How much does a GS-12 make in 2026?

A GS-12 earns $76,463 to $99,404 in base pay (steps 1–10). With locality pay the range is $89,508 (step 1, Rest of U.S.) to $145,468 (step 10, San Francisco Bay Area).

What is the GS-12 hourly rate?

GS-12 step 1 base is $36.64/hour; step 10 is $47.63/hour (annual ÷ 2,087). Locality pay raises these proportionally.

What is the GS-12 step increase?

Each within-grade increase (WGI) at GS-12 adds $2,549 to base pay. Steps 1–4 come every year, 5–7 every two years, 8–10 every three years.

GS-12 Pay Scale 2026

Base pay $76,463 – $99,404; with locality pay $89,508 – $145,468. Senior specialist / project lead; full-performance level for many analyst series.

Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-GS and 2026 locality tables.

Step 1 base

$76,463

$36.64/hr

Step 10 base

$99,404

$47.63/hr

Within-grade increase

$2,549

per step

Highest locality (step 10)

$145,468

San Francisco Bay Area · 46.34%

GS-12 base steps

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 5	Step 6	Step 7	Step 8	Step 9	Step 10
76,463	79,012	81,561	84,110	86,659	89,208	91,757	94,306	96,855	99,404
$36.64/hr	$37.86/hr	$39.08/hr	$40.30/hr	$41.52/hr	$42.74/hr	$43.97/hr	$45.19/hr	$46.41/hr	$47.63/hr

GS-12 salary by locality pay area (2026)

All 58 areas, highest locality percentage first. Values are annual, locality-adjusted.

