GS Pay Scale 2026 & GS Pay Tables: All 58 Localities

The 2026 General Schedule pay table

Locality pay areaRates

2026 General Schedule base rates before locality pay, U.S. dollars a year, by grade and step. No duty station in the United States is paid the base rate alone: choose a locality pay area above to see its rates.
Grade	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
GS-1	22,584	23,341	24,092	24,840	25,589	26,028	26,771	27,519	27,550	28,248
GS-2	25,393	25,997	26,839	27,550	27,858	28,677	29,496	30,315	31,134	31,953
GS-3	27,708	28,632	29,556	30,480	31,404	32,328	33,252	34,176	35,100	36,024
GS-4	31,103	32,140	33,177	34,214	35,251	36,288	37,325	38,362	39,399	40,436
GS-5	34,799	35,959	37,119	38,279	39,439	40,599	41,759	42,919	44,079	45,239
GS-6	38,791	40,084	41,377	42,670	43,963	45,256	46,549	47,842	49,135	50,428
GS-7	43,106	44,543	45,980	47,417	48,854	50,291	51,728	53,165	54,602	56,039
GS-8	47,738	49,329	50,920	52,511	54,102	55,693	57,284	58,875	60,466	62,057
GS-9	52,727	54,485	56,243	58,001	59,759	61,517	63,275	65,033	66,791	68,549
GS-10	58,064	59,999	61,934	63,869	65,804	67,739	69,674	71,609	73,544	75,479
GS-11	63,795	65,922	68,049	70,176	72,303	74,430	76,557	78,684	80,811	82,938
GS-12	76,463	79,012	81,561	84,110	86,659	89,208	91,757	94,306	96,855	99,404
GS-13	90,925	93,956	96,987	100,018	103,049	106,080	109,111	112,142	115,173	118,204
GS-14	107,446	111,028	114,610	118,192	121,774	125,356	128,938	132,520	136,102	139,684
GS-15	126,384	130,597	134,810	139,023	143,236	147,449	151,662	155,875	160,088	164,301

Official tables: OPM, 2026 General Schedule pay tables for every area; this one is Salary Table 2026-GS. A rate with locality pay is the base rate plus the area’s percentage, rounded to the dollar and held to the $197,200 ceiling (the order the law sets); all 8,700 match OPM’s tables to the dollar.

For 2027, President Donald J. Trump's alternative pay plan letter of 26 August 2026 sets out 0% for base pay and 0% for locality pay in 2027; it is not final until the executive order, due 18 to 31 December 2026, the window of the last seven orders (11 of 18 steps of the decision are done on the 2027 pay raise tracker).

What does your grade and step pay?

GS-12, step 5 in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PAWashington, DC

$116,071

Of the 57 areas with a published price level: #5 on the payslip, #33 once local prices are counted.

Work ZIP code

Locality pay area

Grade

Step

Starting your first federal job? A first appointment is set at step 1 of the grade unless the agency uses the superior qualifications authority (5 U.S.C. 5333; 5 CFR 531.212). The step above defaults to 5, the middle of the grade, because that is the cell this site ranks every area by.

Gross pay from the published federal tables. Not take-home: deductions depend on choices this page does not ask about.

The highest-paying area is not the one where you end up richest

At GS-12 step 5 the biggest paycheck in the General Schedule is written in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The salary that goes furthest belongs to Laredo, TX, and the gap between them is $11,484 a year.

Biggest paycheck, and what it buys

$109,691San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pays $126,817, the most in the country. Local prices stand at 115.6 against a national average of 100, which is what the salary comes down to.

Goes furthest, and what it pays

$121,175Laredo, TX pays $105,369 — $21,448 less on paper, and $11,484 more once prices are counted.

Locality pay is calculated from what private employers in the same region pay for comparable work. It is not a cost-of-living adjustment: the two are related, but not the same thing, and the gap between them is large enough to turn the ranking upside down.

That is what the table below measures, and it is the comparison the official tables do not make. Every other column comes straight from the official table; the last two are ours.

