INDEPENDENTREFERENCEGSGS Pay TablesWhat the federal pay tables mean 2026 edition
Effective January 2026

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Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA$109,303a year$4,189.60Every two weeks$52.37Per hour$52.64Overtime hour#18On paper#45After prices
  1. GS pay scale 2026
  2. Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA

58 locality pay areasPage last changed 2026-10-22

Portland, OR GS pay scale 2026: 26.13% locality pay

In 2026 a GS-12 step 5 here earns $109,303 with 26.13% locality pay, but prices above the national average cut what it buys to $103,682 at U.S. prices.

#18 on paper, #45 after prices

−27Places lost, of 57 priced areas.

Buys at U.S. prices

$103,682BEA price level 105.4, for Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA.

Ceiling watch

2 of 150cells held to $197,200, from GS-15 step 9.

Key facts

Locality pay change since 2016
+5.44 points
Pay gap, latest council estimate
58.94%
Rate the 1990 formula would set
51.37%
Federal civilian jobs, 2025
21,020
Share of all jobs here
1.37%
Largest county by federal jobs
Multnomah County, OR: 11,898
Sources and methods

Every 2026 rate

▲ marks the 2 cells cut to the $197,200 statutory ceiling. Reading these tables.
Grade12345678910
GS-128,48529,44030,38731,33132,27532,82933,76634,71034,74935,629
GS-232,02832,79033,85234,74935,13736,17037,20338,23639,26940,302
GS-334,94836,11437,27938,44439,61040,77541,94143,10644,27245,437
GS-439,23040,53841,84643,15444,46245,77047,07848,38649,69451,002
GS-543,89245,35546,81848,28149,74451,20852,67154,13455,59757,060
GS-648,92750,55852,18953,82055,45157,08158,71260,34361,97463,605
GS-754,37056,18257,99559,80761,62063,43265,24567,05768,87070,682
GS-860,21262,21964,22566,23268,23970,24672,25274,25976,26678,272
GS-966,50568,72270,93973,15775,37477,59179,80982,02684,24386,461
GS-1073,23675,67778,11780,55882,99985,43987,88090,32092,76195,202
GS-1180,46583,14785,83088,51391,19693,87996,56199,244101,927104,610
GS-1296,44399,658102,873106,088109,303112,518115,733118,948122,163125,378
GS-13114,684118,507122,330126,153129,976133,799137,622141,445145,268149,091
GS-14135,522140,040144,558149,076153,594158,112162,629167,147171,665176,183
GS-15159,408164,722170,036175,350180,664185,977191,291196,605197,200197,200
Annual rate divided by 2,087 hours (5 U.S.C. 5504(b)), as in OPM’s hourly table.
Grade12345678910
GS-113.6514.1114.5615.0115.4615.7316.1816.6316.6517.07
GS-215.3515.7116.2216.6516.8417.3317.8318.3218.8219.31
GS-316.7517.3017.8618.4218.9819.5420.1020.6521.2121.77
GS-418.8019.4220.0520.6821.3021.9322.5623.1823.8124.44
GS-521.0321.7322.4323.1323.8424.5425.2425.9426.6427.34
GS-623.4424.2325.0125.7926.5727.3528.1328.9129.7030.48
GS-726.0526.9227.7928.6629.5330.3931.2632.1333.0033.87
GS-828.8529.8130.7731.7432.7033.6634.6235.5836.5437.50
GS-931.8732.9333.9935.0536.1237.1838.2439.3040.3741.43
GS-1035.0936.2637.4338.6039.7740.9442.1143.2844.4545.62
GS-1138.5639.8441.1342.4143.7044.9846.2747.5548.8450.12
GS-1246.2147.7549.2950.8352.3753.9155.4556.9958.5460.08
GS-1354.9556.7858.6260.4562.2864.1165.9467.7769.6171.44
GS-1464.9467.1069.2771.4373.6075.7677.9280.0982.2584.42
GS-1576.3878.9381.4784.0286.5789.1191.6694.2094.4994.49
Hourly rate times 80 (5 U.S.C. 5504(b)).
Grade12345678910
GS-11,092.001,128.801,164.801,200.801,236.801,258.401,294.401,330.401,332.001,365.60
GS-21,228.001,256.801,297.601,332.001,347.201,386.401,426.401,465.601,505.601,544.80
GS-31,340.001,384.001,428.801,473.601,518.401,563.201,608.001,652.001,696.801,741.60
GS-41,504.001,553.601,604.001,654.401,704.001,754.401,804.801,854.401,904.801,955.20
GS-51,682.401,738.401,794.401,850.401,907.201,963.202,019.202,075.202,131.202,187.20
GS-61,875.201,938.402,000.802,063.202,125.602,188.002,250.402,312.802,376.002,438.40
GS-72,084.002,153.602,223.202,292.802,362.402,431.202,500.802,570.402,640.002,709.60
GS-82,308.002,384.802,461.602,539.202,616.002,692.802,769.602,846.402,923.203,000.00
GS-92,549.602,634.402,719.202,804.002,889.602,974.403,059.203,144.003,229.603,314.40
GS-102,807.202,900.802,994.403,088.003,181.603,275.203,368.803,462.403,556.003,649.60
GS-113,084.803,187.203,290.403,392.803,496.003,598.403,701.603,804.003,907.204,009.60
GS-123,696.803,820.003,943.204,066.404,189.604,312.804,436.004,559.204,683.204,806.40
GS-134,396.004,542.404,689.604,836.004,982.405,128.805,275.205,421.605,568.805,715.20
GS-145,195.205,368.005,541.605,714.405,888.006,060.806,233.606,407.206,580.006,753.60
GS-156,110.406,314.406,517.606,721.606,925.607,128.807,332.807,536.007,559.207,559.20
Source: OPM 2026 General Schedule salary table for this area, Salary Table 2026-POR, matched cell by cell; compare with Rest of U.S..

