GS-11 Pay Scale 2026: Salaries by Step and Locality
You got an interview for a GS-11 federal job. Or you are reading a USAJOBS posting that lists the grade as GS-11. The next question is always the same. How much does it actually pay?
The answer is not one number. It is a grid. GS-11 has 10 steps. Your base pay depends on your step. Then locality pay gets added on top. That can swing your real salary by tens of thousands of dollars based on where you work.
After watching thousands of veterans move into federal jobs through Best Military Resume over the last two years, the patterns are clear. The veterans who know their numbers before the offer call negotiate better. They know what step to ask for. They know what a job in San Diego pays versus the same job in a low-cost area. This guide gives you the real 2026 GS-11 numbers so you walk in knowing exactly what the job pays.
Every figure here comes straight from the official OPM 2026 pay tables. The 2026 tables include the 1% across-the-board General Schedule increase that took effect in January 2026.
What Is the 2026 GS-11 Base Pay?
The base pay is the starting point. It is the same across the whole country before any location adjustment. Almost no one actually earns the base rate alone, because locality pay gets added. But you need the base to understand the rest.
Here is the full 2026 GS-11 base table. All 10 steps.
| Step | 2026 GS-11 Base Salary |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | $63,795 |
| Step 2 | $65,922 |
| Step 3 | $68,049 |
| Step 4 | $70,176 |
| Step 5 | $72,303 |
| Step 6 | $74,430 |
| Step 7 | $76,557 |
| Step 8 | $78,684 |
| Step 9 | $80,811 |
| Step 10 | $82,938 |
Each step up adds $2,127 to your base. So a GS-11 step 1 starts at $63,795. A GS-11 step 10 tops out at $82,938. That is a spread of about $19,000 just within the grade.
Steps are not random. You move up a step based on time served at the grade. Steps 1 through 3 each take one year. Steps 4 through 6 take two years each. Steps 7 through 9 take three years each. So step 10 takes about 18 years if you never get promoted out of GS-11 first.
How Does Locality Pay Change Your GS-11 Salary?
This is the part that trips up new federal employees. Your real paycheck is not the base. It is the base plus locality pay.
Locality pay is a percentage added on top of your base. It is meant to keep federal salaries competitive in high-cost cities. The percentage is set by where your job is located, not where you live. A GS-11 job in San Francisco pays a lot more than the same GS-11 job in rural Alabama.
The math is simple. Take your base salary. Multiply it by the locality percentage. Add that to your base. So a GS-11 step 1 with a 17.06% locality rate works out like this:
$63,795 base × 1.1706 = $74,678.
The lowest locality rate in 2026 is the "Rest of US" rate at 17.06%. This covers areas not in a named city zone. So even the lowest-paid GS-11 step 1 sits at a $63,795 base and takes home about $74,678 once you add the Rest of US locality rate on top. For a full breakdown of how this works across all grades, see our guide on how GS locality pay varies by location.
Watch the duty station, not your home
Locality pay is tied to where the job is, not where you live. If you take a remote GS-11 job, your locality rate is set by the official duty station listed on the posting. Read that line on USAJOBS before you accept.
What Does GS-11 Pay in DC, San Diego, and Other Cities?
Here is where the numbers get real. The same GS-11 grade pays very different salaries by city. Below are the 2026 GS-11 salaries for some of the cities veterans search for most. Each row uses the official locality rate for that area.
| Locality Area | 2026 Rate | Step 1 | Step 5 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 36.47% | $87,061 | $98,672 | $113,185 |
| Washington, DC | 33.94% | $85,447 | $96,843 | $111,087 |
| San Diego, CA | 33.72% | $85,307 | $96,684 | $110,905 |
| San Antonio, TX | 18.78% | $75,776 | $85,882 | $98,514 |
| Rest of US | 17.06% | $74,678 | $84,638 | $97,087 |
Look at the spread. The same GS-11 grade earns $87,061 in Los Angeles but only $74,678 in a Rest of US area. That is a $12,383 difference for the exact same grade and step. The job title is identical. The pay is not.
This matters most when you compare offers. A GS-11 in a high-cost city may not stretch as far because rent eats the difference. A GS-11 in a lower-cost area can leave you with more in your pocket. Run the numbers against local cost of living before you decide. You can model your own city with our GS pay scale calculator for veterans.
Key Takeaway
A GS-11 is not one salary. In 2026 it runs from about $74,678 in a low-cost area to over $113,000 in Los Angeles at step 10. Always check the locality rate for the duty station before you judge an offer.
What Does GS-11 Pay Per Hour and Per Paycheck?
Salary tables show the yearly number. But your paycheck does not arrive once a year. So it helps to break the GS-11 number down to the hour and the pay period.
Federal pay uses 2,087 work hours in a year. To get your hourly rate, divide your yearly salary by 2,087. Take a GS-11 at the Rest of US locality rate. That total is $74,678 a year. Divide by 2,087 and you get about $35.78 an hour.
Federal employees get paid every two weeks. That is 26 paychecks a year. So that same salary earns about $2,872 in gross pay each pay period, before taxes and benefits come out. The DC version at $85,447 a year works out to about $3,286 every two weeks.
Knowing the per-paycheck number matters more than the yearly figure when you are planning a budget around a move. Two job offers can look close on the yearly chart and feel very different in your bank account every other Friday.
Does the VA pay GS-11 the same?
For most VA jobs on the General Schedule, yes. A GS-11 at the VA uses the same base table and locality rates shown here. The exception is certain Title 38 medical roles, like nurses and physicians, which use their own pay system. If the VA posting says "GS-11," these numbers apply.
