GS Pay Scale 2026: Base Pay Tables, Locality Pay, and FERS Pension Impact
The 2026 General Schedule received a 1.0% across-the-board base pay increase effective January 11, 2026 — the first day of the first applicable pay period of the year. Locality pay percentages are frozen at 2025 levels (0% locality pay raise) with the full pay order directing the increase to base pay only.1 This page has the complete base pay table for all 15 grades and 10 steps, all 58 locality pay area rates, and an interactive calculator to see your locality-adjusted salary and what it means for your FERS retirement annuity.
GS Salary Calculator: Your 2026 Locality-Adjusted Pay
Select your grade, step, and locality area. The calculator shows your annual pay, biweekly paycheck amount, and the value of your current salary to your FERS pension at different service lengths.
How GS Pay Works: Base Pay + Locality Pay
GS pay has two components:
- Base pay — set by the 15-grade, 10-step General Schedule table, uniform nationwide. It increases each year by the across-the-board raise percentage. In 2026: +1.0%.
- Locality pay — a percentage added on top of base pay to reflect local private-sector wages. In 2026, locality percentages range from 17.06% (Rest of U.S.) to 46.34% (San Jose–San Francisco). Locality pay rates were frozen at 2025 levels for 2026.
The formula: Annual pay = Base pay × (1 + locality rate). Your SF-50 and Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) already show the locality-inclusive amount. Both base pay and locality pay count toward your FERS high-3 average salary — and both are subject to FERS retirement deductions.
2026 GS Base Pay Table (All Grades & Steps)
Annual rates effective January 11, 2026. These are base pay amounts before any locality pay adjustment. Incorporates the 1.0% across-the-board increase per OPM Salary Table 2026-GS.1
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 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 |
Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-GS, effective January 11, 2026. Add your locality pay percentage to find your full annual pay.
2026 Locality Pay Rates — All 58 Areas
Locality pay rates are set by OPM based on comparisons to private-sector wages in each area. They are unchanged from 2025 for all areas in 2026. If your duty station isn't listed in any named locality area, you receive the Rest of United States rate of 17.06%.3
| Locality Pay Area | 2026 Rate |
|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | 46.34% |
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | 37.95% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | 36.47% |
| Houston-The Woodlands, TX-LA | 35.00% |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | 33.94% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 33.72% |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | 32.58% |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% |
| Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | 32.08% |
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | 31.57% |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | 30.86% |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | 30.52% |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | 29.76% |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | 29.12% |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 28.99% |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | 27.62% |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | 27.26% |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | 26.13% |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | 24.67% |
| Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | 23.79% |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | 22.45% |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | 22.42% |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | 22.41% |
| Richmond, VA | 22.28% |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | 22.24% |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | 22.23% |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | 22.15% |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | 21.93% |
| Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | 21.91% |
| Laredo, TX | 21.59% |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | 21.42% |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | 21.03% |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | 20.77% |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 20.35% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 20.15% |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | 20.03% |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | 19.67% |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | 19.57% |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | 19.45% |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | 19.43% |
| Tucson-Nogales, AZ | 19.28% |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | 18.97% |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | 18.93% |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | 18.80% |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | 18.78% |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | 18.33% |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | 18.24% |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | 18.23% |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | 18.15% |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | 18.01% |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 17.93% |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | 17.88% |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | 17.67% |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | 17.65% |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | 17.63% |
| Reno-Fernley, NV | 17.52% |
| Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro, TN | 17.06% |
| Rest of United States | 17.06% |
How Your GS Salary Affects Your FERS Pension
The FERS basic annuity formula is simple: Multiplier × Years of Service × High-3 Average Salary. The multiplier is 1.0% for most retirees, or 1.1% if you retire at age 62 or older with at least 20 years of service. Your high-3 is the highest average locality-adjusted base pay you earned over any 36 consecutive months.2
What this means in practice: every additional $1,000 in your annual salary adds $10–$11 per year to your FERS pension for each year of service credit. At 25 years of service, a $3,582 step increase (one GS-14 step) boosts your pension by roughly $895/year — guaranteed for life, with FERS COLA adjustments after age 62.
GS-14 Washington, DC Area — Pension Impact at Key Service Milestones
GS-14 Step 1 in Washington-Baltimore area: $107,446 × 1.3394 = $143,913/yr
| Service years | Retire before 62 (1% multiplier) | Retire at 62+ (1.1% multiplier) | Monthly pension |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 years | $28,783/yr | $31,661/yr | $2,399–$2,638/mo |
| 25 years | $35,978/yr | $39,576/yr | $2,998–$3,298/mo |
| 30 years | $43,174/yr | $47,491/yr | $3,598–$3,957/mo |
| 35 years | $50,370/yr | $55,407/yr | $4,198–$4,617/mo |
Plus FERS supplement until age 62 (if MRA eligible), Social Security, and TSP withdrawals — the full three-legged stool. The FERS supplement adds roughly $16,000–$20,000/yr for most GS-14 retirees until SS begins.
GS Step Increases: When Do You Get Your Next Raise?
Within-grade increases (WGIs) advance you one step at a time if your performance is at an acceptable level. The waiting period between steps is set by statute (5 U.S.C. § 5335):4
- Steps 1 → 2, 2 → 3, 3 → 4: 52 weeks (one year) each
- Steps 4 → 5, 5 → 6, 6 → 7: 104 weeks (two years) each
- Steps 7 → 8, 8 → 9, 9 → 10: 156 weeks (three years) each
The total time from Step 1 to Step 10 is 18 years. LWOP (leave without pay) over 80 hours in a year delays the waiting period by one week for each additional week of LWOP. Outstanding performance can accelerate a WGI by one waiting period under a Quality Step Increase (QSI) — but these are discretionary and agency-dependent.
2026 Pay Raise Context: Why 1% Base with No Locality Increase?
The 2026 pay order directed a total average raise of approximately 1.0%, allocated entirely to the across-the-board base pay component. The locality pay component received a 0% increase — which is unusual; typically the White House allocates some of the raise to locality pay to address pay gaps in high-cost areas. The Federal Salary Council had recommended larger locality increases for several areas, but the 2026 executive order did not implement them.5
For federal employees approaching retirement, the freeze in locality pay rates has a direct pension implication: your locality-adjusted salary grows more slowly than in years with locality increases, which affects your high-3 trajectory for employees in named localities.
Need Help Modeling Your Federal Retirement Income?
Your GS pay is one input into a complex multi-piece retirement income plan: FERS annuity, FERS supplement, Social Security timing, TSP withdrawal strategy, and FEHB coordination. A fee-only advisor who specializes in federal benefits has done this math for hundreds of employees at your grade level and can show you the exact numbers for your situation.
Get matched with a federal benefits advisor
Your GS pay is one input into a complex multi-piece retirement income plan: FERS annuity, FERS supplement, Social Security timing, TSP withdrawal strategy, and FEHB coordination. A fee-only advisor who specializes in federal benefits has done this math for hundreds of employees at your grade level and can show you the exact numbers for your situation.
Sources
- OPM Salary Table 2026-GS — 1% General Schedule increase, effective January 11, 2026
- 5 U.S.C. § 8401(4) — definition of "basic pay" for FERS purposes
- OPM 2026 General Schedule Locality Pay Tables — all 58 locality areas and rates
- 5 U.S.C. § 5335 — within-grade increases; waiting periods
- OPM January 2026 Pay Examples and Pay Adjustment Fact Sheet
All GS base pay values and locality pay percentages verified against OPM Salary Tables for 2026, published January 2026. Values current as of June 2026.