | 647 | $32,992.00 | $18.00 |
| Paralegal Specialist | 640 | $78,204.00 | $42.00 |
| Grants Management | 635 | $126,544.00 | $58.00 |
| Chemistry | 628 | $135,048.00 | $20.00 |
| Budget Analysis | 594 | $124,060.00 | $59.00 |
| Electronics Engineering | 565 | $143,273.00 | $234.00 |
| Consumer Safety | 551 | $139,532.00 | $0.00 |
| Security Guard | 503 | $54,736.00 | $88.00 |
| Mathematical Statistics | 495 | $134,474.00 | $0.00 |
| Program Management | 461 | $151,984.00 | $332.00 |
| Statistical Assistant | 426 | $40,431.00 | $56.00 |
| Trade Specialist | 418 | $124,191.00 | $11.00 |
| Emergency Management Specialist | 416 | $128,564.00 | $1.00 |
| Electrical Engineering | 396 | $124,279.00 | $582.00 |
| Computer Engineering | 363 | $132,079.00 | $12.00 |
| Loan Specialist | 340 | $75,783.00 | $0.00 |
| Claims Assistance And Examining | 322 | $58,948.00 | $0.00 |
| Correctional Institution Administration | 312 | $116,131.00 | $70.00 |
| Pharmacology | 272 | $151,200.00 | $0.00 |
| Museum Specialist And Technician | 265 | $91,677.00 | $44.00 |
| Public Utilities Specialist | 259 | $121,274.00 | $1,124.00 |
| Forestry Technician | 239 | $51,467.00 | $54.00 |
| Psychology | 230 | $117,316.00 | $74.00 |
| Astronomy And Space Science | 211 | $155,296.00 | $0.00 |
| Voucher Examining | 207 | $62,001.00 | $0.00 |
| Public Affairs | 192 | $127,717.00 | $107.00 |
| Archives Technician | 190 | $90,957.00 | $218.00 |
| Plant Protection Technician | 173 | $34,211.00 | $32.00 |
| Government Information Specialist | 171 | $79,890.00 | $16.00 |
| Agricultural Marketing | 163 | $117,972.00 | $29.00 |
| Medical Technologist | 158 | $96,244.00 | $122.00 |
| Human Resources Assistance | 153 | $41,391.00 | $71.00 |
| Electronics Technical | 150 | $126,430.00 | $18.00 |
| Technical Information Services | 144 | $113,724.00 | $0.00 |
| Worker's Compensation Claims Examining | 144 | $93,675.00 | $91.00 |
| Railroad Retirement Claims Examining | 144 | $86,276.00 | $0.00 |
| Bioengineering & Biomedical Engineering | 143 | $127,205.00 | $0.00 |
| Secretary | 141 | $68,927.00 | $14.00 |
| Building Management | 135 | $100,841.00 | $0.00 |
| Geography | 133 | $111,125.00 | $0.00 |
| Agricultural Commodity Grading | 132 | $49,839.00 | $26.00 |
| Health System Specialist | 129 | $129,525.00 | $79.00 |
| Archivist | 128 | $114,346.00 | $266.00 |
| Microbiology | 128 | $139,480.00 | $0.00 |
| Medical Records Technician | 119 | $51,908.00 | $0.00 |
| Petroleum Engineering | 113 | $128,133.00 | $0.00 |
| Meteorology | 112 | $130,244.00 | $442.00 |
| Transportation Specialist | 111 | $151,544.00 | $0.00 |
| Support Services Administration | 110 | $105,450.00 | $12.00 |
| Auditing | 109 | $127,951.00 | $163.00 |
| International Relations | 106 | $123,472.00 | $6.00 |
| Veterinary Medical Science | 105 | $140,846.00 | $0.00 |
| Mail And File | 104 | $35,117.00 | $0.00 |
| Materials Engineering | 102 | $120,351.00 | $5.00 |
| Geology | 102 | $112,776.00 | $79.00 |
| Museum Curator | 101 | $127,508.00 | $92.00 |
| Engineering Technical | 100 | $104,941.00 | $10.00 |
This table lists the top 98 occupations held by the approximately 224,751 federal employees working in the U.S., across all agencies, as well as average yearly compensation for the U.S. based federal employees of that occupation.
