GS Pay Scale 2026
Look up 2026 General Schedule pay for any grade, step and locality: OPM's base table, all 58 locality percentages, the EX-IV cap, and your annual, hourly and biweekly pay.
GS pay calculator (2026)
2026 GS pay table:
GS pay scale 2026: base pay table
The General Schedule (GS) covers most federal white-collar employees, in 15 grades with 10 steps each. For 2026 the base rates rose 1%, and locality payments stayed at their 2025 levels (OPM). Base pay 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 |
Locality pay: why the same grade pays more in some cities
Every GS employee also gets a locality payment for their pay area, from 17.06% in the "Rest of U.S." to 46.34% in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. Pay = base × (1 + locality %), and locality-adjusted pay is capped at the Executive Schedule level IV rate, $197,200 in 2026. Examples: GS-13 step 1 in Washington-Baltimore (33.94%) pays $121,785; GS-7 step 1 in the Rest of U.S. pays $50,460.
How GS steps work
New employees usually start at step 1 of their grade. Within-grade increases come after 52 weeks at steps 1–3, 104 weeks at steps 4–6, and 156 weeks at steps 7–9, with acceptable performance. Hourly rates divide annual pay by 2,087 hours, as OPM's tables do.
Planning federal retirement? See the FERS retirement calculator and the TSP calculator.
Common questions
What is the 2026 GS pay raise?
1% to base pay; locality percentages stayed at 2025 levels.
How much does a GS-12 make in 2026?
Base pay $76,463 at step 1 to $99,404 at step 10, plus locality pay (17.06% to 46.34%).
What is the highest locality pay area?
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA at 46.34%, followed by New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA (37.95%).
Is GS pay capped?
Yes. Locality-adjusted GS pay can't exceed the EX-IV rate, $197,200 in 2026.
Sources
- OPM: Salary Table 2026-GS (base rates, 1% increase)
- Executive Order 14368, Schedule 9: 2026 locality pay (Federal Register)
- FEDweek: OPM guidance on the 2026 raise (EX-IV cap $197,200)
- OPM: 2026 General Schedule pay tables by locality
More paycheck and tax calculators: Taxable Income Calculator · Paycheck Estimator Virginia · 1095 A · 1095 B
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General information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Check important numbers with the official source before acting on them.