2026 Federal Pay Scale & Salary Tables – The 2026 General Schedule (GS) pay scale, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), features a 1% across-the-board increase in base pay for most federal civilian employees. Locality pay rates remain frozen at 2025 levels, resulting in an overall average pay raise of 1%. This adjustment, finalized by executive order in December 2025, takes effect in the first pay period on or after January 1, 2026 (typically January 11, 2026).
Certain law enforcement officers (LEOs) qualify for an additional increase through special rates, bringing their total raise to approximately 3.8% to align with the military pay raise. Official 2026 salary tables are now published on the OPM website.
Key Details of the 2026 Federal Pay Raise
- Base Pay Increase — 1% applied to the General Schedule base rates.
- Locality Pay — No increase; percentages remain the same as in 2025 (e.g., Washington-Baltimore-Arlington: 33.94%; Rest of U.S.: lower rates).
- Overall Average Raise — 1% for most GS employees.
- Effective Date — First applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
- Pay Cap — Higher GS grades are capped at Level IV of the Executive Schedule ($197,200 in 2026).
- Special Provisions — Select federal law enforcement personnel receive additional adjustments via OPM special salary rates to address recruitment and retention.
This is the smallest annual increase since 2021, reflecting fiscal priorities while providing a modest adjustment.
Understanding the General Schedule (GS) Pay System
The GS system covers approximately 1.5 million federal civilian employees in professional, technical, administrative, and clerical positions. It includes:
- 15 Grades — GS-1 (entry-level) to GS-15 (senior-level).
- 10 Steps per Grade — Steps increase with seniority and performance (typically every 1-3 years for within-grade increases).
Pay is calculated as: Base Pay + Locality Adjustment.
For official calculations, use OPM’s 2026 GS Salary Calculator.
2026 GS Base Pay Table (Incorporating 1% Increase, No Locality)
The following table shows annual base rates before locality adjustments (source: OPM Salary Table 2026-GS).
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $21,391 | $22,105 | $22,814 | $23,520 | $24,231 | $24,646 | $25,346 | $26,054 | $26,082 | $26,741 |
| GS-2 | $24,066 | $24,641 | $25,441 | $26,082 | $26,370 | $27,151 | $28,016 | $28,881 | $29,746 | $30,611 |
| GS-3 | $26,255 | $27,130 | $28,005 | $28,880 | $29,755 | $30,630 | $31,505 | $32,380 | $33,255 | $34,130 |
| GS-4 | $29,469 | $30,451 | $31,433 | $32,415 | $33,397 | $34,379 | $35,361 | $36,343 | $37,325 | $38,307 |
| GS-5 | $32,993 | $34,092 | $35,191 | $36,290 | $37,389 | $38,488 | $39,587 | $40,686 | $41,785 | $42,884 |
| GS-6 | $36,838 | $38,066 | $39,294 | $40,522 | $41,750 | $42,978 | $44,206 | $45,434 | $46,662 | $47,890 |
| GS-7 | $40,926 | $42,290 | $43,654 | $45,018 | $46,382 | $47,746 | $49,110 | $50,474 | $51,838 | $53,202 |
| GS-8 | $45,346 | $46,858 | $48,370 | $49,882 | $51,394 | $52,906 | $54,418 | $55,930 | $57,442 | $58,954 |
| GS-9 | $50,056 | $51,725 | $53,394 | $55,063 | $56,732 | $58,401 | $60,070 | $61,739 | $63,408 | $65,077 |
| GS-10 | $55,108 | $56,945 | $58,782 | $60,619 | $62,456 | $64,293 | $66,130 | $67,967 | $69,804 | $71,641 |
| GS-11 | $60,489 | $62,505 | $64,521 | $66,537 | $68,553 | $70,569 | $72,585 | $74,601 | $76,617 | $78,633 |
| GS-12 | $72,509 | $74,926 | $77,343 | $79,760 | $82,177 | $84,594 | $87,011 | $89,428 | $91,845 | $94,262 |
| GS-13 | $86,259 | $89,134 | $92,009 | $94,884 | $97,759 | $100,634 | $103,509 | $106,384 | $109,259 | $112,134 |
| GS-14 | $101,967 | $105,366 | $108,765 | $112,164 | $115,563 | $118,962 | $122,361 | $125,760 | $129,159 | $132,558 |
| GS-15 | $119,950 | $123,982 | $128,014 | $132,046 | $136,078 | $140,110 | $144,142 | $148,174 | $152,206 | $156,238* |
*Rates capped at $197,200 in certain localities for higher steps.
Locality Pay Areas
There are 57 locality pay areas (including “Rest of U.S.”). Rates are unchanged from 2025. Popular examples:
- Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA: 33.94%
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA: Higher rates (often highest)
- Rest of U.S. (RUS): Lowest locality percentage
Full locality tables are available at OPM’s 2026 General Schedule Locality Pay Tables.
Additional Resources from OPM
For the most accurate and personalized pay information, refer directly to OPM.gov, as tables may include notes on special rates or caps. Federal employees should check with their agency HR for exact application.