GS-10 Pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

$75,829 โ€“ $98,191 per year • 30.63% locality adjustment

2026 rates • $8,910 more than Rest of US at Step 5

GS-10 Salary Summary โ€” San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

Entry (Step 1) $75,829/yr $2,917 biweekly
Mid (Step 5) $85,768/yr $3,299 biweekly
Top (Step 10) $98,191/yr $3,777 biweekly
Locality Adj. +30.63% +$20,111 at Step 5

Complete GS-10 Pay Table โ€” San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (2026)

Step Annual Monthly Biweekly Hourly Base Pay Locality Add
Step 1 $75,829 $6,319 $2,917 $36.33 $58,049 +$17,780
Step 2 $78,314 $6,526 $3,012 $37.52 $59,951 +$18,363
Step 3 $80,799 $6,733 $3,108 $38.72 $61,853 +$18,946
Step 4 $83,283 $6,940 $3,203 $39.91 $63,755 +$19,528
Step 5 $85,768 $7,147 $3,299 $41.10 $65,657 +$20,111
Step 6 $88,252 $7,354 $3,394 $42.29 $67,559 +$20,693
Step 7 $90,737 $7,561 $3,490 $43.48 $69,461 +$21,276
Step 8 $93,221 $7,768 $3,585 $44.67 $71,363 +$21,858
Step 9 $95,706 $7,976 $3,681 $45.86 $73,265 +$22,441
Step 10 $98,191 $8,183 $3,777 $47.05 $75,167 +$23,024

Compare Nearby Grades in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

How does GS-10 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?

GS-9
$78,050
GS-10
$85,768
GS-11
$94,444

Promotion from GS-9 to GS-10 at Step 5 in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is a raise of $7,718 per year.

GS-10 Federal Jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

Federal employees at GS-10 in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA locality area earn between $75,829 and $98,191 annually in 2026. This includes a 30.63% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-10 base pay of $58,049 to $75,167.

The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-10 employee here earns $8,910 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 Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, 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-10 Step 1 in this area is $2,917, or approximately $36.33 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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