Turbo Takeaways
- The General Schedule (GS) pay scale covers about 1.5 million federal civilian employees in white-collar professional, administrative, and technical positions.
- Pay is determined by grade level (GS-1 to GS-15) and step (1 to 10), with locality pay adjustments applied on top of base pay depending on geographic area.
- For 2026, OPM implemented a 1% across-the-board base pay increase effective January 11, 2026, with locality pay rates held at 2025 levels.
What Is the General Schedule Pay Scale?
The General Schedule (GS) pay scale is a system that determines the salaries of federal government employees across 15 grade levels. Established in 1949, the classification standards, pay structure, and requirements are administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
For 2026, the GS basic pay schedule received a 1% across-the-board increase, effective January 11, 2026 (as mandated by executive order), with locality pay rates remaining at 2025 levels.
This guide explains how the system works, provides the 2026 GS pay scale tables, and breaks down the pay structure and grade progression.
2026 Base Rate Salary Chart
Salaries under the GS system combine a base pay rate and a locality pay adjustment (locality pay tables). Base pay is determined by grade (GS-1 through GS-15) and step (1 through 10).
Locality pay is then added on top to reflect the cost of living in different geographic areas. For example, a GS-7 employee in San Francisco earns more than a GS-7 employee in Atlanta does.
The GS pay table below shows the 2026 GS base pay rates, effective January 11, 2026, incorporating the 1% across-the-board General Schedule increase.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $22,584 | $23,341 | $24,092 | $24,840 | $25,589 | $26,028 | $26,771 | $27,519 | $27,550 | $28,248 |
| 2 | $25,393 | $25,997 | $26,839 | $27,550 | $27,858 | $28,677 | $29,496 | $30,315 | $31,134 | $31,953 |
| 3 | $27,708 | $28,632 | $29,556 | $30,480 | $31,404 | $32,328 | $33,252 | $34,176 | $35,100 | $36,024 |
| 4 | $31,103 | $32,140 | $33,177 | $34,214 | $35,251 | $36,288 | $37,325 | $38,362 | $39,399 | $40,436 |
| 5 | $34,799 | $35,959 | $37,119 | $38,279 | $39,439 | $40,599 | $41,759 | $42,919 | $44,079 | $45,239 |
| 6 | $38,791 | $40,084 | $41,377 | $42,670 | $43,963 | $45,256 | $46,549 | $47,842 | $49,135 | $50,428 |
| 7 | $43,106 | $44,543 | $45,980 | $47,417 | $48,854 | $50,291 | $51,728 | $53,165 | $54,602 | $56,039 |
| 8 | $47,738 | $49,329 | $50,920 | $52,511 | $54,102 | $55,693 | $57,284 | $58,875 | $60,466 | $62,057 |
| 9 | $52,727 | $54,485 | $56,243 | $58,001 | $59,759 | $61,517 | $63,275 | $65,033 | $66,791 | $68,549 |
| 10 | $58,064 | $59,999 | $61,934 | $63,869 | $65,804 | $67,739 | $69,674 | $71,609 | $73,544 | $75,479 |
| 11 | $63,795 | $65,922 | $68,049 | $70,176 | $72,303 | $74,430 | $76,557 | $78,684 | $80,811 | $82,938 |
| 12 | $76,463 | $79,012 | $81,561 | $84,110 | $86,659 | $89,208 | $91,757 | $94,306 | $96,855 | $99,404 |
| 13 | $90,925 | $93,956 | $96,987 | $100,018 | $103,049 | $106,080 | $109,111 | $112,142 | $115,173 | $118,204 |
| 14 | $107,446 | $111,028 | $114,610 | $118,192 | $121,774 | $125,356 | $128,938 | $132,520 | $136,102 | $139,684 |
| 15 | $126,384 | $130,597 | $134,810 | $139,023 | $143,236 | $147,449 | $151,662 | $155,875 | $160,088 | $164,301 |
Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-GS, effective January 11, 2026. Base rates before locality pay adjustments.
