HISTORICAL GS PAY SCALE
2011 GS Pay Scale
The 2011 General Schedule pay scale provides the official base salary rates for GS-1 through GS-15 and Steps 1 through 10. OPM states that 2011 GS rates were frozen at 2010 levels, meaning there was no new across-the-board increase to the base schedule. The table below shows the official nationwide base rates effective January 2011 before applicable locality pay.
2011 GS Pay Scale
The 2011 General Schedule (GS) pay scale is the nationwide base salary schedule for federal employees covered by the General Schedule. The official U.S. Office of Personnel Management schedule contains 15 grades, GS-1 through GS-15, with 10 steps within each grade.
For 2011, OPM identifies Salary Table 2011-GS as “Rates Frozen at 2010 Levels.” The schedule was effective in January 2011. The figures below are annual GS base rates and do not include locality pay.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $17,803 | $18,398 | $18,990 | $19,579 | $20,171 | $20,519 | $21,104 | $21,694 | $21,717 | $22,269 |
| GS-2 | $20,017 | $20,493 | $21,155 | $21,717 | $21,961 | $22,607 | $23,253 | $23,899 | $24,545 | $25,191 |
| GS-3 | $21,840 | $22,568 | $23,296 | $24,024 | $24,752 | $25,480 | $26,208 | $26,936 | $27,664 | $28,392 |
| GS-4 | $24,518 | $25,335 | $26,152 | $26,969 | $27,786 | $28,603 | $29,420 | $30,237 | $31,054 | $31,871 |
| GS-5 | $27,431 | $28,345 | $29,259 | $30,173 | $31,087 | $32,001 | $32,915 | $33,829 | $34,743 | $35,657 |
| GS-6 | $30,577 | $31,596 | $32,615 | $33,634 | $34,653 | $35,672 | $36,691 | $37,710 | $38,729 | $39,748 |
| GS-7 | $33,979 | $35,112 | $36,245 | $37,378 | $38,511 | $39,644 | $40,777 | $41,910 | $43,043 | $44,176 |
| GS-8 | $37,631 | $38,885 | $40,139 | $41,393 | $42,647 | $43,901 | $45,155 | $46,409 | $47,663 | $48,917 |
| GS-9 | $41,563 | $42,948 | $44,333 | $45,718 | $47,103 | $48,488 | $49,873 | $51,258 | $52,643 | $54,028 |
| GS-10 | $45,771 | $47,297 | $48,823 | $50,349 | $51,875 | $53,401 | $54,927 | $56,453 | $57,979 | $59,505 |
| GS-11 | $50,287 | $51,963 | $53,639 | $55,315 | $56,991 | $58,667 | $60,343 | $62,019 | $63,695 | $65,371 |
| GS-12 | $60,274 | $62,283 | $64,292 | $66,301 | $68,310 | $70,319 | $72,328 | $74,337 | $76,346 | $78,355 |
| GS-13 | $71,674 | $74,063 | $76,452 | $78,841 | $81,230 | $83,619 | $86,008 | $88,397 | $90,786 | $93,175 |
| GS-14 | $84,697 | $87,520 | $90,343 | $93,166 | $95,989 | $98,812 | $101,635 | $104,458 | $107,281 | $110,104 |
| GS-15 | $99,628 | $102,949 | $106,270 | $109,591 | $112,912 | $116,233 | $119,554 | $122,875 | $126,196 | $129,517 |
Official source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management — 2011-GS Annual Rates by Grade and Step .
Were GS Salaries Increased in 2011?
No new across-the-board General Schedule increase was applied to the 2011 nationwide base schedule. OPM's official Salary Table 2011-GS states that the rates were frozen at 2010 levels.
This means the statutory GS base rates used in 2011 remained at the same levels established in 2010 rather than receiving a new annual base-pay adjustment.
How to Read the 2011 GS Pay Table
To find a 2011 base salary, locate the employee's GS grade in the first column and move across the row to the appropriate step from Step 1 through Step 10. For current rates, see the 2026 GS Pay Scale; for current step progression information, see GS Step Increases. The amount at the intersection of the grade and step is the annual nationwide base rate.
