GS-1 Pay in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

$33,049 โ€“ $41,338 per year • 46.34% locality adjustment

2026 rates • $7,493 more than Rest of US at Step 5

GS-1 Salary Summary โ€” San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

Entry (Step 1) $33,049/yr $1,271 biweekly
Mid (Step 5) $37,447/yr $1,440 biweekly
Top (Step 10) $41,338/yr $1,590 biweekly
Locality Adj. +46.34% +$11,858 at Step 5

Complete GS-1 Pay Table โ€” San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA (2026)

Step Annual Monthly Biweekly Hourly Base Pay Locality Add
Step 1 $33,049 $2,754 $1,271 $15.84 $22,584 +$10,465
Step 2 $34,157 $2,846 $1,314 $16.37 $23,341 +$10,816
Step 3 $35,256 $2,938 $1,356 $16.89 $24,092 +$11,164
Step 4 $36,351 $3,029 $1,398 $17.42 $24,840 +$11,511
Step 5 $37,447 $3,121 $1,440 $17.94 $25,589 +$11,858
Step 6 $38,089 $3,174 $1,465 $18.25 $26,028 +$12,061
Step 7 $39,177 $3,265 $1,507 $18.77 $26,771 +$12,406
Step 8 $40,271 $3,356 $1,549 $19.30 $27,519 +$12,752
Step 9 $40,317 $3,360 $1,551 $19.32 $27,550 +$12,767
Step 10 $41,338 $3,445 $1,590 $19.81 $28,248 +$13,090

Compare Nearby Grades in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

How does GS-1 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?

GS-1
$37,447
GS-2
$40,767

GS-1 Federal Jobs in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

Federal employees at GS-1 in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area earn between $33,049 and $41,338 annually in 2026. This includes a 46.34% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-1 base pay of $22,584 to $28,248.

The San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-1 employee here earns $7,493 more per year than the same grade and step under the "Rest of United States" rate (17.06%).

As one of the higher-paying locality areas, San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA compensates for the higher cost of living in the region. Federal employees considering a move should compare not just the salary difference but also housing costs, state income taxes, and commuting expenses.

The biweekly pay for a GS-1 Step 1 in this area is $1,271, or approximately $15.84 per hour based on the standard 2,087-hour work year. Step increases are automatic with acceptable performance โ€” it takes 18 years to progress from Step 1 to Step 10.

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