GS Pay Scale
The General Schedule (GS) is the most common pay system in the federal government, covering 1,517,243 employees across 15 grades. Data from OPM FedScope, March 2025.
Total GS Employees
1,517,243
Lowest Avg Salary (GS-1)
$34,623
Highest Avg Salary (GS-15)
$186,965
| Grade | Employees | % of GS | Avg Salary | Avg LOS | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | 336 | 0.0% | $34,623 | 1.7 yrs | |
| GS-2 | 456 | 0.0% | $36,674 | 4.6 yrs | |
| GS-3 | 4,544 | 0.3% | $39,009 | 5.1 yrs | |
| GS-4 | 19,280 | 1.3% | $42,016 | 5.8 yrs | |
| GS-5 | 68,519 | 4.5% | $48,472 | 6.4 yrs | |
| GS-6 | 98,352 | 6.5% | $57,288 | 7.7 yrs | |
| GS-7 | 110,507 | 7.3% | $60,616 | 8.6 yrs | |
| GS-8 | 47,646 | 3.1% | $68,621 | 11.5 yrs | |
| GS-9 | 139,481 | 9.2% | $72,937 | 9.5 yrs | |
| GS-10 | 14,619 | 1.0% | $85,012 | 10.8 yrs | |
| GS-11 | 208,051 | 13.7% | $89,602 | 11.1 yrs | |
| GS-12 | 311,959 | 20.6% | $109,709 | 13.1 yrs | |
| GS-13 | 280,522 | 18.5% | $133,513 | 14.9 yrs | |
| GS-14 | 147,667 | 9.7% | $160,692 | 17 yrs | |
| GS-15 | 65,304 | 4.3% | $186,965 | 19 yrs | |
About the GS Pay Scale
The General Schedule (GS) is the predominant pay scale for federal employees. It consists of 15 grades (GS-1 through GS-15), each with 10 step increases.
GS-1 through GS-7 typically represent entry-level and clerical positions. GS-9 through GS-12 cover professional and technical roles. GS-13 through GS-15 are senior professional and supervisory positions.
Actual pay varies by locality. The figures shown are national averages across all locality pay areas.