GS pay scale 2026
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

58 locality pay areasPage last changed 2026-10-07

San Francisco & San Jose GS pay scale 2026: 46.34% locality pay

In 2026 the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality pay area adds 46.34% to the General Schedule base table: a GS-12 step 5 earns $126,817, and the 150 rates run from $33,049 to $197,200, the statutory ceiling.

GS-12 step 5, assembled

Base rate: $86,659
Locality pay, 46.34%: + $40,158
Annual rate: $126,817

$4,861.60 every two weeks, $60.77 an hour, $61.07 an overtime hour.

#1 on paper, #19 after prices

−18Places lost, of 57 areas with a price index.

Buys at U.S. prices

$109,691Price level 115.6, U.S. = 100, for San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.

Ceiling watch

10 of 150cells held to $197,200, from GS-14 step 9.

Against Rest of U.S.

+$25,374over $101,443 at GS-12 step 5, on paper.

Rest of U.S. buys as much at

92.5or lower prices, U.S. = 100, against 115.6 here; 5 of the 57 priced areas are that cheap (the two side by side).

Key facts

Rank on paper, GS-12 step 5: #1 of 57
Rank after local prices: #19 of 57
Locality pay change since 2016: +10.59 points
Rank of that change: #1 of 58
Pay gap, latest council estimate: 106.62%
Rate the 1990 formula would set: 96.78%
Federal civilian jobs, 2025: 51,624
Share of all jobs here: 1.07%
Largest county by federal jobs: San Francisco County, CA: 11,030

Sources and methods

Every 2026 rate in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

A yearAn hourEvery two weeks

Every 2026 rate in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA, 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 10 cells cut to the $197,200 statutory ceiling.
Grade	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
GS-1	33,049	34,157	35,256	36,351	37,447	38,089	39,177	40,271	40,317	41,338
GS-2	37,160	38,044	39,276	40,317	40,767	41,966	43,164	44,363	45,561	46,760
GS-3	40,548	41,900	43,252	44,604	45,957	47,309	48,661	50,013	51,365	52,718
GS-4	45,516	47,034	48,551	50,069	51,586	53,104	54,621	56,139	57,656	59,174
GS-5	50,925	52,622	54,320	56,017	57,715	59,413	61,110	62,808	64,505	66,203
GS-6	56,767	58,659	60,551	62,443	64,335	66,228	68,120	70,012	71,904	73,796
GS-7	63,081	65,184	67,287	69,390	71,493	73,596	75,699	77,802	79,905	82,007
GS-8	69,860	72,188	74,516	76,845	79,173	81,501	83,829	86,158	88,486	90,814
GS-9	77,161	79,733	82,306	84,879	87,451	90,024	92,597	95,169	97,742	100,315
GS-10	84,971	87,803	90,634	93,466	96,298	99,129	101,961	104,793	107,624	110,456
GS-11	93,358	96,470	99,583	102,696	105,808	108,921	112,034	115,146	118,259	121,371
GS-12	111,896	115,626	119,356	123,087	126,817	130,547	134,277	138,007	141,738	145,468
GS-13	133,060	137,495	141,931	146,366	150,802	155,237	159,673	164,109	168,544	172,980
GS-14	157,236	162,478	167,720	172,962	178,204	183,446	188,688	193,930	197,200	197,200
GS-15	184,950	191,116	197,200	197,200	197,200	197,200	197,200	197,200	197,200	197,200

Hourly rates in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA, 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	15.84	16.37	16.89	17.42	17.94	18.25	18.77	19.30	19.32	19.81
GS-2	17.81	18.23	18.82	19.32	19.53	20.11	20.68	21.26	21.83	22.41
GS-3	19.43	20.08	20.72	21.37	22.02	22.67	23.32	23.96	24.61	25.26
GS-4	21.81	22.54	23.26	23.99	24.72	25.45	26.17	26.90	27.63	28.35
GS-5	24.40	25.21	26.03	26.84	27.65	28.47	29.28	30.09	30.91	31.72
GS-6	27.20	28.11	29.01	29.92	30.83	31.73	32.64	33.55	34.45	35.36
GS-7	30.23	31.23	32.24	33.25	34.26	35.26	36.27	37.28	38.29	39.29
GS-8	33.47	34.59	35.70	36.82	37.94	39.05	40.17	41.28	42.40	43.51
GS-9	36.97	38.20	39.44	40.67	41.90	43.14	44.37	45.60	46.83	48.07
GS-10	40.71	42.07	43.43	44.78	46.14	47.50	48.86	50.21	51.57	52.93
GS-11	44.73	46.22	47.72	49.21	50.70	52.19	53.68	55.17	56.66	58.16
GS-12	53.62	55.40	57.19	58.98	60.77	62.55	64.34	66.13	67.91	69.70
GS-13	63.76	65.88	68.01	70.13	72.26	74.38	76.51	78.63	80.76	82.88
GS-14	75.34	77.85	80.36	82.88	85.39	87.90	90.41	92.92	94.49	94.49
GS-15	88.62	91.57	94.49	94.49	94.49	94.49	94.49	94.49	94.49	94.49

