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General Schedule (GS) Payscale in California for 2008

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 31.43% 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$22,404$23,151$23,897$24,638$25,383$25,821$26,557$27,299$27,328$28,026
GS-2$25,189$25,788$26,621$27,328$27,633$28,445$29,258$30,070$30,882$31,694
GS-3$27,483$28,399$29,315$30,232$31,148$32,064$32,980$33,896$34,812$35,728
GS-4$30,853$31,882$32,911$33,940$34,970$35,999$37,028$38,057$39,086$40,115
GS-5$34,519$35,669$36,819$37,969$39,119$40,269$41,419$42,569$43,719$44,869
GS-6$38,477$39,760$41,043$42,326$43,608$44,891$46,174$47,457$48,740$50,022
GS-7$42,759$44,184$45,609$47,034$48,458$49,883$51,308$52,732$54,157$55,582
GS-8$47,354$48,933$50,511$52,090$53,668$55,247$56,825$58,404$59,982$61,560
GS-9$52,303$54,047$55,791$57,535$59,279$61,023$62,767$64,511$66,255$67,999
GS-10$57,598$59,518$61,438$63,358$65,279$67,199$69,119$71,039$72,959$74,880
GS-11$63,281$65,390$67,500$69,609$71,719$73,828$75,938$78,047$80,157$82,266
GS-12$75,847$78,376$80,904$83,433$85,962$88,491$91,019$93,548$96,077$98,605
GS-13$90,194$93,201$96,208$99,215$102,222$105,229$108,237$111,244$114,251$117,258
GS-14$106,581$110,133$113,686$117,238$120,791$124,343$127,896$131,448$135,001$138,554
GS-15$125,371$129,551$133,730$137,909$142,089$146,268$149,000*$149,000*$149,000*$149,000*

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.

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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 24.64% 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$21,246$21,955$22,662$23,365$24,072$24,487$25,185$25,889$25,916$26,578
GS-2$23,887$24,456$25,246$25,916$26,206$26,976$27,746$28,516$29,287$30,057
GS-3$26,063$26,932$27,801$28,670$29,538$30,407$31,276$32,145$33,013$33,882
GS-4$29,259$30,235$31,211$32,187$33,163$34,139$35,115$36,091$37,067$38,043
GS-5$32,735$33,826$34,917$36,007$37,098$38,188$39,279$40,370$41,460$42,551
GS-6$36,490$37,706$38,923$40,139$41,356$42,572$43,789$45,005$46,221$47,438
GS-7$40,550$41,901$43,253$44,604$45,955$47,306$48,657$50,008$51,359$52,710
GS-8$44,908$46,405$47,902$49,399$50,895$52,392$53,889$55,386$56,883$58,380
GS-9$49,600$51,254$52,908$54,562$56,216$57,870$59,524$61,178$62,832$64,486
GS-10$54,622$56,443$58,264$60,085$61,906$63,727$65,548$67,369$69,190$71,011
GS-11$60,012$62,012$64,013$66,013$68,014$70,014$72,014$74,015$76,015$78,016
GS-12$71,928$74,327$76,725$79,123$81,521$83,919$86,317$88,715$91,113$93,511
GS-13$85,534$88,386$91,238$94,089$96,941$99,793$102,645$105,497$108,348$111,200
GS-14$101,074$104,443$107,812$111,181$114,550$117,919$121,288$124,657$128,026$131,395
GS-15$118,894$122,858$126,821$130,785$134,748$138,712$142,675$146,639$149,000*$149,000*

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.

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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 21.17% 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$20,655$21,344$22,031$22,715$23,402$23,805$24,484$25,168$25,195$25,838
GS-2$23,222$23,775$24,543$25,195$25,476$26,225$26,974$27,722$28,471$29,220
GS-3$25,338$26,182$27,027$27,872$28,716$29,561$30,405$31,250$32,094$32,939
GS-4$28,445$29,393$30,342$31,291$32,240$33,188$34,137$35,086$36,035$36,984
GS-5$31,824$32,884$33,945$35,005$36,065$37,125$38,186$39,246$40,306$41,366
GS-6$35,474$36,656$37,839$39,022$40,204$41,387$42,569$43,752$44,935$46,117
GS-7$39,421$40,735$42,048$43,362$44,675$45,989$47,302$48,616$49,929$51,243
GS-8$43,658$45,113$46,568$48,023$49,479$50,934$52,389$53,844$55,300$56,755
GS-9$48,220$49,828$51,435$53,043$54,651$56,259$57,867$59,475$61,083$62,691
GS-10$53,102$54,872$56,642$58,412$60,183$61,953$63,723$65,494$67,264$69,034
GS-11$58,341$60,286$62,230$64,175$66,120$68,065$70,010$71,954$73,899$75,844
GS-12$69,926$72,257$74,589$76,920$79,251$81,583$83,914$86,245$88,576$90,908
GS-13$83,153$85,925$88,698$91,470$94,242$97,015$99,787$102,559$105,332$108,104
GS-14$98,260$101,536$104,811$108,086$111,361$114,637$117,912$121,187$124,462$127,737
GS-15$115,584$119,437$123,290$127,144$130,997$134,850$138,703$142,557$146,410$149,000*

