2024 GS Pay Schedule Now Available — FederalPay just published the official 2024 pay schedules. Click here to use the 2024 GS Calculator.

General Schedule (GS) Payscale in California for 2023

Click any county to view locality pay tables

The General Schedule (GS) payscale is the federal government payscale used to determine the salaries of over 70% of federal civilian employees.

Under the GS payscale, an employee's base pay depends on two factors - the GS Paygrade of their job, and the Paygrade Step they have achieved (depending on seniority or performance). This base pay is then modified based on a "Locality Pay Adjustment", which adjusts the GS payscale based on cost-of-living in different areas within the United States.

California has one or more Locality Pay Adjustment areas with special locality pay adjustment rates. This page lists the locality-adjusted yearly GS pay scales for each area, with starting pay for a GS-1 broken down by county in the interactive map. For a detailed calculation of your pay as a GS employee in California, see our General Schedule Pay Calculator.

SAN JOSE-SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND, CA

The SAN JOSE-SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND, CA General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in San Francisco and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 44.15% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1$30,270$31,286$32,291$33,294$34,299$34,887$35,883$36,887$36,927$37,873
GS-2$34,037$34,847$35,974$36,927$37,343$38,442$39,540$40,639$41,737$42,836
GS-3$37,139$38,377$39,615$40,854$42,092$43,330$44,568$45,807$47,045$48,283
GS-4$41,690$43,079$44,469$45,858$47,248$48,638$50,027$51,417$52,806$54,196
GS-5$46,643$48,198$49,753$51,309$52,864$54,420$55,975$57,530$59,086$60,641
GS-6$51,995$53,728$55,460$57,193$58,926$60,658$62,391$64,124$65,856$67,589
GS-7$57,778$59,704$61,630$63,556$65,482$67,407$69,333$71,259$73,185$75,111
GS-8$63,987$66,120$68,254$70,387$72,520$74,654$76,787$78,921$81,054$83,188
GS-9$70,674$73,029$75,385$77,740$80,096$82,451$84,806$87,162$89,517$91,873
GS-10$77,827$80,421$83,016$85,611$88,205$90,800$93,395$95,989$98,584$101,179
GS-11$85,508$88,358$91,208$94,058$96,908$99,758$102,607$105,457$108,307$111,157
GS-12$102,489$105,906$109,322$112,738$116,155$119,571$122,987$126,404$129,820$133,236
GS-13$121,873$125,935$129,997$134,060$138,122$142,184$146,246$150,308$154,370$158,432
GS-14$144,017$148,818$153,618$158,418$163,218$168,018$172,819$177,619$182,419$183,500*
GS-15$169,402$175,049$180,695$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*

The San Francisco locality pay rate also applies to Alameda, Antioch, Berkeley, Concord, Daly City, Dublin, Fairfield, Fremont, Hayward, Modesto, Monterey, Oakland, Petaluma, Richmond, Salinas, San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Sunnyvale, Vallejo, Fort Hunter Liggett, and other cities within the region.

Back to Top
LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH, CA

The LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH, CA General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 34.89% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1$28,326$29,277$30,217$31,156$32,096$32,646$33,578$34,517$34,555$35,440
GS-2$31,850$32,608$33,663$34,555$34,945$35,972$37,000$38,028$39,056$40,084
GS-3$34,753$35,912$37,070$38,229$39,388$40,547$41,705$42,864$44,023$45,181
GS-4$39,012$40,312$41,612$42,913$44,213$45,513$46,814$48,114$49,414$50,715
GS-5$43,646$45,102$46,557$48,013$49,468$50,924$52,379$53,835$55,290$56,746
GS-6$48,655$50,276$51,898$53,519$55,140$56,762$58,383$60,004$61,626$63,247
GS-7$54,067$55,869$57,671$59,473$61,275$63,077$64,879$66,682$68,484$70,286
GS-8$59,876$61,873$63,869$65,865$67,862$69,858$71,855$73,851$75,847$77,844
GS-9$66,134$68,338$70,542$72,746$74,950$77,154$79,358$81,563$83,767$85,971
GS-10$72,827$75,255$77,683$80,111$82,539$84,967$87,395$89,823$92,251$94,679
GS-11$80,015$82,682$85,349$88,016$90,683$93,349$96,016$98,683$101,350$104,016
GS-12$95,905$99,102$102,299$105,496$108,693$111,890$115,087$118,284$121,481$124,677
GS-13$114,044$117,845$121,646$125,448$129,249$133,050$136,851$140,653$144,454$148,255
GS-14$134,766$139,258$143,750$148,241$152,733$157,225$161,717$166,209$170,701$175,192
GS-15$158,520$163,804$169,087$174,371$179,655$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*

