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General Schedule (GS) Payscale in California for 2016

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 35.75% 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$24,901$25,733$26,561$27,385$28,213$28,698$29,516$30,341$30,374$31,142
GS-2$27,996$28,662$29,589$30,374$30,719$31,623$32,527$33,431$34,335$35,239
GS-3$30,546$31,565$32,583$33,601$34,619$35,637$36,655$37,673$38,691$39,710
GS-4$34,292$35,435$36,578$37,721$38,864$40,007$41,150$42,293$43,436$44,579
GS-5$38,366$39,644$40,923$42,202$43,481$44,759$46,038$47,317$48,596$49,875
GS-6$42,767$44,192$45,617$47,043$48,468$49,894$51,319$52,744$54,170$55,595
GS-7$47,525$49,109$50,693$52,277$53,862$55,446$57,030$58,614$60,198$61,783
GS-8$52,632$54,386$56,139$57,893$59,647$61,401$63,155$64,909$66,663$68,417
GS-9$58,132$60,069$62,007$63,944$65,881$67,818$69,755$71,692$73,629$75,567
GS-10$64,017$66,151$68,285$70,419$72,553$74,687$76,821$78,955$81,089$83,223
GS-11$70,333$72,678$75,022$77,367$79,711$82,055$84,400$86,744$89,089$91,433
GS-12$84,302$87,112$89,922$92,732$95,542$98,352$101,162$103,972$106,782$109,592
GS-13$100,246$103,588$106,930$110,272$113,615$116,957$120,299$123,641$126,983$130,325
GS-14$118,460$122,408$126,357$130,306$134,255$138,204$142,153$146,102$150,051$154,000
GS-15$139,342$143,987$148,633$153,278$157,923$160,300*$160,300*$160,300*$160,300*$160,300*

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 27.65% 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$23,415$24,197$24,976$25,751$26,529$26,985$27,755$28,531$28,562$29,284
GS-2$26,325$26,952$27,824$28,562$28,886$29,736$30,586$31,436$32,287$33,137
GS-3$28,724$29,681$30,639$31,596$32,553$33,511$34,468$35,425$36,383$37,340
GS-4$32,246$33,320$34,395$35,470$36,545$37,620$38,695$39,769$40,844$41,919
GS-5$36,076$37,279$38,481$39,684$40,886$42,089$43,291$44,494$45,696$46,899
GS-6$40,215$41,555$42,896$44,236$45,576$46,916$48,257$49,597$50,937$52,278
GS-7$44,689$46,179$47,668$49,158$50,648$52,137$53,627$55,117$56,606$58,096
GS-8$49,491$51,140$52,790$54,439$56,088$57,737$59,387$61,036$62,685$64,334
GS-9$54,664$56,485$58,307$60,128$61,950$63,771$65,593$67,415$69,236$71,058
GS-10$60,197$62,204$64,211$66,217$68,224$70,230$72,237$74,244$76,250$78,257
GS-11$66,137$68,341$70,546$72,750$74,955$77,159$79,364$81,568$83,773$85,977
GS-12$79,272$81,914$84,557$87,199$89,841$92,484$95,126$97,768$100,411$103,053
GS-13$94,264$97,407$100,550$103,693$106,835$109,978$113,121$116,264$119,406$122,549
GS-14$111,391$115,105$118,818$122,531$126,245$129,958$133,671$137,385$141,098$144,811
GS-15$131,028$135,396$139,764$144,132$148,500$152,869$157,237$160,300*$160,300*$160,300*

