With 2.0% federal pay raise looking more like a certainty, the 2025 GS Pay Scale table for federal employees can be accurately estimated.
2025 Federal Pay Raise and Updated GS Pay Table
2.0% Average Raise for Feds Likely in 2025
The General Schedule (GS) Pay Scale determines the salaries of federal employees. The 2025 Federal Pay Raise was practically confirmed to be 2.0% by the White House at the end of August. Although action from Congress could still change the federal pay raise, that scenario does not appear likely at this point. The 2.0% figure is an average with locality pay factored in. The “across-the-board” pay raise for federal employees (the amount all feds receive before any locality element is included) will be 1.7%. This is significantly lower than the 4.7% base pay raise in 2024, which averaged out to a pay raise of 5.2 percent when locality pay was included.
Below is an estimated GS pay scale table for 2025 created by taking the 2024 GS table and adding the anticipated 1.7% salary increase that will go into effect at the start of the next calendar year. The official 2025 table will be published by OPM in December, which is when the President typically signs an executive order to formally issue the upcoming year’s federal raise. The 2.0% average was first unveiled in March when the Biden administration released its proposed budget of Fiscal Year 2025. On August 30th, the 2.0% figure was then confirmed in an alternative pay plan letter, also published by the current president’s staff.
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Estimated 2025 GS Pay Table for Federal Employees
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
| 1 | $ 22,360 | $ 23,110 | $ 23,853 | $ 24,594 | $ 25,336 | $ 25,770 | $ 26,506 | $ 27,247 | $ 27,277 | $ 27,970 |
| 2 | $ 25,142 | $ 25,740 | $ 26,573 | $ 27,277 | $ 27,585 | $ 28,397 | $ 29,208 | $ 30,020 | $ 30,831 | $ 31,643 |
| 3 | $ 27,434 | $ 28,348 | $ 29,262 | $ 30,176 | $ 31,091 | $ 32,005 | $ 32,919 | $ 33,834 | $ 34,748 | $ 35,662 |
| 4 | $ 30,795 | $ 31,821 | $ 32,847 | $ 33,873 | $ 34,899 | $ 35,926 | $ 36,952 | $ 37,978 | $ 39,004 | $ 40,030 |
| 5 | $ 34,454 | $ 35,602 | $ 36,750 | $ 37,899 | $ 39,047 | $ 40,195 | $ 41,343 | $ 42,491 | $ 43,639 | $ 44,788 |
| 6 | $ 38,407 | $ 39,687 | $ 40,968 | $ 42,248 | $ 43,529 | $ 44,809 | $ 46,089 | $ 47,370 | $ 48,650 | $ 49,931 |
| 7 | $ 42,679 | $ 44,102 | $ 45,525 | $ 46,948 | $ 48,371 | $ 49,793 | $ 51,216 | $ 52,639 | $ 54,062 | $ 55,484 |
| 8 | $ 47,265 | $ 48,840 | $ 50,416 | $ 51,991 | $ 53,566 | $ 55,142 | $ 56,717 | $ 58,292 | $ 59,868 | $ 61,443 |
| 9 | $ 52,205 | $ 53,945 | $ 55,685 | $ 57,425 | $ 59,165 | $ 60,905 | $ 62,645 | $ 64,385 | $ 66,125 | $ 67,865 |
| 10 | $ 57,489 | $ 59,405 | $ 61,321 | $ 63,237 | $ 65,153 | $ 67,069 | $ 68,985 | $ 70,901 | $ 72,817 | $ 74,733 |
| 11 | $ 63,163 | $ 65,268 | $ 67,373 | $ 69,478 | $ 71,584 | $ 73,689 | $ 75,794 | $ 77,899 | $ 80,004 | $ 82,110 |
| 12 | $ 75,706 | $ 78,230 | $ 80,753 | $ 83,276 | $ 85,799 | $ 88,322 | $ 90,846 | $ 93,369 | $ 95,892 | $ 98,415 |
| 13 | $ 90,025 | $ 93,026 | $ 96,027 | $ 99,028 | $ 102,030 | $ 105,031 | $ 108,032 | $ 111,033 | $ 114,034 | $ 117,035 |
| 14 | $ 106,382 | $ 109,929 | $ 113,475 | $ 117,021 | $ 120,567 | $ 124,114 | $ 127,660 | $ 131,206 | $ 134,753 | $ 138,299 |
| 15 | $ 125,133 | $ 129,303 | $ 133,474 | $ 137,645 | $ 141,816 | $ 145,986 | $ 150,157 | $ 154,328 | $ 158,498 | $ 162,669 |
The 2025 GS Pay Scale is a structured pay schedule used to determine the salaries of federal employees. It is part of the General Schedule (GS) system, which categorizes federal jobs into different pay grades and steps. The GS Pay Scale table for 2025 will outline the base pay rates for each grade and step, providing a standardized framework for federal compensation. The above table is a estimation based off the presumed 1.7% across-the-board pay raise for the federal workforce to take effect in January. It does not factor in locality pay adjustments.
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How Does Locality Pay Affect the 2025 GS Pay Scale?
Locality pay is a crucial component of the GS Pay Scale, designed to address the varying cost of living across different geographic regions. The 2025 GS Pay Scale will incorporate locality pay adjustments to ensure that federal employees are fairly compensated based on their location’s inflation rates and cost of living expenses.
What are the differences between base pay and adjusted pay rates?
Base pay refers to the standard salary rates outlined in the GS Pay Scale table, which are uniform across all federal employees within the same pay grade and step. Adjusted pay rates, on the other hand, include locality pay adjustments that account for regional cost differences. For example, a federal employee in Hawaii may receive a higher adjusted pay rate compared to an employee in a lower-cost area, even if they are in the same GS grade. This distinction ensures that federal employees are compensated fairly based on their geographic location.
What are the new locality pay areas for 2025?
The 2025 GS Pay Scale may introduce new locality pay areas to better reflect the economic realities of different regions. These new locality pay areas are identified based on comprehensive studies conducted by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which analyze factors such as housing costs, transportation expenses, and overall living conditions. The inclusion of new locality pay areas ensures that federal employees in high-cost regions receive appropriate salary adjustments. The federal salary council recently recommended several locations be added to existing designated localities, resulting in 15,000 feds receiving a boost in their salary. If the government’s pay agent approves, this would add Wyandot County, OH to the Columbus, OH, area and Yuma County, AZ to the Phoenix, AZ designated locality. These recommendations do not create new locality pay areas.
How is locality pay calculated?
Locality pay is calculated by comparing the cost of living in a specific area to the national average. The OPM uses data from various sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), to determine the percentage increase needed to align federal salaries with local economic conditions. This percentage is then added to the base pay rates outlined in the GS Pay Scale table, resulting in adjusted pay rates for federal employees in different locality pay areas.
How Are GS Pay Grades Structured?
What are the different GS pay grades?
The GS pay grades range from GS-1 to GS-15, with each grade representing a different level of job complexity and responsibility. Entry-level positions typically fall within the GS-1 to GS-4 range, while mid-level positions are categorized under GS-5 to GS-12. Senior-level and executive positions are classified under GS-13 to GS-15. Each grade consists of ten steps, which represent incremental pay increases based on tenure and performance.
What are the senior level and executive pay grades?
Senior level and executive pay grades, such as GS-13 to GS-15, represent the highest levels of the GS Pay Scale. These positions often involve significant managerial responsibilities and require advanced qualifications and experience. Employees in these grades are typically involved in policy-making, program management, and other high-level functions. The salaries for these positions are correspondingly higher, reflecting the critical nature of their roles within the federal government.
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