GS-4 Pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$40,630 – $52,822 per year • 30.63% locality adjustment
GS-4 Salary Summary — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Complete GS-4 Pay Table — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (2026)
| Step | Annual | Monthly | Biweekly | Hourly | Base Pay | Locality Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $40,630 | $3,386 | $1,563 | $19.47 | $31,103 | +$9,527 |
| Step 2 | $41,984 | $3,499 | $1,615 | $20.12 | $32,140 | +$9,844 |
| Step 3 | $43,339 | $3,612 | $1,667 | $20.77 | $33,177 | +$10,162 |
| Step 4 | $44,694 | $3,725 | $1,719 | $21.42 | $34,214 | +$10,480 |
| Step 5 | $46,048 | $3,837 | $1,771 | $22.06 | $35,251 | +$10,797 |
| Step 6 | $47,403 | $3,950 | $1,823 | $22.71 | $36,288 | +$11,115 |
| Step 7 | $48,758 | $4,063 | $1,875 | $23.36 | $37,325 | +$11,433 |
| Step 8 | $50,112 | $4,176 | $1,927 | $24.01 | $38,362 | +$11,750 |
| Step 9 | $51,467 | $4,289 | $1,980 | $24.66 | $39,399 | +$12,068 |
| Step 10 | $52,822 | $4,402 | $2,032 | $25.31 | $40,436 | +$12,386 |
Compare Nearby Grades in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
How does GS-4 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?
Promotion from GS-3 to GS-4 at Step 5 in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is a raise of $5,025 per year.
GS-4 Federal Jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Federal employees at GS-4 in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA locality area earn between $40,630 and $52,822 annually in 2026. This includes a 30.63% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-4 base pay of $31,103 to $40,436.
The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-4 employee here earns $4,783 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-4 Step 1 in this area is $1,563, or approximately $19.47 per hour based on the standard 2,087-hour work year. Step increases are automatic with acceptable performance — it takes 18 years to progress from Step 1 to Step 10.
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