GS-8 Pay in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
$69,864 – $90,819 per year • 46.34% locality adjustment
GS-8 Salary Summary — San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Complete GS-8 Pay Table — San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA (2026)
| Step | Annual | Monthly | Biweekly | Hourly | Base Pay | Locality Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $69,864 | $5,822 | $2,687 | $33.48 | $47,741 | +$22,123 |
| Step 2 | $72,192 | $6,016 | $2,777 | $34.59 | $49,332 | +$22,860 |
| Step 3 | $74,521 | $6,210 | $2,866 | $35.71 | $50,923 | +$23,598 |
| Step 4 | $76,849 | $6,404 | $2,956 | $36.82 | $52,514 | +$24,335 |
| Step 5 | $79,177 | $6,598 | $3,045 | $37.94 | $54,105 | +$25,072 |
| Step 6 | $81,506 | $6,792 | $3,135 | $39.05 | $55,696 | +$25,810 |
| Step 7 | $83,834 | $6,986 | $3,224 | $40.17 | $57,287 | +$26,547 |
| Step 8 | $86,162 | $7,180 | $3,314 | $41.29 | $58,878 | +$27,284 |
| Step 9 | $88,490 | $7,374 | $3,403 | $42.40 | $60,469 | +$28,021 |
| Step 10 | $90,819 | $7,568 | $3,493 | $43.52 | $62,060 | +$28,759 |
Compare Nearby Grades in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
How does GS-8 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?
Promotion from GS-7 to GS-8 at Step 5 in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA is a raise of $7,683 per year.
GS-8 Federal Jobs in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Federal employees at GS-8 in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area earn between $69,864 and $90,819 annually in 2026. This includes a 46.34% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-8 base pay of $47,741 to $62,060.
The San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-8 employee here earns $15,842 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-8 Step 1 in this area is $2,687, or approximately $33.48 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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