For example, the official 2011 table lists GS-5 Step 1 at $27,431, GS-9 Step 1 at $41,563, GS-11 Step 1 at $50,287, and GS-12 Step 1 at $60,274.
GS Grades in 2011
The General Schedule contained 15 grades, from GS-1 through GS-15. Each grade contained ten steps, providing a structured range of base salaries within that grade.
In the official 2011 national base schedule, GS-1 Step 1 was $17,803. At the upper end of the schedule, GS-15 Step 10 was $129,517.
Browse Current GS Pay by Grade
- GS-1 Pay Scale
- GS-2 Pay Scale
- GS-3 Pay Scale
- GS-4 Pay Scale
- GS-5 Pay Scale
- GS-6 Pay Scale
- GS-7 Pay Scale
- GS-8 Pay Scale
- GS-9 Pay Scale
- GS-10 Pay Scale
- GS-11 Pay Scale
- GS-12 Pay Scale
- GS-13 Pay Scale
- GS-14 Pay Scale
- GS-15 Pay Scale
GS Steps in 2011
Each General Schedule grade contains 10 steps. Steps provide salary progression within the same grade, subject to the federal requirements governing within-grade increases.
OPM's 2011 table lists a specific within-grade amount for GS-3 through GS-15. For GS-1 and GS-2, the within-grade amount is listed as varying.
Browse Current GS Pay by Step
- GS Step 1
- GS Step 2
- GS Step 3
- GS Step 4
- GS Step 5
- GS Step 6
- GS Step 7
- GS Step 8
- GS Step 9
- GS Step 10
For current rules governing progression between steps, see the Within-Grade Increase Guide and GS Step Increases.
2011 Within-Grade Increase Amounts
| Grade | 2011 WGI Amount |
|---|---|
| GS-1 | Varies |
| GS-2 | Varies |
| GS-3 | $728 |
| GS-4 | $817 |
| GS-5 | $914 |
| GS-6 | $1,019 |
| GS-7 | $1,133 |
| GS-8 | $1,254 |
| GS-9 | $1,385 |
| GS-10 | $1,526 |
| GS-11 | $1,676 |
| GS-12 | $2,009 |
| GS-13 | $2,389 |
| GS-14 | $2,823 |
| GS-15 | $3,321 |
2011 Base Pay vs. Locality Pay
For current guidance on the difference between these pay components, see GS Base Pay vs. Locality Pay. For current geographic salary tables, browse the 2026 GS Locality Pay directory.
The salaries in Salary Table 2011-GS are nationwide base rates. They do not include locality pay.
Federal employees covered by locality pay could receive a higher payable salary based on the applicable locality schedule for their official worksite.
As a result, two federal employees with the same grade and step could have different payable salaries when their official worksites were covered by different locality pay areas.
Browse Current 2026 GS Locality Pay Areas
These links open the site's current 2026 locality salary pages for comparison. They are not 2011 locality salary tables.
- Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA
- Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM
- Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL
- Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX
- Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL
- Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT
- Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY
- Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT
- Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC
- Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI
- Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN
- Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH
- Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX
- Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK
- Davenport-Moline, IA-IL
- Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH
- Denver-Aurora, CO
- Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA
- Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI
- Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA
- Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA
- Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA
- Houston-The Woodlands, TX
- Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN
- Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS
- Laredo, TX
- Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ
- Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
- Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI
- Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI
- New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA
- Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL
- Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- Phoenix-Mesa, AZ
- Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV
- Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA
- Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC
- Reno-Fernley, NV
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY
- Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV
- San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
- Seattle-Tacoma, WA
- Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d’Alene, WA-ID
- St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL
- Tucson-Nogales, AZ
- Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC
- Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA
- Rest of United States
- State of Alaska
- State of Hawaii
How to Find Your Actual 2011 GS Salary
To determine the salary that applied to a particular federal position in 2011:
- Identify the employee's GS grade.
- Identify the employee's step.
- Determine the locality pay area applicable to the official worksite.
