GS-5 Pay in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
$50,925 – $66,203 per year • 46.34% locality adjustment
GS-5 Salary Summary — San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Complete GS-5 Pay Table — San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA (2026)
| Step | Annual | Monthly | Biweekly | Hourly | Base Pay | Locality Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $50,925 | $4,244 | $1,959 | $24.40 | $34,799 | +$16,126 |
| Step 2 | $52,622 | $4,385 | $2,024 | $25.21 | $35,959 | +$16,663 |
| Step 3 | $54,320 | $4,527 | $2,089 | $26.03 | $37,119 | +$17,201 |
| Step 4 | $56,017 | $4,668 | $2,155 | $26.84 | $38,279 | +$17,738 |
| Step 5 | $57,715 | $4,810 | $2,220 | $27.65 | $39,439 | +$18,276 |
| Step 6 | $59,413 | $4,951 | $2,285 | $28.47 | $40,599 | +$18,814 |
| Step 7 | $61,110 | $5,093 | $2,350 | $29.28 | $41,759 | +$19,351 |
| Step 8 | $62,808 | $5,234 | $2,416 | $30.09 | $42,919 | +$19,889 |
| Step 9 | $64,505 | $5,375 | $2,481 | $30.91 | $44,079 | +$20,426 |
| Step 10 | $66,203 | $5,517 | $2,546 | $31.72 | $45,239 | +$20,964 |
Compare Nearby Grades in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 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 Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA is a raise of $6,129 per year.
GS-5 Federal Jobs in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Federal employees at GS-5 in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area earn between $50,925 and $66,203 annually in 2026. This includes a 46.34% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-5 base pay of $34,799 to $45,239.
The San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-5 employee here earns $11,548 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-5 Step 1 in this area is $1,959, or approximately $24.40 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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