GS Pay Scales for Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles And Denver

July 25, 2024

GS Pay Scales for Boston, San Diego, Los Angeles And Denver

What is GS Pay Scale 2024

The 2024 GS pay scale includes a federal pay raise with an average increase of 5.2%. This is made up of a 4.7% boost in GS base pay and a 0.5% increase in GS locality pay.

In 2023, federal workers saw their biggest pay raise in 20 years with a 4.6% increase, matching the same percentage raise they got in 2002 during the Bush administration. However, in 2002, inflation was only 1.6%, which was more favorable for federal employees. This recent raise in 2023 is significant, especially for those on the GS payscale.

Understanding the GS Pay Scale for 2024

The General Schedule (GS) pay scale is a critical component of federal employment, determining the base salary for most federal employees. The GS scale is divided into 15 grades, each with 10 steps, allowing for incremental increases based on experience and performance. For 2024, the GS pay scale has been updated to reflect changes in cost of living and adjustments for various geographic locations.

2024 GS Pay Table – Boston – Worcester – Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT

2024 gs payscale Boston-Worcester-Providence Area

Starting January 2024, federal employees in the Boston-Worcester-Providence area will see a 5.44% increase in their salaries. This includes a 4.7% general increase and a 31.97% locality adjustment for the cost of living.

2024 Salary Table for Boston-Worcester-Providence Area

Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
1 29,015 29,989 30,952 31,914 32,876 33,440 34,395 35,357 35,396 36,294
2 32,626 33,402 34,482 35,396 35,796 36,849 37,902 38,955 40,008 41,061
3 35,599 36,785 37,972 39,158 40,345 41,531 42,717 43,904 45,090 46,277
4 39,961 41,292 42,624 43,955 45,287 46,618 47,950 49,282 50,613 51,945
5 44,709 46,199 47,689 49,179 50,669 52,159 53,648 55,138 56,628 58,118
6 49,838 51,500 53,161 54,823 56,484 58,146 59,807 61,469 63,130 64,792
7 55,383 57,229 59,075 60,921 62,768 64,614 66,460 68,306 70,153 71,999
8 61,333 63,377 65,421 67,466 69,510 71,554 73,598 75,643 77,687 79,731
9 67,743 70,001 72,259 74,517 76,775 79,033 81,291 83,549 85,807 88,065
10 74,600 77,086 79,573 82,059 84,545 87,032 89,518 92,004 94,491 96,977
11 81,963 84,694 87,426 90,158 92,890 95,622 98,353 101,085 103,817 106,549
12 98,240 101,514 104,788 108,062 111,336 114,611 117,885 121,159 124,433 127,707
13 116,820 120,714 124,609 128,503 132,398 136,292 140,186 144,081 147,975 151,870
14 138,046 142,648 147,249 151,851 156,453 161,055 165,657 170,258 174,860 179,462
15 162,377 167,789 173,201 178,613 184,026 189,438 191,900 191,900 191,900 191,900

Source: OPM

2024 GS Pay Table – Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA

Starting January 2024, federal employees in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area will see a 5.44% increase in their salaries. This includes a 4.7% general increase and a 35.84% locality adjustment for the cost of living.

2024 Gs Payscale Los Angeles Table

Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
1 29,866 30,868 31,860 32,850 33,840 34,420 35,404 36,394 36,434 37,359
2 33,582 34,381 35,494 36,434 36,845 37,929 39,013 40,097 41,181 42,265
3 36,643 37,864 39,085 40,306 41,528 42,749 43,970 45,191 46,412 47,634
4 41,132 42,503 43,874 45,244 46,615 47,985 49,356 50,727 52,097 53,468
5 46,020 47,554 49,087 50,621 52,154 53,688 55,222 56,755 58,289 59,823
6 51,300 53,010 54,720 56,431 58,141 59,851 61,561 63,272 64,982 66,692
7 57,007 58,907 60,807 62,708 64,608 66,509 68,409 70,309 72,210 74,110
8 63,132 65,236 67,340 69,444 71,548 73,652 75,757 77,861 79,965 82,069
9 69,729 72,054 74,378 76,702 79,026 81,351 83,675 85,999 88,323 90,647
10 76,788 79,347 81,906 84,465 87,025 89,584 92,143 94,702 97,261 99,821
11 84,366 87,178 89,990 92,802 95,614 98,426 101,237 104,049 106,861 109,673
12 101,121 104,491 107,861 111,231 114,601 117,972 121,342 124,712 128,082 131,452
13 120,246 124,254 128,263 132,271 136,280 140,289 144,297 148,306 152,315 156,323
14 142,094 146,831 151,568 156,304 161,041 165,778 170,515 175,251 179,988 184,725
15 167,139 172,710 178,280 183,851 189,422 191,900 191,900 191,900 191,900 191,900

Source: OPM

2024 GS payscale San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

Starting in January 2024, salaries for federal employees in the San Diego area will increase by 5.52%. This includes a 4.7% general raise for all federal employees and an additional locality payment of 33.05% for those in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad area.

