GS pay scale 2026
Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA

58 locality pay areasPage last changed 2026-10-07

Portland, OR GS pay scale 2026: 26.13% locality pay

In 2026 the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA locality pay area adds 26.13% to the General Schedule base table: a GS-12 step 5 earns $109,303, and the 150 rates run from $28,485 to $197,200, the statutory ceiling.

GS-12 step 5, assembled

Base rate: $86,659
Locality pay, 26.13%: + $22,644
Annual rate: $109,303

$4,189.60 every two weeks, $52.37 an hour, $52.64 an overtime hour.

#18 on paper, #45 after prices

−27Places lost, of 57 areas with a price index.

Buys at U.S. prices

$103,682Price level 105.4, U.S. = 100, for Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA.

Ceiling watch

2 of 150cells held to $197,200, from GS-15 step 9.

Key facts

Rank on paper, GS-12 step 5: #18 of 57
Rank after local prices: #45 of 57
Locality pay change since 2016: +5.44 points
Rank of that change: #23 of 58
Pay gap, latest council estimate: 58.94%
Rate the 1990 formula would set: 51.37%
Federal civilian jobs, 2025: 21,020
Share of all jobs here: 1.37%
Largest county by federal jobs: Multnomah County, OR: 11,898

Sources and methods

Every 2026 rate in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA

A yearAn hourEvery two weeks

Every 2026 rate in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA, U.S. dollars a year, by grade and step. Click any cell, or use the arrow keys, and the bar at the top of the page moves onto it; ◀ marks GS-12 step 5. ▲ marks the 2 cells cut to the $197,200 statutory ceiling.
Grade	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
GS-1	28,485	29,440	30,387	31,331	32,275	32,829	33,766	34,710	34,749	35,629
GS-2	32,028	32,790	33,852	34,749	35,137	36,170	37,203	38,236	39,269	40,302
GS-3	34,948	36,114	37,279	38,444	39,610	40,775	41,941	43,106	44,272	45,437
GS-4	39,230	40,538	41,846	43,154	44,462	45,770	47,078	48,386	49,694	51,002
GS-5	43,892	45,355	46,818	48,281	49,744	51,208	52,671	54,134	55,597	57,060
GS-6	48,927	50,558	52,189	53,820	55,451	57,081	58,712	60,343	61,974	63,605
GS-7	54,370	56,182	57,995	59,807	61,620	63,432	65,245	67,057	68,870	70,682
GS-8	60,212	62,219	64,225	66,232	68,239	70,246	72,252	74,259	76,266	78,272
GS-9	66,505	68,722	70,939	73,157	75,374	77,591	79,809	82,026	84,243	86,461
GS-10	73,236	75,677	78,117	80,558	82,999	85,439	87,880	90,320	92,761	95,202
GS-11	80,465	83,147	85,830	88,513	91,196	93,879	96,561	99,244	101,927	104,610
GS-12	96,443	99,658	102,873	106,088	109,303	112,518	115,733	118,948	122,163	125,378
GS-13	114,684	118,507	122,330	126,153	129,976	133,799	137,622	141,445	145,268	149,091
GS-14	135,522	140,040	144,558	149,076	153,594	158,112	162,629	167,147	171,665	176,183
GS-15	159,408	164,722	170,036	175,350	180,664	185,977	191,291	196,605	197,200	197,200

Hourly rates in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA, 2026, U.S. dollars: the annual rate divided by 2,087 hours and rounded to the cent, as 5 U.S.C. 5504(b) sets. OPM prints the same figures in its hourly table for this area.
Grade	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
GS-1	13.65	14.11	14.56	15.01	15.46	15.73	16.18	16.63	16.65	17.07
GS-2	15.35	15.71	16.22	16.65	16.84	17.33	17.83	18.32	18.82	19.31
GS-3	16.75	17.30	17.86	18.42	18.98	19.54	20.10	20.65	21.21	21.77
GS-4	18.80	19.42	20.05	20.68	21.30	21.93	22.56	23.18	23.81	24.44
GS-5	21.03	21.73	22.43	23.13	23.84	24.54	25.24	25.94	26.64	27.34
GS-6	23.44	24.23	25.01	25.79	26.57	27.35	28.13	28.91	29.70	30.48
GS-7	26.05	26.92	27.79	28.66	29.53	30.39	31.26	32.13	33.00	33.87
GS-8	28.85	29.81	30.77	31.74	32.70	33.66	34.62	35.58	36.54	37.50
GS-9	31.87	32.93	33.99	35.05	36.12	37.18	38.24	39.30	40.37	41.43
GS-10	35.09	36.26	37.43	38.60	39.77	40.94	42.11	43.28	44.45	45.62
GS-11	38.56	39.84	41.13	42.41	43.70	44.98	46.27	47.55	48.84	50.12
GS-12	46.21	47.75	49.29	50.83	52.37	53.91	55.45	56.99	58.54	60.08
GS-13	54.95	56.78	58.62	60.45	62.28	64.11	65.94	67.77	69.61	71.44
GS-14	64.94	67.10	69.27	71.43	73.60	75.76	77.92	80.09	82.25	84.42
GS-15	76.38	78.93	81.47	84.02	86.57	89.11	91.66	94.20	94.49	94.49