All 58 locality pay areas, ranked by what the salary buys

Dollar figures are a GS-12, step 5 — the middle of the schedule, used here so that every area is compared on the same cell. Change the grade in the calculator above and the table follows. Click any column heading to sort by it.

All 58 locality pay areas at GS-12 step 5, ranked by what the salary buys at local prices; a column heading sorts the table by that column.

1	Laredo, TXLaredo, TX	21.59%	$105,369	87.0	$121,175	+30
2	Houston, TXHouston-The Woodlands, TX	35.00%	$116,990	98.6	$118,616	+2
3	Davenport, IADavenport-Moline, IA-IL	18.93%	$103,064	89.1	$115,700	+41
4	Dayton, OHDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH	21.42%	$105,221	92.7	$113,514	+28
5	Huntsville, ALHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN	21.91%	$105,646	93.1	$113,510	+25
6	Cleveland, OHCleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA	22.23%	$105,923	93.9	$112,776	+20
7	AlaskaState of Alaska	32.36%	$114,702	102.4	$112,059	+1
8	Birmingham, ALBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL	18.24%	$102,466	91.6	$111,809	+40
9	Detroit, MIDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI	29.12%	$111,894	100.3	$111,562	+5
10	Des Moines, IADes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA	18.01%	$102,266	91.7	$111,521	+41
11	Omaha, NEOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA	18.23%	$102,457	91.9	$111,474	+38
12	Kansas City, MOKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS	18.97%	$103,098	92.5	$111,406	+31
13	Hartford, CTHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA	32.08%	$114,459	102.7	$111,400	−4
14	Columbus, OHColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH	22.15%	$105,854	95.5	$110,878	+14
15	Cincinnati, OHCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN	21.93%	$105,663	95.4	$110,793	+14
16	Pittsburgh, PAPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV	21.03%	$104,883	94.7	$110,787	+17
17	Buffalo, NYBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY	22.41%	$106,079	95.8	$110,679	+6
18	Corpus Christi, TXCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX	17.63%	$101,937	92.7	$109,999	+38
19	San Jose, CASan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA	46.34%	$126,817	115.6	$109,691	−18
20	Chicago, ILChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI	30.86%	$113,402	103.6	$109,467	−9
21	Milwaukee, WIMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI	22.42%	$106,088	96.9	$109,440	+1
22	St. Louis, MOSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL	20.03%	$104,017	95.1	$109,390	+15
23	Philadelphia, PAPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD	28.99%	$111,781	102.6	$108,997	−8
24	San Antonio, TXSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX	18.78%	$102,934	94.7	$108,676	+22
25	Richmond, VARichmond, VA	22.28%	$105,967	97.9	$108,286	−1
26	Raleigh, NCRaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC	22.24%	$105,932	98.2	$107,921	−1
27	Albuquerque, NMAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM	18.33%	$102,544	95.5	$107,324	+20
28	Atlanta, GAAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL	23.79%	$107,275	100.1	$107,213	−8
29	Indianapolis, INIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN	18.15%	$102,388	95.7	$106,993	+21
30	Dallas, TXDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK	27.26%	$110,282	103.1	$106,976	−13
31	Denver, CODenver-Aurora, CO	30.52%	$113,107	105.8	$106,925	−19
32	Tucson, AZTucson-Nogales, AZ	19.28%	$103,367	96.9	$106,678	+10
33	Washington, DCWashington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA	33.94%	$116,071	108.9	$106,601	−28
34	Charlotte, NCCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC	19.67%	$103,705	97.3	$106,530	+4
35	Austin, TXAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX	20.35%	$104,294	98.1	$106,351	—
36	New York, NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA	37.95%	$119,546	112.6	$106,204	−34
37	Boston, MABoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT	32.58%	$114,893	108.3	$106,121	−30
38	Minneapolis, MNMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI	27.62%	$110,594	104.8	$105,506	−22
39	Sacramento, CASacramento-Roseville, CA-NV	29.76%	$112,449	106.7	$105,418	−26
40	Rochester, NYRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY	17.88%	$102,154	97.0	$105,275	+13
41	Virginia Beach, VAVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC	18.80%	$102,951	97.9	$105,115	+4
42	Albany, NYAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA	20.77%	$104,658	99.6	$105,114	−8
43	Harrisburg, PAHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA	19.43%	$103,497	98.7	$104,913	−2
44	Los Angeles, CALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA	36.47%	$118,264	113.6	$104,137	−41
45	Portland, ORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA	26.13%	$109,303	105.4	$103,682	−27
46	San Diego, CASan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	33.72%	$115,880	111.9	$103,569	−40
47	Las Vegas, NVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ	19.57%	$103,618	100.2	$103,396	−8
48	Colorado Springs, COColorado Springs, CO	20.15%	$104,121	100.7	$103,390	−12
49	Phoenix, AZPhoenix-Mesa, AZ	22.45%	$106,114	103.3	$102,708	−28
50	Seattle, WASeattle-Tacoma, WA	31.57%	$114,017	111.1	$102,595	−40
51	Burlington, VTBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT	19.45%	$103,514	100.9	$102,541	−11
52	Palm Bay, FLPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	17.93%	$102,197	100.0	$102,192	—
53	Spokane, WASpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID	17.67%	$101,972	100.3	$101,620	+1
54	Reno, NVReno-Fernley, NV	17.52%	$101,842	101.0	$100,820	+3
55	Fresno, CAFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA	17.65%	$101,954	102.2	$99,800	—
56	HawaiiState of Hawaii	22.21%	$105,906	110.0	$96,321	−29
57	Miami, FLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL	24.67%	$108,038	114.2	$94,641	−38
—	Rest of U.S.Rest of U.S.	17.06%	$101,443	—	—	—