Locality	%	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6	S7	S8	S9	S10
San Francisco Bay Area	46.34	111,896	115,626	119,356	123,087	126,817	130,547	134,277	138,007	141,738	145,468
New York	37.95	105,481	108,997	112,513	116,030	119,546	123,062	126,579	130,095	133,611	137,128
Los Angeles	36.47	104,349	107,828	111,306	114,785	118,264	121,742	125,221	128,699	132,178	135,657
Houston	35.00	103,225	106,666	110,107	113,549	116,990	120,431	123,872	127,313	130,754	134,195
Washington DC	33.94	102,415	105,829	109,243	112,657	116,071	119,485	122,899	126,313	129,728	133,142
San Diego	33.72	102,246	105,655	109,063	112,472	115,880	119,289	122,697	126,106	129,515	132,923
Boston	32.58	101,375	104,754	108,134	111,513	114,893	118,272	121,651	125,031	128,410	131,790
Alaska	32.36	101,206	104,580	107,954	111,328	114,702	118,076	121,450	124,823	128,197	131,571
Hartford	32.08	100,992	104,359	107,726	111,092	114,459	117,826	121,193	124,559	127,926	131,293
Seattle	31.57	100,602	103,956	107,310	110,664	114,017	117,371	120,725	124,078	127,432	130,786
Chicago	30.86	100,059	103,395	106,731	110,066	113,402	116,738	120,073	123,409	126,744	130,080
Denver	30.52	99,800	103,126	106,453	109,780	113,107	116,434	119,761	123,088	126,415	129,742
Sacramento	29.76	99,218	102,526	105,834	109,141	112,449	115,756	119,064	122,371	125,679	128,987
Detroit	29.12	98,729	102,020	105,312	108,603	111,894	115,185	118,477	121,768	125,059	128,350
Philadelphia	28.99	98,630	101,918	105,206	108,493	111,781	115,069	118,357	121,645	124,933	128,221
Minneapolis	27.62	97,582	100,835	104,088	107,341	110,594	113,847	117,100	120,353	123,606	126,859
Dallas-Fort Worth	27.26	97,307	100,551	103,795	107,038	110,282	113,526	116,770	120,014	123,258	126,502
Portland	26.13	96,443	99,658	102,873	106,088	109,303	112,518	115,733	118,948	122,163	125,378
Miami	24.67	95,326	98,504	101,682	104,860	108,038	111,216	114,393	117,571	120,749	123,927
Atlanta	23.79	94,654	97,809	100,964	104,120	107,275	110,431	113,586	116,741	119,897	123,052
Phoenix	22.45	93,629	96,750	99,871	102,993	106,114	109,235	112,356	115,478	118,599	121,720
Milwaukee	22.42	93,606	96,726	99,847	102,967	106,088	109,208	112,329	115,449	118,570	121,690
Buffalo	22.41	93,598	96,719	99,839	102,959	106,079	109,200	112,320	115,440	118,560	121,680
Richmond	22.28	93,499	96,616	99,733	102,850	105,967	109,084	112,200	115,317	118,434	121,551
Raleigh	22.24	93,468	96,584	99,700	102,816	105,932	109,048	112,164	115,280	118,396	121,511
Cleveland	22.23	93,461	96,576	99,692	102,808	105,923	109,039	112,155	115,270	118,386	121,502
Hawaii	22.21	93,445	96,561	99,676	102,791	105,906	109,021	112,136	115,251	118,366	121,482
Columbus	22.15	93,400	96,513	99,627	102,740	105,854	108,968	112,081	115,195	118,308	121,422
Cincinnati	21.93	93,231	96,339	99,447	102,555	105,663	108,771	111,879	114,987	118,095	121,203
Huntsville	21.91	93,216	96,324	99,431	102,539	105,646	108,753	111,861	114,968	118,076	121,183
Laredo	21.59	92,971	96,071	99,170	102,269	105,369	108,468	111,567	114,667	117,766	120,865
Dayton	21.42	92,841	95,936	99,031	102,126	105,221	108,316	111,411	114,506	117,601	120,696
Pittsburgh	21.03	92,543	95,628	98,713	101,798	104,883	107,968	111,053	114,139	117,224	120,309
Albany	20.77	92,344	95,423	98,501	101,580	104,658	107,737	110,815	113,893	116,972	120,050
Austin	20.35	92,023	95,091	98,159	101,226	104,294	107,362	110,430	113,497	116,565	119,633
Colorado Springs	20.15	91,870	94,933	97,996	101,058	104,121	107,183	110,246	113,309	116,371	119,434
St. Louis	20.03	91,779	94,838	97,898	100,957	104,017	107,076	110,136	113,195	116,255	119,315
Charlotte	19.67	91,503	94,554	97,604	100,654	103,705	106,755	109,806	112,856	115,906	118,957
Las Vegas	19.57	91,427	94,475	97,522	100,570	103,618	106,666	109,714	112,762	115,810	118,857
Burlington	19.45	91,335	94,380	97,425	100,469	103,514	106,559	109,604	112,649	115,693	118,738
Harrisburg	19.43	91,320	94,364	97,408	100,453	103,497	106,541	109,585	112,630	115,674	118,718
Tucson	19.28	91,205	94,246	97,286	100,326	103,367	106,407	109,448	112,488	115,529	118,569
Kansas City	18.97	90,968	94,001	97,033	100,066	103,098	106,131	109,163	112,196	115,228	118,261
Davenport	18.93	90,937	93,969	97,000	100,032	103,064	106,095	109,127	112,158	115,190	118,221
Virginia Beach	18.80	90,838	93,866	96,894	99,923	102,951	105,979	109,007	112,036	115,064	118,092
San Antonio	18.78	90,823	93,850	96,878	99,906	102,934	105,961	108,989	112,017	115,044	118,072
Albuquerque	18.33	90,479	93,495	96,511	99,527	102,544	105,560	108,576	111,592	114,609	117,625
Birmingham	18.24	90,410	93,424	96,438	99,452	102,466	105,480	108,493	111,507	114,521	117,535
Omaha	18.23	90,402	93,416	96,430	99,443	102,457	105,471	108,484	111,498	114,512	117,525
Indianapolis	18.15	90,341	93,353	96,364	99,376	102,388	105,399	108,411	111,423	114,434	117,446
Des Moines	18.01	90,234	93,242	96,250	99,258	102,266	105,274	108,282	111,291	114,299	117,307
Palm Bay	17.93	90,173	93,179	96,185	99,191	102,197	105,203	108,209	111,215	114,221	117,227
Rochester	17.88	90,135	93,139	96,144	99,149	102,154	105,158	108,163	111,168	114,173	117,177
Spokane	17.67	89,974	92,973	95,973	98,972	101,972	104,971	107,970	110,970	113,969	116,969
Fresno	17.65	89,959	92,958	95,957	98,955	101,954	104,953	107,952	110,951	113,950	116,949
Corpus Christi	17.63	89,943	92,942	95,940	98,939	101,937	104,935	107,934	110,932	113,931	116,929
Reno	17.52	89,859	92,855	95,850	98,846	101,842	104,837	107,833	110,828	113,824	116,820
Rest of U.S.	17.06	89,508	92,491	95,475	98,459	101,443	104,427	107,411	110,395	113,378	116,362

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How GS-12 compares to private-sector pay

Federal pay is set by table; the market sets private pay. Compare against BLS occupational medians in your metro — accountant, Washington DC, data analyst, Washington DC, or any occupation.