GS-15 Pay Scale 2026

Base pay $126,384 – $164,301; with locality pay $147,945 – $197,200. Division director or senior technical expert; top of the General Schedule.

Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-GS and 2026 locality tables. Cells marked * are limited to EX-IV ($197,200).

Step 1 base
$126,384
$60.56/hr
Step 10 base
$164,301
$78.73/hr
Within-grade increase
$4,213
per step
Highest locality (step 10)
$197,200
San Francisco Bay Area · 46.34%

GS-15 base steps

Step 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5Step 6Step 7Step 8Step 9Step 10
126,384130,597134,810139,023143,236147,449151,662155,875160,088164,301
$60.56/hr$62.58/hr$64.60/hr$66.61/hr$68.63/hr$70.65/hr$72.67/hr$74.69/hr$76.71/hr$78.73/hr

GS-15 salary by locality pay area (2026)

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

Locality%S1S2S3S4S5S6S7S8S9S10
San Francisco Bay Area46.34184,950191,116197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
New York37.95174,347180,159185,970191,782197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Los Angeles36.47172,476178,226183,975189,725195,474197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Houston35.00170,618176,306181,994187,681193,369197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Washington DC33.94169,279174,922180,565186,207191,850197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
San Diego33.72169,001174,634180,268185,902191,535197,169197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Boston32.58167,560173,146178,731184,317189,902195,488197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Alaska32.36167,282172,858178,435184,011189,587195,163197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Hartford32.08166,928172,493178,057183,622189,186194,751197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Seattle31.57166,283171,826177,370182,913188,456193,999197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Chicago30.86165,386170,899176,412181,925187,439192,952197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Denver30.52164,956170,455175,954181,453186,952192,450197,200*197,200*197,200*197,200*
Sacramento29.76163,996169,463174,929180,396185,863191,330196,797197,200*197,200*197,200*
Detroit29.12163,187168,627174,067179,506184,946190,386195,826197,200*197,200*197,200*
Philadelphia28.99163,023168,457173,891179,326184,760190,194195,629197,200*197,200*197,200*
Minneapolis27.62161,291166,668172,045177,421182,798188,174193,551197,200*197,200*197,200*
Dallas-Fort Worth27.26160,836166,198171,559176,921182,282187,644193,005197,200*197,200*197,200*
Portland26.13159,408164,722170,036175,350180,664185,977191,291196,605197,200*197,200*
Miami24.67157,563162,815168,068173,320178,572183,825189,077194,329197,200*197,200*
Atlanta23.79156,451161,666166,881172,097177,312182,527187,742192,958197,200*197,200*
Phoenix22.45154,757159,916165,075170,234175,392180,551185,710190,869196,028197,200*
Milwaukee22.42154,719159,877165,034170,192175,350180,507185,665190,822195,980197,200*
Buffalo22.41154,707159,864165,021170,178175,335180,492185,649190,807195,964197,200*
Richmond22.28154,542159,694164,846169,997175,149180,301185,452190,604195,756197,200*
Raleigh22.24154,492159,642164,792169,942175,092180,242185,392190,542195,692197,200*
Cleveland22.23154,479159,629164,778169,928175,077180,227185,376190,526195,676197,200*
Hawaii22.21154,454159,603164,751169,900175,049180,197185,346190,495195,644197,200*
Columbus22.15154,378159,524164,670169,817174,963180,109185,255190,401195,547197,200*
Cincinnati21.93154,100159,237164,374169,511174,648179,785184,921190,058195,195197,200*
Huntsville21.91154,075159,211164,347169,483174,619179,755184,891190,027195,163197,200*
Laredo21.59153,670158,793163,915169,038174,161179,283184,406189,528194,651197,200*
Dayton21.42153,455158,571163,686168,802173,917179,033184,148189,263194,379197,200*
Pittsburgh21.03152,963158,062163,161168,260173,359178,458183,557188,656193,755197,200*
Albany20.77152,634157,722162,810167,898172,986178,074183,162188,250193,338197,200*
Austin20.35152,103157,173162,244167,314172,385177,455182,525187,596192,666197,200*
Colorado Springs20.15151,850156,912161,974167,036172,098177,160182,222187,284192,346197,200*
St. Louis20.03151,699156,756161,812166,869171,926176,983182,040187,097192,154197,200*
Charlotte19.67151,244156,285161,327166,369171,411176,452181,494186,536191,577196,619
Las Vegas19.57151,117156,155161,192166,230171,267176,305181,342186,380191,417196,455
Burlington19.45150,966155,998161,031166,063171,095176,128181,160186,193191,225196,258
Harrisburg19.43150,940155,972161,004166,035171,067176,098181,130186,162191,193196,225
Tucson19.28150,751155,776160,801165,827170,852175,877180,902185,928190,953195,978
Kansas City18.97150,359155,371160,383165,396170,408175,420180,432185,444190,457195,469
Davenport18.93150,308155,319160,330165,340170,351175,361180,372185,382190,393195,403
Virginia Beach18.80150,144155,149160,154165,159170,164175,169180,174185,180190,185195,190
San Antonio18.78150,119155,123160,127165,132170,136175,140180,144185,148190,153195,157
Albuquerque18.33149,550154,535159,521164,506169,491174,476179,462184,447189,432194,417
Birmingham18.24149,436154,418159,399164,381169,362174,344179,325184,307189,288194,270
Omaha18.23149,424154,405159,386164,367169,348174,329179,310184,291189,272194,253
Indianapolis18.15149,323154,300159,278164,256169,233174,211179,189184,166189,144194,122
Des Moines18.01149,146154,118159,089164,061169,033174,005178,976183,948188,920193,892
Palm Bay17.93149,045154,013158,981163,950168,918173,887178,855183,823188,792193,760
Rochester17.88148,981153,948158,914163,880168,847173,813178,779183,745188,712193,678
Spokane17.67148,716153,673158,631163,588168,546173,503178,461183,418188,376193,333
Fresno17.65148,691153,647158,604163,561168,517173,474178,430183,387188,344193,300
Corpus Christi17.63148,665153,621158,577163,533168,489173,444178,400183,356188,312193,267
Reno17.52148,526153,478158,429163,380168,331173,282178,233183,184188,135193,087
Rest of U.S.17.06147,945152,877157,809162,740167,672172,604177,536182,467187,399192,331
← GS-14All grades

How GS-15 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.