The Los Angeles locality pay rate also applies to Anaheim, Bakersfield, Barstow, Burbank, Corona, Costa Mesa, Downey, El Centro, El Monte, El Segundo, Fontana, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Glendale, Huntington Beach, Inglewood, Irvine, Lancaster, Lompoc, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Los Angeles, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Norwalk, Ontario, Orange, Oxnard, Palmdale, Pasadena, Pomona, Port Hueneme, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, Ridgecrest, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Buenaventura (Ventura), San Luis Obispo, Santa Ana, Santa Clarita, Santa Maria, Seal Beach, Simi Valley, Temecula, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Twentynine Palms, Victorville, West Covina, Niland, Edwards, and other cities within the region.

Back to Top
SAN DIEGO-CHULA VISTA-CARLSBAD, CA

The SAN DIEGO-CHULA VISTA-CARLSBAD, CA General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in San Diego and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 32.01% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1$27,721$28,651$29,572$30,490$31,410$31,949$32,861$33,780$33,817$34,683
GS-2$31,170$31,912$32,944$33,817$34,199$35,204$36,210$37,216$38,222$39,228
GS-3$34,011$35,145$36,279$37,413$38,547$39,681$40,815$41,949$43,083$44,217
GS-4$38,179$39,451$40,724$41,996$43,269$44,541$45,814$47,087$48,359$49,632
GS-5$42,714$44,139$45,563$46,988$48,412$49,836$51,261$52,685$54,110$55,534
GS-6$47,616$49,203$50,790$52,376$53,963$55,550$57,137$58,723$60,310$61,897
GS-7$52,912$54,676$56,440$58,203$59,967$61,731$63,494$65,258$67,021$68,785
GS-8$58,598$60,552$62,505$64,459$66,413$68,367$70,320$72,274$74,228$76,182
GS-9$64,722$66,879$69,036$71,193$73,350$75,507$77,664$79,821$81,978$84,135
GS-10$71,272$73,648$76,025$78,401$80,777$83,153$85,529$87,905$90,282$92,658
GS-11$78,307$80,917$83,527$86,137$88,746$91,356$93,966$96,576$99,186$101,796
GS-12$93,858$96,986$100,115$103,244$106,372$109,501$112,630$115,758$118,887$122,016
GS-13$111,609$115,329$119,049$122,769$126,489$130,209$133,929$137,649$141,370$145,090
GS-14$131,889$136,284$140,680$145,076$149,472$153,868$158,264$162,660$167,056$171,452
GS-15$155,136$160,306$165,477$170,648$175,819$180,990$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*

The San Diego locality pay rate also applies to Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside, San Diego, and other cities within the region.