How Do You Get Placed at a Higher GS-11 Step?
Most new hires land at step 1. But you do not have to. Your starting step can be negotiated in some cases. And as a veteran, you have a few cards to play.
Here is what affects your starting step at GS-11.
What can bump your starting step
Superior qualifications
An agency can set a higher step if you have skills they need and hard to fill. Ask about this.
A competing job offer
A higher private sector offer in hand gives the agency a reason to start you above step 1.
Prior federal service
If you held a federal step before, you may keep it. This matters for some reservists and prior fed employees.
Strong, specific resume
The case for a higher step starts with a resume that proves your skills are above the floor.
Military service does not directly raise your GS-11 step. But your service can help you qualify for the grade in the first place. The pay rules on starting step are set under 5 CFR 531.212, the superior qualifications rule. A lot of veterans do not know it exists. So they never ask. The worst the agency can say is no.
If you want a deeper look at how military experience maps to the grade, read our guide on the GS-11 federal resume for veterans.
GS-11 vs GS-9 vs GS-12: Where Does GS-11 Fit?
GS-11 sits in the middle of the General Schedule. It is a common landing grade for transitioning mid-career service members. Knowing the grades around it helps you plan.
Here is how the 2026 base step 1 pay compares.
- •GS-9 step 1 base: $52,727
- •GS-11 step 1 base: $63,795
- •GS-12 step 1 base: $76,467
- •Moving from grade 9 to grade 11 adds about $11,000 to base
- •Moving from grade 11 to grade 12 adds about $12,700 to base
- •Many roles run as a GS-9/11/12 ladder
Notice that GS-9 skips straight to GS-11. There is no GS-10 in most professional career ladders. That is normal. A lot of federal jobs post as a "GS-9/11/12 ladder." You come in at GS-9 or GS-11 and get promoted up without competing again, as long as you perform.
If GS-11 is your entry grade, GS-12 is the next stop. We break that path down in our guide on the GS-11 to GS-12 promotion ladder. Some veterans aim higher and jump two grades, which we cover in jumping from GS-11 to GS-13.
Wondering what rank GS-11 lines up with on the military side? We answer that in GS-11 equivalent military rank.
What Does GS-11 Mean for a Transitioning Veteran's Salary?
For a lot of veterans, GS-11 is the target grade out of the gate. It is high enough to support a family. It is reachable with the right experience and a degree or the right years in grade.
Set your expectation around the locality, not the base. If you are looking at jobs in a major metro, you are looking at $85,000 or more at step 1. If you are open to a lower-cost area, expect closer to $75,000 at step 1. Both are solid mid-career federal salaries.
Here is the trap I see. A veteran reads "GS-11" and Googles the base number. They see $63,795 and think the job is a pay cut. Then they pass on it. They missed that the real San Diego number is $85,307 at step 1. Always run the locality math before you judge an offer.
"The veterans who know their numbers before the offer call negotiate better. They know what a job in San Diego pays versus a low-cost area. The base number alone makes a great job look like a pay cut."
The thing that gets you to GS-11 is not the pay chart. It is a federal resume that proves you meet the grade. The pay is fixed by the table. Whether you qualify is up to how well you show your experience. BMR's Federal Resume Builder handles the military to GS translation and the detail level federal resumes need. The free tier gives you two tailored resumes to start.
How Do You Land a GS-11 in 2026?
You know the numbers now. Here is how to actually get the job.
Confirm you meet the grade
GS-11 needs one year at the GS-9 level, a master's degree, or the right mix of both. Check the posting's qualifications block.
Use your veterans preference
If you are eligible, the Veterans Recruitment Appointment lets agencies hire you up to GS-11 without open competition.
Tailor your resume to the posting
Match the keywords in the duties and qualifications. A generic resume sinks to the bottom of the rank order.
Ask about your starting step
When the offer comes, ask if a higher step is possible based on your skills. Most people never ask.
The Veterans Recruitment Appointment is one of the cleanest paths to a GS-11. It is built for veterans and tops out right at GS-11. We cover the full process in our Veterans Recruitment Appointment guide. You can confirm the eligibility rules straight from USAJOBS veterans hiring paths.
One more thing to plan for. Federal hiring is slow. From the day you apply to the day you start can take months. Set your timeline before you separate. We break down the wait in our guide on the federal hiring process timeline.
Know your number. Prove you meet the grade. Ask for the step. That is how you turn a GS-11 posting into a GS-11 paycheck.
Frequently Asked Questions
QWhat is the GS-11 pay scale for 2026?
QHow much does a GS-11 make per hour in 2026?
QWhat is the GS-11 pay in Washington, DC for 2026?
QWhat does GS-11 pay in San Diego in 2026?
QWhy is GS-11 base pay lower than the salary I was quoted?
QHow do you get a higher GS-11 starting step?
QWhat military rank is equivalent to GS-11?
QCan veterans get hired directly at GS-11?
About the Author
Brad Tachi is the CEO and founder of Best Military Resume and a 2025 Military Friendly Vetrepreneur of the Year award recipient for overseas excellence. A former U.S. Navy Diver with over 20 years of combined military, private sector, and federal government experience, Brad brings unparalleled expertise to help veterans and military service members successfully transition to rewarding civilian careers. Having personally navigated the military-to-civilian transition, Brad deeply understands the challenges veterans face and specializes in translating military experience into compelling resumes that capture the attention of civilian employers. Through Best Military Resume, Brad has helped thousands of service members land their dream jobs by providing expert resume writing, career coaching, and job search strategies tailored specifically for the veteran community.
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