2022 GS Pay Scales – GS Pay Scale 2022 – When it comes to government jobs pay is an important matter to think about. Although compensation for government employees may not be equivalent to the compensation that private-sector employers may give, many government employment provides a competitive salary with the potential of quick advancement, along with benefits.
The image above was obtained from the original source: 2022gspayscale.com
Pay scales established through the Federal government determine how much federal workers are paid. While over 70 percent of federal employees are paid under the most popular pay scale, which is the General Schedule (GS), there is also a range of other pay schedules.
What is the GS Pay Scale?
Workers in professional, technical, administrative, and clerical roles have the most salary according to the General Schedule (GS), which is the standard pay scale for federal employees. The system is broken down into 15 levels. The system starts with GS-1, the lowest level before moving to GS-15 which is the top level. Within each grade, there are the equivalent of ten steps. The level of pay associated with an individual job can be calculated by grade attributable to the position.
Grade Levels
- GS-3 or GS-4: These post are often internships, or student jobs.
- GS-5 to GS-7: These positions typically comprise in the vast majority of entry level positions.
- GS-8 to GS-12: These positions are often in the mid-management level
- GS-13 to GS-15: These post-graduate positions are usually supervisory at the top level.
- Above the GS-15 are considered to be people belonging to the Senior Executive Service.
They are free to promote and fill vacancies at any grade level they see necessary. Even if you have never worked for the government before, you may leverage your previous job and academic background to qualify to be a better student. Every time you advance through the steps and grades after having been employed, you’ll be rewarded with a boost. Federal employees often advance one step every year.
There are a variety of jobs that are classified as “career ladder” jobs. As a result, employees can be eligible to move up to a higher grade without having to submit an application to a new position. For example an GS-5/7/9 career ladder permits a fresh graduate to go from a GS-5 to a GS-7 and then a GS-9 without changing employment in just three years from the date of graduation! Review the summary of a job advertisement for more information about the grade and advancement opportunities for a particular job prior to applying.
Pay and Cost of Living Allowance
Under the GS system the salary is broken down into two parts The base pay and the adjustment for location. The General Schedule base pay is altered to account for differences in living costs in various geographic regions. This means that an entry-level scientist working for a GS-7 wage from San Francisco earns more money than a biological scientist at the entry level who earns a salary in Atlanta because the cost of living in San Francisco is greater than that of Atlanta.
Furthermore, wages outside in the Continental United States are typically 10 to 25 percent more than those inside the country. This is because the government also offers select workers with a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). Those who live and work in Alaska, Hawaii, or the United States territories will get a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to help pay for the high costs of living in these areas.
Special Rates
The General Schedule (GS) Pay Scale is used across the entire government, however, over 40 agencies or agency subcomponents each has their own set of scales for pay.
As part of the GS system, many agencies make use of unique pricing. To keep top talent for difficult-to-fill occupations specifically in the technological, scientific medical, and scientific sectors the federal government has higher base rates and special rates for select jobs. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are among the many examples of organizations that provide discounted pricing (IRS).