Back to Top
SACRAMENTO-ROSEVILLE, CA-NV

The SACRAMENTO-ROSEVILLE, CA-NV General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Sacramento and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 28.3% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1$26,942$27,846$28,740$29,633$30,528$31,051$31,938$32,831$32,867$33,708
GS-2$30,294$31,015$32,019$32,867$33,237$34,215$35,193$36,170$37,148$38,126
GS-3$33,055$34,157$35,259$36,362$37,464$38,566$39,668$40,770$41,872$42,974
GS-4$37,106$38,342$39,579$40,816$42,053$43,290$44,527$45,763$47,000$48,237
GS-5$41,514$42,898$44,283$45,667$47,051$48,436$49,820$51,205$52,589$53,973
GS-6$46,278$47,820$49,362$50,904$52,446$53,989$55,531$57,073$58,615$60,157
GS-7$51,425$53,139$54,853$56,567$58,282$59,996$61,710$63,424$65,138$66,852
GS-8$56,951$58,850$60,749$62,648$64,546$66,445$68,344$70,243$72,142$74,041
GS-9$62,903$64,999$67,096$69,192$71,289$73,385$75,481$77,578$79,674$81,771
GS-10$69,269$71,579$73,888$76,197$78,507$80,816$83,126$85,435$87,744$90,054
GS-11$76,106$78,643$81,179$83,716$86,252$88,789$91,325$93,862$96,398$98,935
GS-12$91,220$94,261$97,301$100,342$103,383$106,424$109,464$112,505$115,546$118,586
GS-13$108,473$112,088$115,704$119,319$122,934$126,550$130,165$133,781$137,396$141,012
GS-14$128,182$132,454$136,727$140,999$145,272$149,544$153,816$158,089$162,361$166,633
GS-15$150,776$155,801$160,827$165,852$170,878$175,903$180,929$183,500*$183,500*$183,500*

The Sacramento locality pay rate also applies to Elk Grove, Marysville, Roseville, Sacramento, McClellan, and other cities within the region.

Back to Top
Rest of California

Any federal employees in California who do not live in an area for which a specific Locality Pay Adjustment has been set will receive the generic "Rest of the United States" locality pay adjustment of 16.5% (shown in the table below).

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1$24,464$25,285$26,097$26,908$27,720$28,195$29,000$29,811$29,844$30,608
GS-2$27,508$28,163$29,074$29,844$30,180$31,068$31,956$32,844$33,731$34,619
GS-3$30,015$31,016$32,017$33,017$34,018$35,019$36,019$37,020$38,021$39,022
GS-4$33,693$34,816$35,939$37,062$38,185$39,308$40,431$41,554$42,677$43,801
GS-5$37,696$38,953$40,210$41,467$42,724$43,981$45,238$46,495$47,752$49,009
GS-6$42,022$43,422$44,822$46,223$47,623$49,023$50,424$51,824$53,224$54,625
GS-7$46,696$48,252$49,808$51,365$52,921$54,478$56,034$57,591$59,147$60,703
GS-8$51,713$53,437$55,162$56,886$58,610$60,334$62,058$63,783$65,507$67,231
GS-9$57,118$59,021$60,925$62,828$64,732$66,636$68,539$70,443$72,347$74,250
GS-10$62,898$64,995$67,092$69,189$71,286$73,383$75,480$77,577$79,674$81,771
GS-11$69,107$71,410$73,713$76,016$78,319$80,623$82,926$85,229$87,532$89,835
GS-12$82,830$85,591$88,352$91,113$93,875$96,636$99,397$102,158$104,919$107,680
GS-13$98,496$101,779$105,062$108,345$111,628$114,911$118,194$121,477$124,760$128,043
GS-14$116,393$120,272$124,152$128,031$131,911$135,790$139,670$143,549$147,428$151,308
GS-15$136,908$141,472$146,035$150,598$155,162$159,725$164,288$168,852$173,415$177,978

The Rest of U.S. locality pay rate also applies to Bridgeport, Herlong, and other cities within the region.

Back to Top

* For some high-paygrade workers pay under the GS scale may be capped at $183,500, which is the SES (Senior Executive Scale)'s Level 4 pay for the current year (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)).


** This Document Provided By www.FederalPay.org - The Civil Employee's Resource **
Source: www.federalpay.org/gs/2023/california