What is the 2026 GS pay raise?

The 2026 General Schedule includes a 1% across-the-board increase, effective January 2026. Locality rates vary from 17.06% (Rest of U.S.) to 46.34% (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA).

How is GS locality pay calculated?

Locality pay = base rate × (1 + locality percentage), rounded to the nearest dollar, and capped at Executive Schedule Level IV ($197,200 in 2026). Example: GS-13 step 1 base $90,925 × 1.4634 = $133,060 in San Francisco Bay Area.

What does a GS-13 make?

In 2026 a GS-13 earns $90,925–$118,204 base, or $106,437–$172,980 once locality pay is applied, depending on duty station.

2026 GS Pay Scale — Federal General Schedule

The official 2026 salary table for U.S. federal civilian employees on the General Schedule: 15 grades × 10 steps, with a 1% general increase effective January 2026. Base rates below; add your locality percentage (17.06% Rest of U.S. up to 46.34% San Francisco Bay Area) for take-home-relevant pay.

Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-GS. Rates capped at EX-IV $197,200 (5 U.S.C. 5304(g)(1)).

Base pay table (before locality)

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

Pay by grade

2026 locality pay areas (58)

Ranked by locality percentage. Click an area for its full 15 × 10 table.

Locality pay area	Locality %	GS-7 step 1	GS-12 step 1	GS-13 step 10
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA	46.34%	63,081	111,896	172,980
New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA	37.95%	59,465	105,481	163,062
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA	36.47%	58,827	104,349	161,313
Houston-The Woodlands, TX	35.00%	58,193	103,225	159,575
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA	33.94%	57,736	102,415	158,322
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	33.72%	57,641	102,246	158,062
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT	32.58%	57,150	101,375	156,715
State of Alaska	32.36%	57,055	101,206	156,455
Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA	32.08%	56,934	100,992	156,124
Seattle-Tacoma, WA	31.57%	56,715	100,602	155,521
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI	30.86%	56,409	100,059	154,682
Denver-Aurora, CO	30.52%	56,262	99,800	154,280
Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV	29.76%	55,934	99,218	153,382
Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI	29.12%	55,658	98,729	152,625
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD	28.99%	55,602	98,630	152,471
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI	27.62%	55,012	97,582	150,852
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK	27.26%	54,857	97,307	150,426
Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA	26.13%	54,370	96,443	149,091
Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL	24.67%	53,740	95,326	147,365
Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL	23.79%	53,361	94,654	146,325
Phoenix-Mesa, AZ	22.45%	52,783	93,629	144,741
Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI	22.42%	52,770	93,606	144,705
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY	22.41%	52,766	93,598	144,694
Richmond, VA	22.28%	52,710	93,499	144,540
Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC	22.24%	52,693	93,468	144,493
Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA	22.23%	52,688	93,461	144,481
State of Hawaii	22.21%	52,680	93,445	144,457
Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH	22.15%	52,654	93,400	144,386
Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN	21.93%	52,559	93,231	144,126
Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN	21.91%	52,551	93,216	144,102
Laredo, TX	21.59%	52,413	92,971	143,724
Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH	21.42%	52,339	92,841	143,523
Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV	21.03%	52,171	92,543	143,062
Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA	20.77%	52,059	92,344	142,755
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX	20.35%	51,878	92,023	142,259
Colorado Springs, CO	20.15%	51,792	91,870	142,022
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL	20.03%	51,740	91,779	141,880
Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC	19.67%	51,585	91,503	141,455
Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ	19.57%	51,542	91,427	141,337
Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT	19.45%	51,490	91,335	141,195
Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA	19.43%	51,481	91,320	141,171
Tucson-Nogales, AZ	19.28%	51,417	91,205	140,994
Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS	18.97%	51,283	90,968	140,627
Davenport-Moline, IA-IL	18.93%	51,266	90,937	140,580
Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC	18.80%	51,210	90,838	140,426
San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX	18.78%	51,201	90,823	140,403
Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM	18.33%	51,007	90,479	139,871
Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL	18.24%	50,969	90,410	139,764
Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA	18.23%	50,964	90,402	139,753
Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN	18.15%	50,930	90,341	139,658
Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA	18.01%	50,869	90,234	139,493
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL	17.93%	50,835	90,173	139,398
Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY	17.88%	50,813	90,135	139,339
Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID	17.67%	50,723	89,974	139,091
Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA	17.65%	50,714	89,959	139,067
Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX	17.63%	50,706	89,943	139,043
Reno-Fernley, NV	17.52%	50,658	89,859	138,913
Rest of United States	17.06%	50,460	89,508	138,370

Federal vs. private-sector pay

GS pay is fixed by grade and step; private pay is set by the market. To see what the same occupation earns outside government in your metro, use the BLS occupational wage pages — for example accountants in Washington DC or registered nurses in New York.