2024 GS Payscale San Diego Table

Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
1 28,555 29,514 30,462 31,409 32,356 32,910 33,851 34,797 34,835 35,720
2 32,109 32,873 33,936 34,835 35,229 36,265 37,302 38,338 39,374 40,411
3 35,035 36,203 37,370 38,538 39,706 40,873 42,041 43,208 44,376 45,544
4 39,328 40,638 41,949 43,259 44,570 45,880 47,191 48,501 49,812 51,122
5 44,001 45,467 46,933 48,400 49,866 51,332 52,799 54,265 55,732 57,198
6 49,049 50,684 52,320 53,955 55,590 57,225 58,860 60,495 62,131 63,766
7 54,497 56,319 58,142 59,964 61,787 63,609 65,432 67,254 69,077 70,899
8 60,397 62,432 64,467 66,502 68,537 70,572 72,607 74,642 76,677 78,712
9 66,795 69,060 71,326 73,591 75,857 78,122 80,388 82,653 84,919 87,184
10 73,661 76,167 78,673 81,179 83,686 86,192 88,698 91,204 93,710 96,216
11 81,052 83,809 86,565 89,322 92,078 94,835 97,591 100,348 103,104 105,861
12 97,116 100,417 103,719 107,021 110,323 113,624 116,926 120,228 123,529 126,831
13 115,539 119,469 123,398 127,327 131,257 135,186 139,115 143,045 146,974 150,903
14 136,488 141,056 145,624 150,192 154,760 159,329 163,897 168,465 173,033 177,601
15 160,400 165,720 171,041 176,362 181,683 187,004 191,900 191,900 191,900 191,900

Source: OPM.gov

Locality pay increases are based on local private sector salaries, not the cost of living. This means that your pay rate depends on where you work, not where you live.

In 2024, there are four new locality pay areas and most existing areas have expanded. This means about 33,300 employees will get a pay boost by moving into a new area with a specific pay rate. The new locality pay increases are:

  • Fresno, Calif.: 5.28%
  • Reno, Nev.: 5.25%
  • Rochester, N.Y.: 5.46%
  • Spokane, Wash.: 5.31%

For those interested in specific regions, such as the GS pay scales in Boston, Los Angeles, or San Diego, these areas are also impacted by these changes.

The 2024 Locality Adjustment Rate for the Denver GS locality is 29.88%. Below is the 2024 locality-adjusted GS pay table for workers in the Denver area. Use the tabs to view data for different years.

2024 GS Pay Scale Denver

2024 GS Pay Scale Denver Table

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1 $28,555 $29,514 $30,462 $31,409 $32,356 $32,910 $33,851 $34,797 $34,835 $35,720
GS-2 $32,109 $32,873 $33,936 $34,835 $35,229 $36,265 $37,302 $38,338 $39,374 $40,411
GS-3 $35,035 $36,203 $37,370 $38,538 $39,706 $40,873 $42,041 $43,208 $44,376 $45,544
GS-4 $39,328 $40,638 $41,949 $43,259 $44,570 $45,880 $47,191 $48,501 $49,812 $51,122
GS-5 $44,001 $45,467 $46,933 $48,400 $49,866 $51,332 $52,799 $54,265 $55,732 $57,198
GS-6 $49,049 $50,684 $52,320 $53,955 $55,590 $57,225 $58,860 $60,496 $62,131 $63,766
GS-7 $54,505 $56,322 $58,139 $59,957 $61,774 $63,591 $65,408 $67,225 $69,042 $70,859
GS-8 $60,362 $62,374 $64,385 $66,397 $68,409 $70,421 $72,433 $74,445 $76,456 $78,468
GS-9 $66,670 $68,892 $71,114 $73,337 $75,559 $77,781 $80,003 $82,226 $84,448 $86,670
GS-10 $73,419 $75,866 $78,312 $80,759 $83,206 $85,653 $88,100 $90,547 $92,994 $95,441
GS-11 $80,665 $83,353 $86,042 $88,730 $91,419 $94,107 $96,796 $99,484 $102,173 $104,861
GS-12 $96,684 $99,906 $103,129 $106,351 $109,573 $112,796 $116,018 $119,240 $122,463 $125,685
GS-13 $114,970 $118,803 $122,635 $126,468 $130,301 $134,134 $137,966 $141,799 $145,632 $149,465
GS-14 $135,860 $140,389 $144,918 $149,446 $153,975 $158,504 $163,033 $167,562 $172,091 $176,620
GS-15 $159,806 $165,132 $170,458 $175,785 $181,111 $186,438 $191,764 $197,091 $202,417 $207,744
SES $192,036 $197,364 $202,691 $208,018 $213,346 $218,673 $224,000 $229,328 $234,654 $239,982

The boundaries of General Schedule localities are defined by the General Services Administration (GSA), and the locality adjustment rates are designed to reflect the differences in the cost of living across various regions of the country.

The federal pay system includes several different schedules for various types of employees. Most white-collar federal workers are paid under the General Schedule (GS) system, which is often called the "civil service" pay system, though it now covers just over half of the federal workforce. Blue-collar workers have a different wage system. Other special salary systems exist for different groups, including Senior Executive Service members, the U.S. Postal Service, the Foreign Service, law enforcement officers, Veterans Health Administration medical staff, and high-level officials like administrative law judges and senior professionals. Presidential appointees use the Executive Schedule system, while federal judges and members of Congress have their own separate pay schedules. For specific locations, the GS pay scales vary: you can find the GS pay scale for Boston, Los Angeles, and San Diego among other areas.

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