General Schedule Pay Scale – GS Pay Scale 2022 – In the case of government employment pay is an important aspect to take into consideration. Although compensation for government employees may not be equivalent to the compensation that private-sector employers might offer, many government positions offer competitive income with the possibility of rapid advancement as well as benefits.
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Pay scales set by the federal government decide the amount federal employees are paid. While over 70% federal employees are paid on the most affluent pay scale, the General Schedule (GS), there is also a range of other pay scales.
What is the GS Pay Scale?
Workers in professional, technical, administrative, and clerical jobs have the most earnings as part of the General Schedule (GS), which is the most popular pay scale for federal employees. The system is divided into 15 levels. It starts with GS-1, the lowest level and rising to GS-15, the highest level. In each level, there are the equivalent of ten steps. The salary level for an individual job is determined by the grade level assigned to the position.
Grade Levels
- GS-3 or GS-4: These post are often internships, or student job opportunities.
- GS-5 to GS-7: These posts are usually most entry-level positions.
- GS-8 to GS-12: These post are usually located within the mid-management range
- GS-13 to GS-15: These post are usually supervisory positions at the top level.
- Above the GS-15 are classified as individuals belonging to the Senior Executive Service.
Agency officials are free to make advertisements and fill vacancies at any grade level they see necessary. Even if you have not worked in the government before, you may leverage your previous job and educational background to qualify for a higher grade. Each time you progress through the steps and grade levels after having been hired, you’ll earn a rise. Federal government employees often advance one step every year.
There are many occupations that are referred to be “career ladder” roles. Therefore, employees can be eligible for advancement to a better grade without needing to apply for new employment. For example an GS-5/7/9 career ladder allows a recent graduate to progress from a GS-5 to a GS-7 to the GS-9 level without having to change employment within as little as three years after the date of graduation! Check read the summary section of an announcement for a job for more information about the grade and advancement options for a specific job prior to applying.
Pay and Cost of Living Allowance
Under the GS system the salary is split into two components that are the base pay and the location pay adjustment. The General Schedule base pay is modified to reflect variations in living costs in different geographic regions. This means that an entry-level biological scientist with a GS-7 pay scale located in San Francisco earns more money than a basic biological scientist earning a salary in Atlanta due to the fact that it is more expensive to live in San Francisco is greater than the cost of living in Atlanta.
In addition, wage rates outside those in continental United States are typically 10 to 25 percent higher than the ones in the United States. This is due to the fact that the government also grants select employees with a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). People who reside and work anywhere in Alaska, Hawaii, or the United States territories will get a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to reduce the price of living in these areas.
Special Rates
The General Schedule (GS) Pay Scale is employed across the entire government; however, over 40 agencies or subcomponents are able to use their own scales of pay.
Within the GS system, several organizations use special pricing. To attract and also retain high-quality talent in difficult-to-fill positions especially in the scientific, technological medical, and scientific sectors The federal government sets higher rates of base pay and also special rates for specific positions. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are only a few examples of companies that offer discounted prices (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 |