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.

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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 19.62% 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$20,390$21,071$21,749$22,424$23,102$23,501$24,170$24,846$24,873$25,508
GS-2$22,925$23,471$24,229$24,873$25,150$25,889$26,629$27,368$28,107$28,846
GS-3$25,014$25,847$26,681$27,515$28,349$29,182$30,016$30,850$31,684$32,518
GS-4$28,081$29,017$29,954$30,891$31,827$32,764$33,701$34,637$35,574$36,510
GS-5$31,417$32,464$33,510$34,557$35,604$36,650$37,697$38,744$39,790$40,837
GS-6$35,020$36,187$37,355$38,522$39,690$40,857$42,025$43,192$44,360$45,527
GS-7$38,917$40,214$41,511$42,807$44,104$45,401$46,697$47,994$49,291$50,587
GS-8$43,099$44,536$45,972$47,409$48,846$50,282$51,719$53,156$54,592$56,029
GS-9$47,603$49,190$50,777$52,365$53,952$55,540$57,127$58,714$60,302$61,889
GS-10$52,422$54,170$55,918$57,665$59,413$61,161$62,908$64,656$66,403$68,151
GS-11$57,595$59,515$61,434$63,354$65,274$67,194$69,114$71,034$72,954$74,874
GS-12$69,032$71,333$73,634$75,936$78,237$80,539$82,840$85,142$87,443$89,745
GS-13$82,089$84,826$87,563$90,300$93,037$95,774$98,511$101,248$103,984$106,721
GS-14$97,003$100,237$103,470$106,703$109,937$113,170$116,403$119,637$122,870$126,103
GS-15$114,106$117,909$121,713$125,517$129,321$133,125$136,929$140,733$144,537$148,341

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

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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 12.91% (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$19,247$19,889$20,529$21,166$21,806$22,182$22,815$23,453$23,477$24,077
GS-2$21,639$22,154$22,870$23,477$23,739$24,437$25,135$25,833$26,530$27,228
GS-3$23,611$24,398$25,185$25,972$26,759$27,546$28,333$29,119$29,906$30,693
GS-4$26,506$27,390$28,274$29,158$30,042$30,926$31,810$32,694$33,578$34,462
GS-5$29,655$30,643$31,631$32,619$33,607$34,594$35,582$36,570$37,558$38,546
GS-6$33,056$34,158$35,260$36,362$37,464$38,566$39,668$40,770$41,872$42,974
GS-7$36,734$37,958$39,182$40,406$41,630$42,854$44,078$45,302$46,526$47,750
GS-8$40,681$42,038$43,394$44,750$46,106$47,462$48,818$50,174$51,530$52,886
GS-9$44,933$46,431$47,929$49,427$50,926$52,424$53,922$55,421$56,919$58,417
GS-10$49,482$51,131$52,781$54,431$56,080$57,730$59,379$61,029$62,679$64,328
GS-11$54,364$56,176$57,988$59,801$61,613$63,425$65,237$67,049$68,862$70,674
GS-12$65,159$67,332$69,504$71,676$73,849$76,021$78,194$80,366$82,538$84,711
GS-13$77,484$80,068$82,651$85,235$87,818$90,401$92,985$95,568$98,152$100,735
GS-14$91,562$94,614$97,666$100,718$103,770$106,822$109,874$112,926$115,978$119,030
GS-15$107,705$111,295$114,886$118,476$122,067$125,658$129,248$132,839$136,429$140,020

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

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* For some high-paygrade workers pay under the GS scale may be capped at $149,000, 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/2008/california