GS-2 Pay in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

$37,160 โ€“ $46,760 per year • 46.34% locality adjustment

2026 rates • $8,156 more than Rest of US at Step 5

GS-2 Salary Summary โ€” San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

Entry (Step 1) $37,160/yr $1,429 biweekly
Mid (Step 5) $40,767/yr $1,568 biweekly
Top (Step 10) $46,760/yr $1,798 biweekly
Locality Adj. +46.34% +$12,909 at Step 5

Complete GS-2 Pay Table โ€” San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA (2026)

Step Annual Monthly Biweekly Hourly Base Pay Locality Add
Step 1 $37,160 $3,097 $1,429 $17.81 $25,393 +$11,767
Step 2 $38,044 $3,170 $1,463 $18.23 $25,997 +$12,047
Step 3 $39,276 $3,273 $1,511 $18.82 $26,839 +$12,437
Step 4 $40,317 $3,360 $1,551 $19.32 $27,550 +$12,767
Step 5 $40,767 $3,397 $1,568 $19.53 $27,858 +$12,909
Step 6 $41,966 $3,497 $1,614 $20.11 $28,677 +$13,289
Step 7 $43,164 $3,597 $1,660 $20.68 $29,496 +$13,668
Step 8 $44,363 $3,697 $1,706 $21.26 $30,315 +$14,048
Step 9 $45,561 $3,797 $1,752 $21.83 $31,134 +$14,427
Step 10 $46,760 $3,897 $1,798 $22.41 $31,953 +$14,807

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

How does GS-2 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?

GS-1
$37,447
GS-2
$40,767
GS-3
$45,957

Promotion from GS-1 to GS-2 at Step 5 in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA is a raise of $3,320 per year.

GS-2 Federal Jobs in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

Federal employees at GS-2 in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area earn between $37,160 and $46,760 annually in 2026. This includes a 46.34% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-2 base pay of $25,393 to $31,953.

The San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-2 employee here earns $8,156 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-2 Step 1 in this area is $1,429, or approximately $17.81 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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