- Use the appropriate official 2011 OPM salary schedule.
- Check whether a special rate or another federal pay schedule applied.
If you only need the nationwide salary before locality adjustments, use Salary Table 2011-GS shown above.
2011 GS Base Pay Examples
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 5 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-5 | $27,431 | $31,087 | $35,657 |
| GS-7 | $33,979 | $38,511 | $44,176 |
| GS-9 | $41,563 | $47,103 | $54,028 |
| GS-11 | $50,287 | $56,991 | $65,371 |
| GS-12 | $60,274 | $68,310 | $78,355 |
| GS-13 | $71,674 | $81,230 | $93,175 |
| GS-14 | $84,697 | $95,989 | $110,104 |
| GS-15 | $99,628 | $112,912 | $129,517 |
Why Were 2011 GS Rates Frozen?
The 2011 General Schedule was part of the federal pay-freeze period. OPM therefore published the annual schedule while identifying the statutory base rates as frozen at 2010 levels.
A frozen base schedule did not necessarily mean that every individual employee's pay remained unchanged. Pay could still be affected by other factors such as a within-grade increase, promotion, special rate or other applicable pay action.
Were 2011, 2012 and 2013 GS Base Rates the Same?
Yes. OPM identifies the 2011, 2012 and 2013 nationwide General Schedule base tables as rates frozen at 2010 levels. The grade-and-step base rates therefore remained unchanged across those three annual schedules.
Special Rates and Other 2011 Pay Schedules
Salary Table 2011-GS did not necessarily represent the final payable salary for every federal employee. Certain occupations, locations or positions could be covered by special rates or another applicable federal pay schedule. For current guidance, see the Federal Special Rate Tables guide. Federal law-enforcement employees can also review the Law Enforcement GS Pay Scale guide.
When researching historical federal compensation, verify the employee's grade, step, occupation, official worksite and applicable pay schedule rather than assuming that the nationwide GS base rate was the employee's final payable salary.
Compare Historical GS Pay Scales
Use these pages to compare national General Schedule base salary tables across years.
- 2026 GS Pay Scale
- 2025 GS Pay Scale
- 2024 GS Pay Scale
- 2023 GS Pay Scale
- 2022 GS Pay Scale
- 2021 GS Pay Scale
- 2020 GS Pay Scale
- 2019 GS Pay Scale
- 2018 GS Pay Scale
- 2017 GS Pay Scale
- 2016 GS Pay Scale
- 2015 GS Pay Scale
- 2014 GS Pay Scale
- 2013 GS Pay Scale
- 2012 GS Pay Scale
Related GS Pay Resources
2011 GS Pay Scale Frequently Asked Questions
Did the GS pay scale increase in 2011?
No new across-the-board increase was applied to the 2011 national GS base schedule. OPM states that the rates were frozen at 2010 levels.
When was the 2011 GS pay scale effective?
OPM states that Salary Table 2011-GS was effective January 2011.
How many grades were in the 2011 GS pay scale?
The General Schedule contained 15 grades, GS-1 through GS-15.
How many steps were in each GS grade?
Each General Schedule grade contained 10 steps, Step 1 through Step 10.
What was GS-5 Step 1 pay in 2011?
The official nationwide base rate for GS-5 Step 1 was $27,431.
What was GS-9 Step 1 pay in 2011?
The official nationwide base rate for GS-9 Step 1 was $41,563.
What was GS-11 Step 1 pay in 2011?
The official nationwide base rate for GS-11 Step 1 was $50,287.
What was GS-12 Step 1 pay in 2011?
The official nationwide base rate for GS-12 Step 1 was $60,274.
What was GS-15 Step 10 pay in 2011?
The official nationwide base rate for GS-15 Step 10 was $129,517.
Does the 2011 GS base table include locality pay?
No. Salary Table 2011-GS contains the nationwide General Schedule base rates. Applicable locality pay and special-rate provisions must be checked separately.
Official 2011 OPM Sources
The salary figures on this page are based on the official U.S. Office of Personnel Management 2011 General Schedule data.