HISTORICAL GS PAY SCALE

2017 GS Pay Scale

The 2017 General Schedule pay scale provides the official base salary rates for GS-1 through GS-15 and Steps 1 through 10. OPM's 2017 base schedule incorporated a 1% General Schedule increase and became effective in January 2017. The table below shows the official nationwide base rates before applicable locality pay.

2017 GS Pay Scale

The 2017 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.

OPM's official Salary Table 2017-GS incorporates a 1% General Schedule increase and became effective in January 2017. 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 $18,526$19,146$19,762$20,375$20,991 $21,351$21,960$22,575$22,599$23,171
GS-2 $20,829$21,325$22,015$22,599$22,853 $23,525$24,197$24,869$25,541$26,213
GS-3 $22,727$23,485$24,243$25,001$25,759 $26,517$27,275$28,033$28,791$29,549
GS-4 $25,514$26,364$27,214$28,064$28,914 $29,764$30,614$31,464$32,314$33,164
GS-5 $28,545$29,497$30,449$31,401$32,353 $33,305$34,257$35,209$36,161$37,113
GS-6 $31,819$32,880$33,941$35,002$36,063 $37,124$38,185$39,246$40,307$41,368
GS-7 $35,359$36,538$37,717$38,896$40,075 $41,254$42,433$43,612$44,791$45,970
GS-8 $39,159$40,464$41,769$43,074$44,379 $45,684$46,989$48,294$49,599$50,904
GS-9 $43,251$44,693$46,135$47,577$49,019 $50,461$51,903$53,345$54,787$56,229
GS-10 $47,630$49,218$50,806$52,394$53,982 $55,570$57,158$58,746$60,334$61,922
GS-11 $52,329$54,073$55,817$57,561$59,305 $61,049$62,793$64,537$66,281$68,025
GS-12 $62,722$64,813$66,904$68,995$71,086 $73,177$75,268$77,359$79,450$81,541
GS-13 $74,584$77,070$79,556$82,042$84,528 $87,014$89,500$91,986$94,472$96,958
GS-14 $88,136$91,074$94,012$96,950$99,888 $102,826$105,764$108,702$111,640$114,578
GS-15 $103,672$107,128$110,584$114,040$117,496 $120,952$124,408$127,864$131,320$134,776

Official source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Salary Table 2017-GS .

2017 GS Pay Increase

OPM's official Salary Table 2017-GS incorporated a 1% General Schedule increase. The schedule became effective in January 2017.

The 1% increase applies to the nationwide General Schedule base salary schedule. Locality payments were provided separately through OPM locality salary tables.

How to Read the 2017 GS Pay Table

To find a 2017 base salary, locate the employee's GS grade in the first column and then move across that 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 salary where the grade and step meet is the annual base rate.

For example, OPM's official 2017 table lists GS-5 Step 1 at $28,545, GS-9 Step 1 at $43,251, GS-11 Step 1 at $52,329, and GS-12 Step 1 at $62,722.

GS Grades in 2017

The General Schedule contained 15 grades, from GS-1 through GS-15. Each grade had its own salary range and contained ten step rates.

In the official 2017 base schedule, GS-1 Step 1 was $18,526. At the upper end of the national base table, GS-15 Step 10 was $134,776.

Browse Current GS Pay by Grade

GS Steps in 2017

Each General Schedule grade contains 10 steps. Steps provide a method of pay progression within the same grade, subject to the federal requirements governing within-grade increases.

OPM's 2017 base table lists the standard within-grade increase amount as $758 for GS-3, $952 for GS-5, $1,744 for GS-11, $2,091 for GS-12, and $3,456 for GS-15. For GS-1 and GS-2, OPM marks the WGI amount as varying.

Browse Current GS Pay by Step

For current rules governing progression between steps, see the Within-Grade Increase Guide and GS Step Increases.

2017 Within-Grade Increase Amounts

Grade 2017 WGI Amount
GS-1Varies
GS-2Varies
GS-3$758
GS-4$850
GS-5$952
GS-6$1,061
GS-7$1,179
GS-8$1,305
GS-9$1,442
GS-10$1,588
GS-11$1,744
GS-12$2,091
GS-13$2,486
GS-14$2,938
GS-15$3,456

2017 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 shown above are the 2017 nationwide GS base rates. They do not include locality pay.

OPM published separate locality salary tables for covered employees. Those tables applied locality payments based on the employee's official worksite and the locality pay area in which that worksite was located.

As a result, two federal employees at the same grade and step could have had different payable salaries if they worked in 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 2017 locality salary tables.

How to Find Your Actual 2017 GS Salary

To determine the salary that applied to a particular federal position in 2017:

  1. Identify the employee's GS grade.
  2. Identify the employee's step.
  3. Determine the locality pay area applicable to the official worksite.
  4. Use the corresponding official 2017 OPM salary table.
  5. Check whether a special rate or another federal pay schedule applied.

If you only need the nationwide salary before locality adjustments, use Salary Table 2017-GS shown above.

2017 GS Base Pay Examples

Grade Step 1 Step 5 Step 10
GS-5 $28,545 $32,353 $37,113
GS-7 $35,359 $40,075 $45,970
GS-9 $43,251 $49,019 $56,229
GS-11 $52,329 $59,305 $68,025
GS-12 $62,722 $71,086 $81,541
GS-13 $74,584 $84,528 $96,958
GS-14 $88,136 $99,888 $114,578
GS-15 $103,672 $117,496 $134,776

Special Rates and Other 2017 Pay Schedules

The standard 2017-GS base table did not necessarily represent the final payable rate for every federal employee. Certain occupations or locations could be covered by special salary rates or another 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, check the employee's grade, step, occupation, agency, official worksite and applicable pay schedule rather than assuming that the national GS base rate represented the final salary.

Compare Historical GS Pay Scales

Use these pages to compare national General Schedule base salary tables across years.

Related GS Pay Resources

2017 GS Pay Scale Frequently Asked Questions

What was the 2017 GS base pay increase?

OPM's official Salary Table 2017-GS incorporated a 1% General Schedule increase.

When did the 2017 GS pay scale become effective?

OPM states that Salary Table 2017-GS was effective January 2017.

How many grades were in the 2017 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 2017?

The official OPM national base rate for GS-5 Step 1 was $28,545.

What was GS-9 Step 1 pay in 2017?

The official OPM national base rate for GS-9 Step 1 was $43,251.

What was GS-11 Step 1 pay in 2017?

The official OPM national base rate for GS-11 Step 1 was $52,329.

What was GS-12 Step 1 pay in 2017?

The official OPM national base rate for GS-12 Step 1 was $62,722.

What was GS-15 Step 10 pay in 2017?

The official OPM national base rate for GS-15 Step 10 was $134,776.

Does the 2017 GS base table include locality pay?

No. Salary Table 2017-GS contains the nationwide GS base rates. Locality-adjusted salaries were provided through separate OPM locality salary tables.

Official 2017 OPM Source

The salary figures on this page are based on the official U.S. Office of Personnel Management Salary Table 2017-GS.