GS-4 Pay in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
$45,516 – $59,174 per year • 46.34% locality adjustment
GS-4 Salary Summary — San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Complete GS-4 Pay Table — San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA (2026)
| Step | Annual | Monthly | Biweekly | Hourly | Base Pay | Locality Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $45,516 | $3,793 | $1,751 | $21.81 | $31,103 | +$14,413 |
| Step 2 | $47,034 | $3,920 | $1,809 | $22.54 | $32,140 | +$14,894 |
| Step 3 | $48,551 | $4,046 | $1,867 | $23.26 | $33,177 | +$15,374 |
| Step 4 | $50,069 | $4,172 | $1,926 | $23.99 | $34,214 | +$15,855 |
| Step 5 | $51,586 | $4,299 | $1,984 | $24.72 | $35,251 | +$16,335 |
| Step 6 | $53,104 | $4,425 | $2,042 | $25.45 | $36,288 | +$16,816 |
| Step 7 | $54,621 | $4,552 | $2,101 | $26.17 | $37,325 | +$17,296 |
| Step 8 | $56,139 | $4,678 | $2,159 | $26.90 | $38,362 | +$17,777 |
| Step 9 | $57,656 | $4,805 | $2,218 | $27.63 | $39,399 | +$18,257 |
| Step 10 | $59,174 | $4,931 | $2,276 | $28.35 | $40,436 | +$18,738 |
Compare Nearby Grades in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 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 Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA is a raise of $5,629 per year.
GS-4 Federal Jobs in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Federal employees at GS-4 in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area earn between $45,516 and $59,174 annually in 2026. This includes a 46.34% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-4 base pay of $31,103 to $40,436.
The San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-4 employee here earns $10,321 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-4 Step 1 in this area is $1,751, or approximately $21.81 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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