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 24.73% 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$22,879$23,644$24,405$25,162$25,923$26,368$27,120$27,878$27,908$28,614
GS-2$25,723$26,335$27,187$27,908$28,225$29,056$29,887$30,717$31,548$32,379
GS-3$28,067$29,002$29,938$30,873$31,809$32,744$33,680$34,615$35,551$36,486
GS-4$31,508$32,558$33,608$34,659$35,709$36,759$37,809$38,860$39,910$40,960
GS-5$35,251$36,426$37,601$38,776$39,951$41,126$42,301$43,476$44,651$45,826
GS-6$39,295$40,605$41,914$43,224$44,534$45,843$47,153$48,463$49,772$51,082
GS-7$43,667$45,122$46,578$48,034$49,489$50,945$52,400$53,856$55,312$56,767
GS-8$48,359$49,971$51,582$53,194$54,805$56,417$58,028$59,640$61,251$62,863
GS-9$53,413$55,193$56,973$58,753$60,533$62,313$64,093$65,872$67,652$69,432
GS-10$58,820$60,781$62,742$64,702$66,663$68,624$70,585$72,545$74,506$76,467
GS-11$64,624$66,778$68,932$71,086$73,240$75,394$77,548$79,702$81,857$84,011
GS-12$77,459$80,040$82,622$85,204$87,786$90,368$92,950$95,532$98,114$100,696
GS-13$92,108$95,179$98,250$101,321$104,392$107,462$110,533$113,604$116,675$119,746
GS-14$108,843$112,472$116,100$119,728$123,357$126,985$130,614$134,242$137,870$141,499
GS-15$128,030$132,299$136,567$140,835$145,103$149,372$153,640$157,908$160,300*$160,300*

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 22.61% 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$22,490$23,242$23,990$24,734$25,482$25,920$26,659$27,405$27,434$28,128
GS-2$25,286$25,888$26,725$27,434$27,745$28,562$29,379$30,195$31,012$31,828
GS-3$27,590$28,509$29,429$30,348$31,268$32,188$33,107$34,027$34,946$35,866
GS-4$30,973$32,005$33,037$34,070$35,102$36,134$37,167$38,199$39,232$40,264
GS-5$34,652$35,807$36,962$38,117$39,272$40,427$41,582$42,737$43,892$45,047
GS-6$38,627$39,914$41,202$42,489$43,777$45,064$46,351$47,639$48,926$50,214
GS-7$42,925$44,355$45,786$47,217$48,648$50,079$51,510$52,941$54,371$55,802
GS-8$47,537$49,121$50,705$52,289$53,874$55,458$57,042$58,626$60,210$61,794
GS-9$52,505$54,255$56,005$57,754$59,504$61,254$63,003$64,753$66,502$68,252
GS-10$57,820$59,748$61,675$63,603$65,530$67,458$69,385$71,312$73,240$75,167
GS-11$63,525$65,643$67,760$69,878$71,995$74,113$76,230$78,348$80,465$82,583
GS-12$76,142$78,680$81,218$83,756$86,294$88,832$91,370$93,908$96,446$98,984
GS-13$90,543$93,561$96,580$99,599$102,617$105,636$108,655$111,673$114,692$117,711
GS-14$106,993$110,560$114,127$117,693$121,260$124,827$128,394$131,960$135,527$139,094
GS-15$125,854$130,050$134,246$138,441$142,637$146,833$151,029$155,224$159,420$160,300*

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 14.35% (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$20,975$21,676$22,374$23,068$23,765$24,174$24,863$25,558$25,586$26,233
GS-2$23,582$24,144$24,925$25,586$25,876$26,638$27,399$28,161$28,923$29,684
GS-3$25,731$26,589$27,446$28,304$29,162$30,019$30,877$31,734$32,592$33,450
GS-4$28,886$29,849$30,812$31,774$32,737$33,700$34,663$35,626$36,589$37,551
GS-5$32,318$33,395$34,472$35,549$36,626$37,703$38,781$39,858$40,935$42,012
GS-6$36,025$37,225$38,426$39,627$40,828$42,028$43,229$44,430$45,630$46,831
GS-7$40,033$41,367$42,702$44,036$45,371$46,705$48,040$49,374$50,709$52,043
GS-8$44,335$45,812$47,289$48,767$50,244$51,722$53,199$54,676$56,154$57,631
GS-9$48,968$50,600$52,232$53,863$55,495$57,127$58,759$60,391$62,022$63,654
GS-10$53,925$55,723$57,520$59,318$61,116$62,913$64,711$66,508$68,306$70,103
GS-11$59,246$61,221$63,196$65,170$67,145$69,120$71,095$73,070$75,044$77,019
GS-12$71,012$73,380$75,747$78,114$80,481$82,848$85,215$87,582$89,949$92,316
GS-13$84,443$87,258$90,073$92,889$95,704$98,519$101,335$104,150$106,965$109,781
GS-14$99,785$103,112$106,438$109,765$113,091$116,417$119,744$123,070$126,397$129,723
GS-15$117,376$121,289$125,202$129,115$133,028$136,941$140,854$144,767$148,680$152,593

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 $160,300, 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/2016/california