2026 Hourly Rate Salary Chart
The hourly rate chart shows equivalent hourly pay for General Schedule employees. Hourly rates are calculated by dividing annual base pay by the number of work hours, as established by OPM. These rates apply before locality pay adjustments.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10.82 | $11.18 | $11.54 | $11.90 | $12.26 | $12.47 | $12.83 | $13.19 | $13.20 | $13.54 |
| 2 | $12.17 | $12.46 | $12.86 | $13.20 | $13.35 | $13.74 | $14.13 | $14.53 | $14.92 | $15.31 |
| 3 | $13.28 | $13.72 | $14.16 | $14.60 | $15.05 | $15.49 | $15.93 | $16.37 | $16.82 | $17.26 |
| 4 | $14.90 | $15.40 | $15.90 | $16.40 | $16.89 | $17.39 | $17.89 | $18.38 | $18.88 | $19.38 |
| 5 | $16.67 | $17.23 | $17.79 | $18.35 | $18.90 | $19.45 | $20.01 | $20.57 | $21.12 | $21.68 |
| 6 | $18.59 | $19.21 | $19.83 | $20.44 | $21.07 | $21.69 | $22.30 | $22.92 | $23.54 | $24.16 |
| 7 | $20.65 | $21.34 | $22.03 | $22.72 | $23.41 | $24.10 | $24.78 | $25.47 | $26.16 | $26.85 |
| 8 | $22.87 | $23.63 | $24.40 | $25.16 | $25.92 | $26.68 | $27.45 | $28.21 | $28.97 | $29.74 |
| 9 | $25.26 | $26.10 | $26.95 | $27.79 | $28.63 | $29.47 | $30.32 | $31.16 | $32.00 | $32.85 |
| 10 | $27.82 | $28.75 | $29.68 | $30.60 | $31.53 | $32.46 | $33.39 | $34.31 | $35.24 | $36.17 |
| 11 | $30.57 | $31.59 | $32.61 | $33.63 | $34.65 | $35.67 | $36.69 | $37.71 | $38.72 | $39.74 |
| 12 | $36.64 | $37.86 | $39.08 | $40.30 | $41.52 | $42.75 | $43.96 | $45.18 | $46.41 | $47.63 |
| 13 | $43.57 | $45.02 | $46.47 | $47.94 | $49.38 | $50.83 | $52.28 | $53.73 | $55.19 | $56.64 |
| 14 | $51.48 | $53.20 | $54.91 | $56.63 | $58.35 | $60.06 | $61.78 | $63.49 | $65.21 | $66.93 |
| 15 | $60.56 | $62.57 | $64.60 | $66.62 | $68.64 | $70.65 | $72.68 | $74.69 | $76.71 | $78.73 |
Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-GS. Hourly rates calculated by dividing annual base pay by 2,087 work hours per OPM standard.
How Does the GS Pay Scale Work?
The General Schedule is the primary federal pay scale for white-collar employees in professional, clerical, administrative, or technical positions. The system consists of 15 pay grades, each with 10 steps.
Grade Levels
The GS pay scale has 15 grades, from GS-1 to GS-15. The higher your grade, the higher your pay can be, with higher grades reflecting increased levels of responsibility. For example, a GS-1 employee earns less than a GS-10 employee.
Each agency determines the grade level for every job based on responsibility, required credentials, and level of difficulty.
Steps Within Grades
Each grade level has 10 steps, and employees generally advance to the next step based on performance, with salary increases roughly every 1 to 3 years. Within-grade step increases typically add about 3% to the employee's salary.
Advancing from step 1 to step 10 in the same grade typically takes about 18 years, though some GS employees may qualify for accelerated increases based on exceptional performance.
Grade Level Progress
Federal employees are eligible for pay increases based on performance and time in service. Some positions are designated as “career ladders,” which allow for faster promotion through grades.
For example, a GS-5 to GS-9 career ladder can allow a recent graduate to progress in three years. Since the GS-9 pay scale is significantly higher than GS-5, this can lead to a substantial increase in earnings.
