GS-11 pay scale 2026 by step and locality
The last developmental rung before full performance for many careers, and an entry grade for Ph.D. holders. Set your county for your rate.
GS-11 step 1, Washington DC, 2026
$85,447
Base $63,795 plus 33.94 % locality pay.
| Base pay (GS table) | $63,795 |
| Locality payment, Washington DC | $21,652 |
| Hourly rate | $40.94 |
| Biweekly paycheck (gross, 80 hours) | $3,275.20 |
| Same cell in 2025 | $84,601 (+$846) |
| Next step (52 weeks in step) | +$2,849 |
Prepared by Radif Partners · How the figures are built · 2026 OPM tables, rebuilt cell by cell
GS-11 is the grade where two-grade-interval careers stop moving two grades at a time: after GS-5, 7, 9 and 11, the next promotion is to GS-12 and then one grade at a time. It is also the usual entry grade for a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or three full years of progressively higher graduate study, in the series whose OPM qualification standards accept education. In 2026 the base rate of step 1 is $63,795; with locality, step 1 pays $74,678 in Rest of U.S., $83,935 in Seattle and $85,447 in the Washington area, and step 10 reaches $97,087 in Rest of U.S. Hourly pay at step 1 is $35.78 in Rest of U.S., already above GS-10 step 1, so FLSA-exempt overtime is capped at $48.86 an hour instead of a full time and a half. Most GS-11 employees on a ladder to GS-12 are promoted after about a year.
Three ways into GS-11
The most common is the ladder: a GS-9 promoted after a year of satisfactory work. A GS-9 step 4 in Rest of U.S. moves from $67,896 to GS-11 step 1 at $74,678. The second is education. For many research, scientific and analytical series, a Ph.D. or the equivalent doctoral degree, or three full years of graduate education leading to one, meets the GS-11 requirement without experience; the qualification standard of each series says which fields count. The third is experience: one year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, in or out of government, described in your resume so the specialist can match it.
Time in grade before GS-12
Until January 18, 2027, you need 52 weeks at GS-11 before a promotion to GS-12. OPM's final rule of October 19, 2026 ends that time-in-grade requirement from January 19, 2027. The change matters less than it sounds for most people on a ladder, because the qualification standard for GS-12 still asks for one year of specialized experience at the GS-11 level. Where it can help is for an employee whose earlier private sector or military experience already shows that level of work.
What the GS-12 promotion pays here
The two-step rule turns a GS-11 step into a GS-12 step. In Denver, a GS-11 step 6 earns $97,146 and becomes GS-12 step 2 at $103,126, a raise of $5,980 or 6.2 %. The higher your GS-11 step, the higher the GS-12 step you reach, so a within-grade increase that falls just before the promotion still pays off afterward.
Your GS-11 step and area, promoted to GS-12
Promotion to GS-12
Step 2
| Now: GS-11 step 6 | $97,146 |
| Plus two step increases of your grade | $102,698 |
| New rate: GS-12 step 2 | $103,126 |
| Waiting period for the next step | starts again |
The first grade where overtime is capped
For employees exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act, title 5 overtime cannot exceed 1.5 times the hourly rate of GS-10 step 1 in your area. In Rest of U.S. that rate is $32.57, and every GS-11 step is above it. The result: a GS-11 earns $48.86 for each overtime hour at any step, rather than 1.5 times the step's own $35.78 or more. In Atlanta the cap is $51.66. Nonexempt employees, covered by the FLSA, follow its rules instead. The hourly pay page has the cap for each area.
GS-11 rates are well below the $197,200 pay cap, so every step shows in full on your leave and earnings statement.
GS-11 in all 58 locality areas
| Locality area | Step 1 | Step 5 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $93,358 | $105,808 | $121,371 |
| New York | $88,005 | $99,742 | $114,413 |
| Los Angeles | $87,061 | $98,672 | $113,185 |
| Houston | $86,123 | $97,609 | $111,966 |
| Washington DC | $85,447 | $96,843 | $111,087 |
| San Diego | $85,307 | $96,684 | $110,905 |
| Boston | $84,579 | $95,859 | $109,959 |
| Alaska | $84,439 | $95,700 | $109,777 |
| Hartford | $84,260 | $95,498 | $109,545 |
| Seattle | $83,935 | $95,129 | $109,122 |
| Chicago | $83,482 | $94,616 | $108,533 |
| Denver | $83,265 | $94,370 | $108,251 |
| Sacramento | $82,780 | $93,820 | $107,620 |
| Detroit | $82,372 | $93,358 | $107,090 |
| Philadelphia | $82,289 | $93,264 | $106,982 |
| Minneapolis | $81,415 | $92,273 | $105,845 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $81,186 | $92,013 | $105,547 |
| Portland | $80,465 | $91,196 | $104,610 |
| Miami | $79,533 | $90,140 | $103,399 |
| Atlanta | $78,972 | $89,504 | $102,669 |
| Phoenix | $78,117 | $88,535 | $101,558 |
| Milwaukee | $78,098 | $88,513 | $101,533 |
| Buffalo | $78,091 | $88,506 | $101,524 |
| Richmond | $78,009 | $88,412 | $101,417 |
| Raleigh | $77,983 | $88,383 | $101,383 |
| Cleveland | $77,977 | $88,376 | $101,375 |
| Hawaii | $77,964 | $88,361 | $101,359 |
| Columbus | $77,926 | $88,318 | $101,309 |
| Cincinnati | $77,785 | $88,159 | $101,126 |
| Huntsville | $77,772 | $88,145 | $101,110 |
| Laredo | $77,568 | $87,913 | $100,844 |
| Dayton | $77,460 | $87,790 | $100,703 |
| Pittsburgh | $77,211 | $87,508 | $100,380 |
| Albany | $77,045 | $87,320 | $100,164 |
| Austin | $76,777 | $87,017 | $99,816 |
| Colorado Springs | $76,650 | $86,872 | $99,650 |
| St. Louis | $76,573 | $86,785 | $99,550 |
| Charlotte | $76,343 | $86,525 | $99,252 |
| Las Vegas | $76,280 | $86,453 | $99,169 |
| Burlington | $76,203 | $86,366 | $99,069 |
| Harrisburg | $76,190 | $86,351 | $99,053 |
| Tucson | $76,095 | $86,243 | $98,928 |
| Kansas City | $75,897 | $86,019 | $98,671 |
| Davenport | $75,871 | $85,990 | $98,638 |
| Virginia Beach | $75,788 | $85,896 | $98,530 |
| San Antonio | $75,776 | $85,882 | $98,514 |
| Albuquerque | $75,489 | $85,556 | $98,141 |
| Birmingham | $75,431 | $85,491 | $98,066 |
| Omaha | $75,425 | $85,484 | $98,058 |
| Indianapolis | $75,374 | $85,426 | $97,991 |
| Des Moines | $75,284 | $85,325 | $97,875 |
| Palm Bay | $75,233 | $85,267 | $97,809 |
| Rochester | $75,202 | $85,231 | $97,767 |
| Spokane | $75,068 | $85,079 | $97,593 |
| Fresno | $75,055 | $85,064 | $97,577 |
| Corpus Christi | $75,042 | $85,050 | $97,560 |
| Reno | $74,972 | $84,970 | $97,469 |
| Rest of U.S. | $74,678 | $84,638 | $97,087 |