GS-1 Entry Level

GS-1 is the entry-level grade of the federal General Schedule pay system. These positions typically require no prior experience or specialized education. GS-1 employees perform basic support tasks under close supervision. Federal contractors providing staffing services often fill GS-1 equivalent roles for mailroom operations, filing, and basic data entry.

Federal service contracts (such as those under GSA Schedules and OASIS+) use GS-equivalent labor categories to define pricing tiers. When bidding on government contracts, understanding the GS-1 grade level helps contractors price their labor categories competitively while meeting the experience and education requirements agencies expect.

Note: The salary range shown is the 2024 base General Schedule rate (Step 1 through Step 10). Actual federal employee compensation includes locality pay adjustments that can increase base pay by 16-44% depending on geographic area. Major metro areas like Washington D.C., San Francisco, and New York have the highest locality adjustments.