Biweekly rates in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA, 2026, U.S. dollars: the hourly rate times 80, the hours of one pay period, as 5 U.S.C. 5504(b) sets; the annual rate divided by 26 gives a different, wrong figure.
Grade	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
GS-1	1,092.00	1,128.80	1,164.80	1,200.80	1,236.80	1,258.40	1,294.40	1,330.40	1,332.00	1,365.60
GS-2	1,228.00	1,256.80	1,297.60	1,332.00	1,347.20	1,386.40	1,426.40	1,465.60	1,505.60	1,544.80
GS-3	1,340.00	1,384.00	1,428.80	1,473.60	1,518.40	1,563.20	1,608.00	1,652.00	1,696.80	1,741.60
GS-4	1,504.00	1,553.60	1,604.00	1,654.40	1,704.00	1,754.40	1,804.80	1,854.40	1,904.80	1,955.20
GS-5	1,682.40	1,738.40	1,794.40	1,850.40	1,907.20	1,963.20	2,019.20	2,075.20	2,131.20	2,187.20
GS-6	1,875.20	1,938.40	2,000.80	2,063.20	2,125.60	2,188.00	2,250.40	2,312.80	2,376.00	2,438.40
GS-7	2,084.00	2,153.60	2,223.20	2,292.80	2,362.40	2,431.20	2,500.80	2,570.40	2,640.00	2,709.60
GS-8	2,308.00	2,384.80	2,461.60	2,539.20	2,616.00	2,692.80	2,769.60	2,846.40	2,923.20	3,000.00
GS-9	2,549.60	2,634.40	2,719.20	2,804.00	2,889.60	2,974.40	3,059.20	3,144.00	3,229.60	3,314.40
GS-10	2,807.20	2,900.80	2,994.40	3,088.00	3,181.60	3,275.20	3,368.80	3,462.40	3,556.00	3,649.60
GS-11	3,084.80	3,187.20	3,290.40	3,392.80	3,496.00	3,598.40	3,701.60	3,804.00	3,907.20	4,009.60
GS-12	3,696.80	3,820.00	3,943.20	4,066.40	4,189.60	4,312.80	4,436.00	4,559.20	4,683.20	4,806.40
GS-13	4,396.00	4,542.40	4,689.60	4,836.00	4,982.40	5,128.80	5,275.20	5,421.60	5,568.80	5,715.20
GS-14	5,195.20	5,368.00	5,541.60	5,714.40	5,888.00	6,060.80	6,233.60	6,407.20	6,580.00	6,753.60
GS-15	6,110.40	6,314.40	6,517.60	6,721.60	6,925.60	7,128.80	7,332.80	7,536.00	7,559.20	7,559.20

Source: OPM 2026 General Schedule salary table for this area, Salary Table 2026-POR, matched cell by cell.

Under the 2027 proposal this area keeps 26.13% and GS-12 step 5 keeps $109,303 (2027 pay raise; compare with Rest of U.S.).

Locality pay in Portland, OR since 2016

Solid line: this area; dashed line: the Rest of U.S. rate.

Locality pay, percent, as printed in OPM’s General Schedule table for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026. Sources and caveats.
Locality pay, %	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025	2026
Portland, OR	20.69	21.95	22.53	23.13	23.74	23.74	24.34	24.98	25.66	26.13	26.13
Rest of U.S.	14.35	15.06	15.37	15.67	15.95	15.95	16.20	16.50	16.82	17.06	17.06

What the 1990 pay law’s formula would pay in Portland, OR

Federal Salary Council estimates for Portland, OR in the editions checked here, the memos for pay in 2018 to 2026: the pay gap between non-federal and General Schedule base pay, and the locality rate the 1990 law’s formula would set. Sources: memo of January 10, 2025, Attachment 1, and the council’s earlier memos; the President’s Pay Agent on 2026; what these estimates are and are not.
Edition, for pay in	Data as of	Listed as	Pay gap, %	Formula rate, %	Rate paid that year, %
2026	March 2024	Locality pay area	58.94	51.37	26.13
2025	March 2023	Locality pay area	60.84	53.18	26.13
2024	March 2022	Locality pay area	57.28	49.79	25.66
2023	March 2021	Locality pay area	50.85	43.67	24.98
2022	March 2020	Locality pay area	49.16	42.06	24.34
2021	March 2019	Locality pay area	51.43	44.22	23.74
2020	March 2018	Locality pay area	56.74	49.28	23.74
2019	March 2017	Locality pay area	57.58	50.08	23.13
2018	March 2016	Locality pay area	56.70	49.24	22.53

What a GS-12 step 5 buys after local prices

The areas ranked next to Portland, OR by what a GS-12 step 5 buys: the 2026 salary divided by the BEA price level for 2024, where 100 is the U.S. average. How the comparison is made; all 57 ranked.
#	Locality	On paper	Price level	What it buys
42	Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA	$104,658	99.6	$105,114
43	Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA	$103,497	98.7	$104,913
44	Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA	$118,264	113.6	$104,137
45	Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA	$109,303	105.4	$103,682
46	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$115,880	111.9	$103,569
47	Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ	$103,618	100.2	$103,396
48	Colorado Springs, CO	$104,121	100.7	$103,390

Federal jobs in Portland, OR

Federal civilian jobs at worksites in the 13 counties of this area, every federal pay system counted (the Postal Service in, the uniformed military out), as annual averages from the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2023, 2024, 2025. BLS reports another 3,258 federal jobs in Oregon and Washington without a county; they belong to no area. Sources and caveats.
Year	Federal civilian jobs	Share of all jobs, %	Average pay per job
2023	20,857	1.35	$99,415
2024	21,794	1.42	$104,966
2025	21,020	1.37	$109,126

Counties in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA

13 counties paid at this rate

Oregon, 9 counties

Benton County
Clackamas County
Columbia County
Linn County
Marion County
Multnomah County
Polk County
Washington County
Yamhill County

Washington, 4 counties

Clark County
Cowlitz County
Skamania County
Wahkiakum County (added 2024)

Source: OPM 2026 locality pay area definitions. The duty station’s county counts (how that works).