Denver GS Pay Scale 2026
Locality pay area Denver-Aurora, CO — 30.52% locality payment, ranked #12 of 58. Rates below include the 2026 1% general increase and locality adjustment.
Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-DEN · area definition. Cells marked * are limited to EX-IV ($197,200).
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | 29,477 | 30,465 | 31,445 | 32,421 | 33,399 | 33,972 | 34,942 | 35,918 | 35,958 | 36,869 |
| GS-2 | 33,143 | 33,931 | 35,030 | 35,958 | 36,360 | 37,429 | 38,498 | 39,567 | 40,636 | 41,705 |
| GS-3 | 36,164 | 37,370 | 38,576 | 39,782 | 40,989 | 42,195 | 43,401 | 44,607 | 45,813 | 47,019 |
| GS-4 | 40,596 | 41,949 | 43,303 | 44,656 | 46,010 | 47,363 | 48,717 | 50,070 | 51,424 | 52,777 |
| GS-5 | 45,420 | 46,934 | 48,448 | 49,962 | 51,476 | 52,990 | 54,504 | 56,018 | 57,532 | 59,046 |
| GS-6 | 50,630 | 52,318 | 54,005 | 55,693 | 57,381 | 59,068 | 60,756 | 62,443 | 64,131 | 65,819 |
| GS-7 | 56,262 | 58,138 | 60,013 | 61,889 | 63,764 | 65,640 | 67,515 | 69,391 | 71,267 | 73,142 |
| GS-8 | 62,308 | 64,384 | 66,461 | 68,537 | 70,614 | 72,691 | 74,767 | 76,844 | 78,920 | 80,997 |
| GS-9 | 68,819 | 71,114 | 73,408 | 75,703 | 77,997 | 80,292 | 82,587 | 84,881 | 87,176 | 89,470 |
| GS-10 | 75,785 | 78,311 | 80,836 | 83,362 | 85,887 | 88,413 | 90,939 | 93,464 | 95,990 | 98,515 |
| GS-11 | 83,265 | 86,041 | 88,818 | 91,594 | 94,370 | 97,146 | 99,922 | 102,698 | 105,475 | 108,251 |
| GS-12 | 99,800 | 103,126 | 106,453 | 109,780 | 113,107 | 116,434 | 119,761 | 123,088 | 126,415 | 129,742 |
| GS-13 | 118,675 | 122,631 | 126,587 | 130,543 | 134,500 | 138,456 | 142,412 | 146,368 | 150,324 | 154,280 |
| GS-14 | 140,239 | 144,914 | 149,589 | 154,264 | 158,939 | 163,615 | 168,290 | 172,965 | 177,640 | 182,316 |
| GS-15 | 164,956 | 170,455 | 175,954 | 181,453 | 186,952 | 192,450 | 197,200* | 197,200* | 197,200* | 197,200* |
Hourly rates (step 1 / step 10)
GS-1
$14.12 – $17.67/hr
GS-2
$15.88 – $19.98/hr
GS-3
$17.33 – $22.53/hr
GS-4
$19.45 – $25.29/hr
GS-5
$21.76 – $28.29/hr
GS-6
$24.26 – $31.54/hr
GS-7
$26.96 – $35.05/hr
GS-8
$29.86 – $38.81/hr
GS-9
$32.98 – $42.87/hr
GS-10
$36.31 – $47.20/hr
GS-11
$39.90 – $51.87/hr
GS-12
$47.82 – $62.17/hr
GS-13
$56.86 – $73.92/hr
GS-14
$67.20 – $87.36/hr
GS-15
$79.04 – $94.49/hr
Private-sector pay in this area
BLS metro wage data for the same region:
Other locality areas
San Francisco Bay Area 46.34%New York 37.95%Los Angeles 36.47%Houston 35%Washington DC 33.94%San Diego 33.72%Boston 32.58%Alaska 32.36%Hartford 32.08%Seattle 31.57%Chicago 30.86%Sacramento 29.76%Detroit 29.12%Philadelphia 28.99%Minneapolis 27.62%Dallas-Fort Worth 27.26%Portland 26.13%Miami 24.67%Atlanta 23.79%Phoenix 22.45%Milwaukee 22.42%Buffalo 22.41%Richmond 22.28%Raleigh 22.24%Cleveland 22.23%Hawaii 22.21%Columbus 22.15%Cincinnati 21.93%Huntsville 21.91%Laredo 21.59%Dayton 21.42%Pittsburgh 21.03%Albany 20.77%Austin 20.35%Colorado Springs 20.15%St. Louis 20.03%Charlotte 19.67%Las Vegas 19.57%Burlington 19.45%Harrisburg 19.43%Tucson 19.28%Kansas City 18.97%Davenport 18.93%Virginia Beach 18.8%San Antonio 18.78%Albuquerque 18.33%Birmingham 18.24%Omaha 18.23%Indianapolis 18.15%Des Moines 18.01%Palm Bay 17.93%Rochester 17.88%Spokane 17.67%Fresno 17.65%Corpus Christi 17.63%Reno 17.52%Rest of U.S. 17.06%