Reading this table

Sorted by purchasing power. The price column is the BEA Regional Price Parity for 2024, where 100 is the national average — below 100 is cheaper.Rank shift: how many places the area moves when you stop ranking by the paycheck and start ranking by what it buys. The first column is that same purchasing-power rank, so it stays with its area when you sort by something else.

Or start from a grade

Each grade page shows that grade in every area at once, with who is on it and what a promotion from it is worth. Figures below are base rates, before any locality adjustment.

GS-1$22,584 GS-2$25,393 GS-3$27,708 GS-4$31,103 GS-5$34,799 GS-6$38,791 GS-7$43,106 GS-8$47,738 GS-9$52,727 GS-10$58,064 GS-11$63,795 GS-12$76,463 GS-13$90,925 GS-14$107,446 GS-15$126,384

The list of GS grades explains what each level means and sets all fifteen side by side. Law enforcement officers at grades 3 to 10 are paid from a higher base table instead, the GL pay scale. There is also a comparison tool that sets any two areas side by side, a promotion calculator that works out the step a promotion lands you on, a step increase calculator that dates your next step, and a full calculator that will find your area from a ZIP code.

Or start from a state

A state is not a pay area, but it is where most people start: each state page lists the locality pay areas that cover it and what each pays. The states page groups all 51 by how many areas they contain.

Where these numbers come from

Every rate on this site was recomputed from the published base table and the locality percentage, then checked against the official OPM figure. All 8,700 cells match to the dollar.

Salary tables and locality percentages: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 2026 General Schedule salary tables. Locality pay area definitions: OPM, 2026. Price levels: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, 2024, shown to one decimal place though computed from the published three. ZIP-code-to-county relationships: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA file. All are works of the United States government and in the public domain; how they are put together is on the methodology page, and who publishes this site is on the about page.

The order of operations matters and is fixed by law: the percentage is applied to the base rate, the result is rounded, and only then is it checked against the statutory ceiling. Doing those steps in a different order changes the answer at the top of the schedule, which is one reason published figures sometimes disagree between reference sites. How locality pay works sets out the rules in full.