GS-15 pay by step
| Step | Base pay | Rest of U.S. (17.06%) |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $126,384 | $147,945 |
| Step 2 | $130,597 | $152,877 |
| Step 3 | $134,810 | $157,809 |
| Step 4 | $139,023 | $162,740 |
| Step 5 | $143,236 | $167,672 |
| Step 6 | $147,449 | $172,604 |
| Step 7 | $151,662 | $177,536 |
| Step 8 | $155,875 | $182,467 |
| Step 9 | $160,088 | $187,399 |
| Step 10 | $164,301 | $192,331 |
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Schedule (GS) pay tables, 2026 — base and locality pay tables (annual rates) and locality pay area definitions. Data captured October 2, 2026.
GS-15 pay by locality
| Locality pay area | Locality pay | Step 1 | Step 5 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | 20.77% | $152,634 | $172,986 | $197,200* |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | 18.33% | $149,550 | $169,491 | $194,417 |
| Atlanta–Athens-Clarke County–Sandy Springs, GA-AL | 23.79% | $156,451 | $177,312 | $197,200* |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 20.35% | $152,103 | $172,385 | $197,200* |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | 18.24% | $149,436 | $169,362 | $194,270 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | 32.58% | $167,560 | $189,902 | $197,200* |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | 22.41% | $154,707 | $175,335 | $197,200* |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | 19.45% | $150,966 | $171,095 | $196,258 |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | 19.67% | $151,244 | $171,411 | $196,619 |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | 30.86% | $165,386 | $187,439 | $197,200* |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | 21.93% | $154,100 | $174,648 | $197,200* |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | 22.23% | $154,479 | $175,077 | $197,200* |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 20.15% | $151,850 | $172,098 | $197,200* |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | 22.15% | $154,378 | $174,963 | $197,200* |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | 17.63% | $148,665 | $168,489 | $193,267 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | 27.26% | $160,836 | $182,282 | $197,200* |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | 18.93% | $150,308 | $170,351 | $195,403 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | 21.42% | $153,455 | $173,917 | $197,200* |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | 30.52% | $164,956 | $186,952 | $197,200* |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | 18.01% | $149,146 | $169,033 | $193,892 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | 29.12% | $163,187 | $184,946 | $197,200* |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | 17.65% | $148,691 | $168,517 | $193,300 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | 19.43% | $150,940 | $171,067 | $196,225 |
| Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | 32.08% | $166,928 | $189,186 | $197,200* |
| Houston-The Woodlands, TX | 35% | $170,618 | $193,369 | $197,200* |
| Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | 21.91% | $154,075 | $174,619 | $197,200* |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | 18.15% | $149,323 | $169,233 | $194,122 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | 18.97% | $150,359 | $170,408 | $195,469 |
| Laredo, TX | 21.59% | $153,670 | $174,161 | $197,200* |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | 19.57% | $151,117 | $171,267 | $196,455 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | 36.47% | $172,476 | $195,474 | $197,200* |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | 24.67% | $157,563 | $178,572 | $197,200* |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | 22.42% | $154,719 | $175,350 | $197,200* |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | 27.62% | $161,291 | $182,798 | $197,200* |
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | 37.95% | $174,347 | $197,200* | $197,200* |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | 18.23% | $149,424 | $169,348 | $194,253 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 17.93% | $149,045 | $168,918 | $193,760 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 28.99% | $163,023 | $184,760 | $197,200* |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | 22.45% | $154,757 | $175,392 | $197,200* |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | 21.03% | $152,963 | $173,359 | $197,200* |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | 26.13% | $159,408 | $180,664 | $197,200* |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | 22.24% | $154,492 | $175,092 | $197,200* |
| Reno-Fernley, NV | 17.52% | $148,526 | $168,331 | $193,087 |
| Richmond, VA | 22.28% | $154,542 | $175,149 | $197,200* |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | 17.88% | $148,981 | $168,847 | $193,678 |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | 29.76% | $163,996 | $185,863 | $197,200* |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | 18.78% | $150,119 | $170,136 | $195,157 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 33.72% | $169,001 | $191,535 | $197,200* |
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | 46.34% | $184,950 | $197,200* | $197,200* |
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | 31.57% | $166,283 | $188,456 | $197,200* |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | 17.67% | $148,716 | $168,546 | $193,333 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | 20.03% | $151,699 | $171,926 | $197,200* |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $167,282 | $189,587 | $197,200* |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $154,454 | $175,049 | $197,200* |
| Tucson-Nogales, AZ | 19.28% | $150,751 | $170,852 | $195,978 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | 18.8% | $150,144 | $170,164 | $195,190 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | 33.94% | $169,279 | $191,850 | $197,200* |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $147,945 | $167,672 | $192,331 |
* Rate limited to the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)).
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Schedule (GS) pay tables, 2026 — base and locality pay tables (annual rates) and locality pay area definitions. Data captured October 2, 2026.
Federal jobs at grade 15
Federal employees at grade 15 on the GS or GL (law enforcement) pay plan in each job's occupational series.
Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Federal Workforce Data — Employment, July 2026 (federal civilian employees by agency, occupational series, pay plan, grade, duty state and pay). Data captured October 2, 2026.
Other GS grades
GS-1: $22,584GS-2: $25,393GS-3: $27,708GS-4: $31,103GS-5: $34,799GS-6: $38,791GS-7: $43,106GS-8: $47,738GS-9: $52,727GS-10: $58,064GS-11: $63,795GS-12: $76,463GS-13: $90,925GS-14: $107,446
Base pay at step 1. GS pay scale 2026: all grades and locality areas