2026 GS Pay Scale
The 2026 General Schedule base table, transcribed from OPM's Salary Table 2026-GS. A large share of the military community continues into federal civilian service, so this table lives beside our military pay chart: same easy-to-understand treatment, same sourcing rules.
2026 GS base pay (annual)
| 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 |
Annual base rates before locality pay. Within-grade step increases (WGI) require completing the waiting period at each step: 52 weeks for steps 2 through 4, 104 weeks for steps 5 through 7, and 156 weeks for steps 8 through 10, with acceptable performance.
Locality pay: the number your offer letter actually uses
Almost every GS employee is paid the base rate above plus a locality percentage set for their metro area (or the "Rest of U.S." rate). Locality can add roughly 17% to over 40% depending on where you work, so the same GS-9 Step 1 job pays very different totals in different cities.
OPM publishes every 2026 locality table and an official calculator. Enter your grade, step, and duty station there for the exact figure:
- OPM: Salaries and Wages (all 2026 tables)
- Law enforcement officers at GS-3 through GS-10 use a separate, higher table, also on OPM's site.
- Some occupations carry special rate tables that pay above this chart.
For the military community
Federal civilian service is one of the most common landing spots after the military, and a few money facts are worth knowing before you compare offers.
- Veterans' preference affects hiring, not pay: your GS grade and step set the paycheck. Details at FedsHireVets.gov, the official OPM site.
- Military service credit (the "buyback"): a deposit for your active duty years can count that time toward federal retirement. Your HR office and DFAS handle the estimate; it is generally cheapest to start early.
- Military retirees and Guard/Reserve members can generally draw retired pay or drill pay alongside a GS salary; the interactions have rules, so confirm your situation with your HR office before counting on both.
- Comparing an offer to military pay? Remember BAH and BAS are untaxed; a GS salary is fully taxable. The 2026 military pay chart and the Budget Builder can put both side by side.
Sources
Transcribed July 15, 2026 from OPM Salary Table 2026-GS (incorporating the 1% General Schedule increase, effective January 2026). StandWatch is not a government agency and is not affiliated with OPM; this page is education, not pay or hiring advice.
