GS Step-Increase (WGI) Timeline Calculator
Enter your current grade, step, locality, and step entry date to see your exact next WGI date and a complete salary timeline through Step 10 — locality-adjusted to the dollar.
Reviewed by Jonathan D., 20-year federal employee · Formulas verified against OPM.gov ·
The question every GS employee asks
Next step wait: 52 calendar weeks (1 year)
Check your SF-50 (Notice of Personnel Action), Box 12 — Effective Date of Last Pay Change.
Not sure? Find your locality pay area →
How GS within-grade increases work
Within-grade increases — also called WGIs or step increases — are automatic pay raises that federal General Schedule employees receive for satisfactory performance over time, without needing a promotion. They are governed by 5 U.S.C. 5335 and 5 CFR Part 531, Subpart D.
Three requirements must all be met simultaneously for a WGI to process (5 U.S.C. 5335(a)):
- Waiting period completed — the required number of calendar weeks has elapsed since the employee's last equivalent increase.
- Acceptable level of competence — the employee's most recent performance rating of record is at least Level 3 (Fully Successful or equivalent).
- No equivalent increase received — the employee has not received a promotion, regular WGI, or certain other pay adjustments during the waiting period.
When all three conditions are met, the agency's HR system processes the WGI automatically through its pay-period processing cycle. You do not need to request it.
2026 WGI waiting period schedule
Based on 5 CFR 531.405. Waiting periods are measured in calendar weeks from the date you entered your current step (or your last equivalent increase).
| Step Transition | Wait Period | Step Group |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 → Step 2 | 52 calendar weeks | Steps 1–3 |
| Step 2 → Step 3 | 52 calendar weeks | Steps 1–3 |
| Step 3 → Step 4 | 52 calendar weeks | Steps 1–3 |
| Step 4 → Step 5 | 104 calendar weeks | Steps 4–6 |
| Step 5 → Step 6 | 104 calendar weeks | Steps 4–6 |
| Step 6 → Step 7 | 104 calendar weeks | Steps 4–6 |
| Step 7 → Step 8 | 156 calendar weeks | Steps 7–9 |
| Step 8 → Step 9 | 156 calendar weeks | Steps 7–9 |
| Step 9 → Step 10 | 156 calendar weeks | Steps 7–9 |
Important date note: The calculator uses exact calendar-week counts (52 weeks = 364 days, not 365). This means WGI dates drift 1 day per year — which is correct. In practice, agencies process WGIs through payroll after eligibility, so confirm the final effective date with your HR office if your situation involves nonpay status, a break in service, a promotion, or a delayed performance rating.
How LWOP affects your WGI date
Leave Without Pay (LWOP) and other nonpay status do not automatically delay a GS WGI day for day. For full-time and part-time employees with scheduled tours, 5 CFR 531.406 treats some nonpay status as creditable: up to 2 workweeks when advancing to steps 2-4, 4 workweeks when advancing to steps 5-7, and 6 workweeks when advancing to steps 8-10. Nonpay status beyond those limits extends the waiting period by the excess time.
The calculator assumes continuous pay status throughout the projection. If you have had or expect LWOP or another nonpay period, ask HR how much of that time is creditable before manually adjusting the dates shown. A break in service or nonpay status exceeding 52 calendar weeks can start a new waiting period.
Promotions, QSIs, and the WGI clock
A promotion to a higher GS grade is an “equivalent increase” under 5 CFR 531.407 — it resets your WGI clock. When you are promoted to GS-12 Step 5, a brand-new 104-week waiting period begins for the Step 5 → Step 6 transition at GS-12. Use the GS Promotion Calculator to see your new grade and step after promotion.
A Quality Step Increase (QSI), by contrast, is explicitly excluded from the definition of “equivalent increase” under 5 CFR 531.407. A QSI awards one additional step for sustained outstanding performance (Level 5) but does not reset your WGI clock — your existing wait period continues from the QSI date in the new step. QSIs can therefore accelerate your timeline significantly.