Biweekly rates in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA, 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	1,267.20	1,309.60	1,351.20	1,393.60	1,435.20	1,460.00	1,501.60	1,544.00	1,545.60	1,584.80
GS-2	1,424.80	1,458.40	1,505.60	1,545.60	1,562.40	1,608.80	1,654.40	1,700.80	1,746.40	1,792.80
GS-3	1,554.40	1,606.40	1,657.60	1,709.60	1,761.60	1,813.60	1,865.60	1,916.80	1,968.80	2,020.80
GS-4	1,744.80	1,803.20	1,860.80	1,919.20	1,977.60	2,036.00	2,093.60	2,152.00	2,210.40	2,268.00
GS-5	1,952.00	2,016.80	2,082.40	2,147.20	2,212.00	2,277.60	2,342.40	2,407.20	2,472.80	2,537.60
GS-6	2,176.00	2,248.80	2,320.80	2,393.60	2,466.40	2,538.40	2,611.20	2,684.00	2,756.00	2,828.80
GS-7	2,418.40	2,498.40	2,579.20	2,660.00	2,740.80	2,820.80	2,901.60	2,982.40	3,063.20	3,143.20
GS-8	2,677.60	2,767.20	2,856.00	2,945.60	3,035.20	3,124.00	3,213.60	3,302.40	3,392.00	3,480.80
GS-9	2,957.60	3,056.00	3,155.20	3,253.60	3,352.00	3,451.20	3,549.60	3,648.00	3,746.40	3,845.60
GS-10	3,256.80	3,365.60	3,474.40	3,582.40	3,691.20	3,800.00	3,908.80	4,016.80	4,125.60	4,234.40
GS-11	3,578.40	3,697.60	3,817.60	3,936.80	4,056.00	4,175.20	4,294.40	4,413.60	4,532.80	4,652.80
GS-12	4,289.60	4,432.00	4,575.20	4,718.40	4,861.60	5,004.00	5,147.20	5,290.40	5,432.80	5,576.00
GS-13	5,100.80	5,270.40	5,440.80	5,610.40	5,780.80	5,950.40	6,120.80	6,290.40	6,460.80	6,630.40
GS-14	6,027.20	6,228.00	6,428.80	6,630.40	6,831.20	7,032.00	7,232.80	7,433.60	7,559.20	7,559.20
GS-15	7,089.60	7,325.60	7,559.20	7,559.20	7,559.20	7,559.20	7,559.20	7,559.20	7,559.20	7,559.20

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

At 46.34%, its locality payment is the highest of the 58 areas.

10 of its 150 cells, from GS-14 step 9 up, are held to the $197,200 statutory ceiling, the most of the 58 areas.

Under the 2027 proposal this area keeps 46.34% and GS-12 step 5 keeps $126,817 (2027 pay raise; compare with Rest of U.S.).

Locality pay in San Jose, CA 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
San Jose, CA	35.75	38.17	39.28	40.35	41.44	41.44	42.74	44.15	45.41	46.34	46.34
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

From 2016 to 2026 its locality payment rose 10.59 percentage points, from 35.75% to 46.34%, the largest rise of the 58 areas; next comes Seattle, WA (+9.31 points).

What the 1990 pay law’s formula would pay in San Jose, CA

Federal Salary Council estimates for San Jose, CA 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	106.62	96.78	46.34
2025	March 2023	Locality pay area	109.43	99.46	46.34
2024	March 2022	Locality pay area	99.21	89.72	45.41
2023	March 2021	Locality pay area	94.37	85.11	44.15
2022	March 2020	Locality pay area	90.43	81.36	42.74
2021	March 2019	Locality pay area	92.67	83.50	41.44
2020	March 2018	Locality pay area	95.88	86.55	41.44
2019	March 2017	Locality pay area	98.13	88.70	40.35
2018	March 2016	Locality pay area	99.62	90.11	39.28

The formula would pay San Jose, CA 96.78%, 50.44 points above the 46.34% paid in 2026, the widest distance between formula and pay of the 57 areas with a formula rate; next comes Seattle, WA (45.35 points).

The latest estimate puts non-federal pay for the same work here 106.62% above General Schedule base pay, the largest gap of the 58 areas; next comes Seattle, WA (85.77%).

Across the nine editions checked here, the estimate for San Jose, CA has run from 90.43% (for pay in 2022) to 109.43% (for pay in 2025), the fifth-widest swing of the 56 areas with a gap in all of them.

Since the edition for pay in 2018, the first checked here, the estimate for San Jose, CA has risen 7.00 points, from 99.62% to 106.62%, the fourth-biggest rise of the 56 areas with a gap in all nine editions.

What a GS-12 step 5 buys after local prices

The areas ranked next to San Jose, CA 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
16	Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV	$104,883	94.7	$110,787
17	Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY	$106,079	95.8	$110,679
18	Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX	$101,937	92.7	$109,999
19	San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA	$126,817	115.6	$109,691
20	Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI	$113,402	103.6	$109,467
21	Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI	$106,088	96.9	$109,440
22	St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL	$104,017	95.1	$109,390

Local prices here, 115.6 against a U.S. average of 100, are the highest of the 57 areas with a price index.

Federal jobs in San Jose, CA

Federal civilian jobs at worksites in the 16 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 9,710 federal jobs in California without a county; they belong to no area. Sources and caveats.
Year	Federal civilian jobs	Share of all jobs, %	Average pay per job
2023	52,989	1.09	$112,010
2024	53,163	1.10	$115,286
2025	51,624	1.07	$118,304

Average pay per federal job, overtime included, was $118,304 in 2025, the fourth-highest of the 58 areas; across all 58 it was $105,058.

No single county holds more than 21.4% of them, the fourth-smallest such share of the 56 areas with more than one county; the most, 11,030, are in San Francisco County, California.

Counties in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA

16 counties paid at this rate

California, 16 counties

Alameda County
Calaveras County (added 2024)
Contra Costa County
Marin County
Merced County (added 2024)
Monterey County
Napa County
San Benito County
San Francisco County
San Joaquin County
San Mateo County
Santa Clara County
Santa Cruz County
Solano County
Sonoma County
Stanislaus County (added 2024)

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