Many GS positions follow structured career paths (for example, a GS-7 role might carry a promotion potential of GS-11), allowing the agency to advance the employee through grade levels without a separate competitive process.
Pay Tables
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management oversees the GS pay scale, classifications, policies, and annual adjustments. These tables are updated every year to account for changes in the Employment Cost Index (ECI) and cost of living.
Each of the federal agencies categorizes its positions and fills them in accordance with OPM pay regulations. The organization publishes updated GS pay tables each January, which agencies use to set employee compensation for that year. If you’re considering a position with a federal agency or applying for federal jobs, a pay table can help you estimate your gross and net pay.
The Federal Wage System (FWS) is a separate pay system that covers blue-collar federal workers and is not part of the GS pay schedule.
Locality Pay
GS base pay is adjusted by locality to reflect the cost of living in different regions, with each locality pay area having its own specific rates. This ensures that employees living in expensive GS localities, such as metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, California, receive higher salaries to compensate for regional price differences.
For example, employees in areas like California, Hawaii, and Alaska may receive 10% to 25% higher pay compared to other locations, such as:
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA: 45.25%*
- New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA: 36.16%
- Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA: 33.94%
- Rest of U.S. (RUS): 17.06%**
* Highest in the U.S. ** Minimum (applies to all unlisted areas)
Each locality pay area uses these percentages to calculate total compensation for federal workers in that area.
Special Rates and Pay Bands
Some federal positions qualify for special pay rates to help agencies attract top talent and improve employee retention. These jobs typically exist in fields like healthcare, cybersecurity, engineering, science, or in remote and hazardous duty locations.
Agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and NASA may offer these special rates, which OPM approves to remain competitive with private sector salaries.
Employees in the Senior Executive Service (SES) operate under separate pay structures, with a dedicated pay band above the GS-15 ceiling.
General Schedule (GS) Grade Levels
The 2026 GS pay scale includes 15 grade levels, each tied to different roles and education levels. Below is a simplified breakdown:
GS-1 — Entry-level jobs like file clerk, cashier
GS-2 — Basic support roles such as library assistant
GS-3 — Administrative aide or park aide
GS-4 — Claims examiner, accounting technician
GS-5 — HR or research assistant (bachelor’s degree)
GS-6 — Logistics coordinator, environmental assistant
GS-7 — Budget analyst, program analyst
GS-8 — IT technician, paralegal
GS-9 — Human resources specialist, compliance analyst
GS-10 — Operations researcher, technical project lead
GS-11 — Economist, grant coordinator
GS-12 — Intelligence analyst, operations lead
GS-13 — Financial manager, senior engineer
GS-14 — Director-level administrator, team supervisor
GS-15 — Senior-level scientific or diplomatic positions
GS Pay Scale Calculator
To estimate your GS pay based on grade, step, and location, you can use an online GS pay calculator. It accounts for your base rate and any locality adjustments to give you a complete salary estimate.
For example, you can use a GS scale calculator to determine GS-14 pay, including locality rates in New York, Washington, D.C., or any other GS region in the U.S. for 2026. Your GS grade and step are the two inputs that determine your base pay before any locality adjustment is applied.
When Your GS Salary Isn't Covering the Bills
Federal pay offers stability, a clear structure, and reliable pay dates. Still, a GS salary doesn't always stretch far enough when debt is factored in. Living in a high-cost locality area, carrying credit card balances from a move, or dealing with medical bills can put real financial pressure on federal employees at every grade level.
If you're a GS employee managing credit card debt or personal loans, you're not alone. There are options beyond waiting for your next within-grade step increase. Debt settlement, consolidation, and other debt relief programs are designed to help people in exactly that situation: stable income, but a debt load that makes it hard to get ahead.
Understanding the difference between your gross pay and net pay is a good starting point. If a significant portion of your take-home pay is going toward minimum payments on unsecured debt, that's worth paying attention to.
If high-interest credit card debt has become a consistent drain on your monthly budget, a reliable debt relief company can help you find a clearer path forward.
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