GS-5 Pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$45,458 – $59,096 per year • 30.63% locality adjustment
GS-5 Salary Summary — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Complete GS-5 Pay Table — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (2026)
| Step | Annual | Monthly | Biweekly | Hourly | Base Pay | Locality Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $45,458 | $3,788 | $1,748 | $21.78 | $34,799 | +$10,659 |
| Step 2 | $46,973 | $3,914 | $1,807 | $22.51 | $35,959 | +$11,014 |
| Step 3 | $48,489 | $4,041 | $1,865 | $23.23 | $37,119 | +$11,370 |
| Step 4 | $50,004 | $4,167 | $1,923 | $23.96 | $38,279 | +$11,725 |
| Step 5 | $51,519 | $4,293 | $1,982 | $24.69 | $39,439 | +$12,080 |
| Step 6 | $53,034 | $4,420 | $2,040 | $25.41 | $40,599 | +$12,435 |
| Step 7 | $54,550 | $4,546 | $2,098 | $26.14 | $41,759 | +$12,791 |
| Step 8 | $56,065 | $4,672 | $2,156 | $26.86 | $42,919 | +$13,146 |
| Step 9 | $57,580 | $4,798 | $2,215 | $27.59 | $44,079 | +$13,501 |
| Step 10 | $59,096 | $4,925 | $2,273 | $28.32 | $45,239 | +$13,857 |
Compare Nearby Grades in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
How does GS-5 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?
Promotion from GS-4 to GS-5 at Step 5 in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is a raise of $5,471 per year.
GS-5 Federal Jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Federal employees at GS-5 in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA locality area earn between $45,458 and $59,096 annually in 2026. This includes a 30.63% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-5 base pay of $34,799 to $45,239.
The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-5 employee here earns $5,352 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-5 Step 1 in this area is $1,748, or approximately $21.78 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.
Looking for GS-5 jobs?
Browse 12,548+ active federal job openings on FreeJobAlert.
Browse Federal Jobs →