Federal Agencies in the U.S.
| Agency | the U.S. Employees | Avg. Salary | Avg. Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterans Health Administration | 51,781 | $62,591.00 | $47.00 |
| Internal Revenue Service | 37,778 | $75,091.00 | $6.00 |
| Social Security Administration | 22,138 | $83,437.00 | $1.00 |
| Veterans Benefits Administration | 14,112 | $79,416.00 | $60.00 |
| National Institutes Of Health | 9,609 | $118,064.00 | $34.00 |
| Department Of State | 7,391 | $116,889.00 | $37.00 |
| Food And Drug Administration | 6,516 | $131,435.00 | $1.00 |
| Environmental Protection Agency | 5,665 | $127,072.00 | $0.00 |
| Offices, Boards And Divisions | 4,498 | $125,975.00 | $185.00 |
| Federal Bureau Of Investigation | 4,262 | $117,427.00 | $36.00 |
| U.s. Census Bureau | 4,130 | $99,102.00 | $19.00 |
| Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services | 3,031 | $125,852.00 | $3.00 |
| Customs And Border Protection | 2,996 | $128,462.00 | $66.00 |
| Dhs Headquarters | 2,165 | $137,199.00 | $56.00 |
| Goddard Space Flight Center | 2,143 | $146,301.00 | $1.00 |
| Citizenship And Immigration Services | 1,951 | $110,404.00 | $65.00 |
| Bureau Of The Fiscal Service | 1,919 | $93,555.00 | $0.00 |
| Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center | 1,908 | $140,262.00 | $24.00 |
| George C. Marshall Space Flight Center | 1,547 | $122,370.00 | $9.00 |
| Department Of Energy | 1,505 | $133,118.00 | $619.00 |
| Immigration And Customs Enforcement | 1,407 | $136,206.00 | $6.00 |
| Cybersecurity And Infrastructure Security Agency | 1,343 | $133,482.00 | $71.00 |
| John F. Kennedy Space Center | 1,340 | $121,671.00 | $13.00 |
| Office Of The Secretary Of Health And Human Services | 1,321 | $133,268.00 | $113.00 |
| Health Resources And Services Administration | 1,270 | $129,838.00 | $0.00 |
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | 1,224 | $125,107.00 | $17.00 |
| Forest Service | 1,203 | $74,452.00 | $133.00 |
| Deputy Assistant Secretary For Information And Technology | 1,160 | $119,510.00 | $2.00 |
| Office Of Personnel Management | 1,126 | $92,267.00 | $8.00 |
| Smithsonian Institution (Except Units Administered Under Separate Boards Of Trustees) | 1,121 | $98,648.00 | $86.00 |
| Departmental Offices | 1,014 | $136,823.00 | $46.00 |
| Small Business Administration | 1,003 | $89,253.00 | $1.00 |
| Agricultural Marketing Service | 942 | $49,963.00 | $21.00 |
| U.s. Agency For International Development | 885 | $135,648.00 | $19.00 |
| Federal Communications Commission | 857 | $155,082.00 | $1,148.00 |
| Bureau Of Labor Statistics | 851 | $122,250.00 | $14.00 |
| Public Buildings Service | 795 | $115,753.00 | $2.00 |
| Drug Enforcement Administration | 764 | $128,391.00 | $31.00 |
| John Glenn Research Center At Lewis Field | 734 | $127,959.00 | $3.00 |
| U.s. Coast Guard | 711 | $128,984.00 | $77.00 |
| Indian Health Service | 687 | $94,361.00 | $80.00 |
| Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service | 652 | $100,446.00 | $205.00 |
| Office Of The Secretary Of The Interior | 650 | $117,017.00 | $64.00 |
| Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | 575 | $148,142.00 | $82.00 |
| U.s. Agency For Global Media | 562 | $118,341.00 | $34.00 |
| Bureau Of Prisons/federal Prison System | 540 | $115,511.00 | $64.00 |
| U.s. Secret Service | 539 | $119,376.00 | $13.00 |
| Administration For Children And Families | 502 | $123,274.00 | $3.00 |
| Office Of The Chief Financial Officer (Department Of Agriculture) | 501 | $98,018.00 | $755.00 |
| Federal Trade Commission | 488 | $164,678.00 | $11.00 |
| Federal Highway Administration | 462 | $115,803.00 | $0.00 |
| Headquarters, Nasa | 448 | $152,073.00 | $6.00 |
| Office Of Management And Budget | 446 | $147,392.00 | $19.00 |
| Ames Research Center | 430 | $157,006.00 | $10.00 |
| National Archives And Records Administration | 421 | $116,664.00 | $170.00 |
| Office Of The Chief Information Officer (Department Of Agriculture) | 405 | $117,119.00 | $129.00 |
| Assistant Secretary For Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner | 386 | $136,085.00 | $4.00 |
| Office Of The Director | 379 | $111,742.00 | $1.00 |