Federal Pay Scale 2021 – GS Pay Scale 2021
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
| GS-1 | $19,738 | $20,400 | $21,056 | $21,709 | $22,365 | $22,749 | $23,398 | $24,052 | $24,078 | $24,690 |
| GS-2 | $22,194 | $22,722 | $23,457 | $24,078 | $24,349 | $25,065 | $25,781 | $26,497 | $27,213 | $27,929 |
| GS-3 | $24,216 | $25,023 | $25,830 | $26,637 | $27,444 | $28,251 | $29,058 | $29,865 | $30,672 | $31,479 |
| GS-4 | $27,184 | $28,090 | $28,996 | $29,902 | $30,808 | $31,714 | $32,620 | $33,526 | $34,432 | $35,338 |
| GS-5 | $30,414 | $31,428 | $32,442 | $33,456 | $34,470 | $35,484 | $36,498 | $37,512 | $38,526 | $39,540 |
| GS-6 | $33,903 | $35,033 | $36,163 | $37,293 | $38,423 | $39,553 | $40,683 | $41,813 | $42,943 | $44,073 |
| GS-7 | $37,674 | $38,930 | $40,186 | $41,442 | $42,698 | $43,954 | $45,210 | $46,466 | $47,722 | $48,978 |
| GS-8 | $41,723 | $43,114 | $44,505 | $45,896 | $47,287 | $48,678 | $50,069 | $51,460 | $52,851 | $54,242 |
| GS-9 | $46,083 | $47,619 | $49,155 | $50,691 | $52,227 | $53,763 | $55,299 | $56,835 | $58,371 | $59,907 |
| GS-10 | $50,748 | $52,440 | $54,132 | $55,824 | $57,516 | $59,208 | $60,900 | $62,592 | $64,284 | $65,976 |
| GS-11 | $55,756 | $57,615 | $59,474 | $61,333 | $63,192 | $65,051 | $66,910 | $68,769 | $70,628 | $72,487 |
| GS-12 | $66,829 | $69,057 | $71,285 | $73,513 | $75,741 | $77,969 | $80,197 | $82,425 | $84,653 | $86,881 |
| GS-13 | $79,468 | $82,117 | $84,766 | $87,415 | $90,064 | $92,713 | $95,362 | $98,011 | $100,660 | $103,309 |
| GS-14 | $93,907 | $97,037 | $100,167 | $103,297 | $106,427 | $109,557 | $112,687 | $115,817 | $118,947 | $122,077 |
| GS-15 | $110,460 | $114,142 | $117,824 | $121,506 | $125,188 | $128,870 | $132,552 | $136,234 | $139,916 | $143,598 |
Federal Pay Scale 2022 – GS Pay Scale 2022
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
| GS-1 | $20,251 | $20,930 | $21,603 | $22,273 | $22,946 | $23,340 | $24,006 | $24,677 | $24,704 | $25,332 |
| GS-2 | $22,771 | $23,313 | $24,067 | $24,704 | $24,982 | $25,717 | $26,451 | $27,186 | $27,921 | $28,655 |
| GS-3 | $24,846 | $25,674 | $26,502 | $27,330 | $28,158 | $28,986 | $29,814 | $30,641 | $31,469 | $32,297 |
| GS-4 | $27,891 | $28,820 | $29,750 | $30,679 | $31,609 | $32,539 | $33,468 | $34,398 | $35,327 | $36,257 |
| GS-5 | $31,205 | $32,245 | $33,285 | $34,326 | $35,366 | $36,407 | $37,447 | $38,487 | $39,528 | $40,568 |
| GS-6 | $34,784 | $35,944 | $37,103 | $38,263 | $39,422 | $40,581 | $41,741 | $42,900 | $44,060 | $45,219 |
| GS-7 | $38,654 | $39,942 | $41,231 | $42,519 | $43,808 | $45,097 | $46,385 | $47,674 | $48,963 | $50,251 |
| GS-8 | $42,808 | $44,235 | $45,662 | $47,089 | $48,516 | $49,944 | $51,371 | $52,798 | $54,225 | $55,652 |
| GS-9 | $47,281 | $48,857 | $50,433 | $52,009 | $53,585 | $55,161 | $56,737 | $58,313 | $59,889 | $61,465 |
| GS-10 | $52,067 | $53,803 | $55,539 | $57,275 | $59,011 | $60,747 | $62,483 | $64,219 | $65,955 | $67,691 |
| GS-11 | $57,206 | $59,113 | $61,020 | $62,928 | $64,835 | $66,742 | $68,650 | $70,557 | $72,464 | $74,372 |
| GS-12 | $68,567 | $70,852 | $73,138 | $75,424 | $77,710 | $79,996 | $82,282 | $84,568 | $86,854 | $89,140 |
| GS-13 | $81,534 | $84,252 | $86,970 | $89,688 | $92,406 | $95,124 | $97,841 | $100,559 | $103,277 | $105,995 |
| GS-14 | $96,349 | $99,560 | $102,771 | $105,983 | $109,194 | $112,405 | $115,617 | $118,828 | $122,040 | $125,251 |
| GS-15 | $113,332 | $117,110 | $120,887 | $124,665 | $128,443 | $132,221 | $135,998 | $139,776 | $143,554 | $147,332 |