| Deputy Assistant Secretary For Finance | 338 | $73,571.00 | $21.00 |
| International Trade Administration | 314 | $126,736.00 | $7.00 |
| Bureau Of Reclamation | 307 | $122,278.00 | $107.00 |
| Fpac Business Center | 281 | $109,265.00 | $13.00 |
| Office Of The Assistant Secretary For Administration And Management | 274 | $139,560.00 | $139.00 |
| Executive Director, Office Of Acquisition And Logistics | 271 | $103,724.00 | $0.00 |
| National Gallery Of Art | 267 | $75,774.00 | $86.00 |
| Assistant Secretary For Public And Indian Housing | 240 | $131,902.00 | $26.00 |
| U.s. Fish And Wildlife Service | 218 | $110,725.00 | $145.00 |
| Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation | 212 | $138,456.00 | $144.00 |
| Foreign Agricultural Service | 208 | $111,918.00 | $17.00 |
| Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration | 204 | $128,544.00 | $0.00 |
| Office Of The Solicitor (Department Of Labor) | 202 | $156,464.00 | $9.00 |
| General Counsel (Department Of Veterans Affairs) | 189 | $139,040.00 | $0.00 |
| Pretrial Services Agency | 189 | $114,512.00 | $0.00 |
| National Labor Relations Board | 180 | $156,454.00 | $108.00 |
| Office Of Justice Programs | 174 | $135,631.00 | $57.00 |
| Office Of The Secretary Of Transportation | 168 | $121,567.00 | $0.00 |
| Office Of The Solicitor (Department Of Interior) | 168 | $145,065.00 | $257.00 |
| Assistant Secretary For Community Planning And Development | 167 | $130,111.00 | $0.00 |
| Office Of The Secretary (Department Of Commerce) | 162 | $149,723.00 | $28.00 |
| Office Of The Senior Coordinator For Southeast/caribbean | 160 | $109,676.00 | $3.00 |
| Overseas Private Investment Corporation | 156 | $144,760.00 | $0.00 |
| Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, And Explosives | 145 | $135,001.00 | $224.00 |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | 145 | $150,735.00 | $15.00 |
| Office Of Workers' Compensation Programs | 144 | $93,675.00 | $91.00 |
| Railroad Retirement Board | 144 | $86,276.00 | $0.00 |
| Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center | 142 | $138,259.00 | $9.00 |
| U.s. Marshals Service | 141 | $130,387.00 | $0.00 |
| Office Of General Counsel (Department Of Housing And Urban Development) | 140 | $149,374.00 | $0.00 |
| National Agricultural Statistics Service | 139 | $129,910.00 | $197.00 |
| Economic Research Service | 134 | $105,963.00 | $91.00 |
| Office Of The Senior Coordinator For Rocky Mountains | 132 | $112,565.00 | $0.00 |
| Centers For Disease Control And Prevention | 123 | $131,029.00 | $0.00 |
| Office Of The U.s. Trade Representative | 121 | $149,913.00 | $0.00 |
| Office Of The Chief Information Officer (Department Of Housing And Urban Development) | 116 | $150,064.00 | $64.00 |
| Bureau Of Safety And Environmental Enforcement | 113 | $128,133.00 | $0.00 |
| National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration | 112 | $130,244.00 | $442.00 |
| Office Of The Senior Coordinator For Mid-Atlantic | 110 | $120,057.00 | $0.00 |
| Bureau Of International Labor Affairs | 106 | $123,472.00 | $6.00 |
| Rural Development | 104 | $118,772.00 | $299.00 |
| Geological Survey | 102 | $112,776.00 | $79.00 |
There are 100 Federal agencies with a significant workforce in the U.S.. General Schedule employees at all of the agencies listed below will be paid according to the locality-adjusted GS payscale listed on this page.
There are approximately 224,751 federal employees on the General Schedule payscale located within the U.S.. The average federal employee in the U.S. earns $90,176 per year, and the average yearly bonus is $50.
Based on data provided by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the most common job title for federal employees based in the U.S. is Contact Representative. The Federal agency with the largest number of employees in the U.S. is the Veterans Health Administration, which has total of 51,781 employees in the area.
The bar graph to the left shows the distribution of employees in the U.S. by paygrade, from GS-1 to GS-15. To learn more about how paygrades are determined and how they affect a federal employee's salary, see how to calculate GS Pay.