After local prices

Its neighbors by what it buys (how; all 57).
#LocalityOn paperPrice levelWhat it buys
42Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA$104,65899.6$105,114
43Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA$103,49798.7$104,913
44Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA$118,264113.6$104,137
45Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA$109,303105.4$103,682
46San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$115,880111.9$103,569
47Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ$103,618100.2$103,396
48Colorado Springs, CO$104,121100.7$103,390

Prices here are those of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, 105.4. The area’s name also takes in Salem: BEA puts the Salem, OR metro area at 103.6, and at that level GS-12 step 5 here would buy $105,455.

BEA price levels, 2024, for the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area (how to read this table).
Kind of spendingHereU.S.Rank of 57
Goods105.299.6#7 (tied)
Housing (rent)125.1100.6#12
Utilities107.098.4#18 (tied)
Other services100.1100.1#19
All items105.4100.0#12

Locality pay since 2016

20.69% in 2016, 26.13% in 2026, up 5.44 points; Rest of U.S. up 2.71: chart and table
0%25%50%20162026
Dashed: the Rest of U.S. rate.
Percent, from OPM’s tables for 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026. Sources and caveats; every area since 2016: ten years of locality pay.
Locality pay, %20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Portland, OR20.6921.9522.5323.1323.7423.7424.3424.9825.6626.1326.13
Rest of U.S.14.3515.0615.3715.6715.9515.9516.2016.5016.8217.0617.06

The 1990 pay law’s formula

Formula 51.37%, paid 26.13%: 25.24 points apart (median 18.40); nine editions: table
The editions checked here, the memos for pay in 2018 to 2026. Sources: memo of January 10, 2025, Attachment 1, and the council’s earlier memos; the President’s Pay Agent on 2026; what these estimates are and are not; every area against the formula: how far pay is from the 1990 law.
Edition, for pay inData as ofListed asPay gap, %Formula rate, %Rate paid that year, %
2026March 2024Locality pay area58.9451.3726.13
2025March 2023Locality pay area60.8453.1826.13
2024March 2022Locality pay area57.2849.7925.66
2023March 2021Locality pay area50.8543.6724.98
2022March 2020Locality pay area49.1642.0624.34
2021March 2019Locality pay area51.4344.2223.74
2020March 2018Locality pay area56.7449.2823.74
2019March 2017Locality pay area57.5850.0823.13
2018March 2016Locality pay area56.7049.2422.53

Federal jobs

21,020 federal civilian jobs in 2025, 774 fewer than in 2024, down 3.55%: table
In this area’s 13 counties, Postal Service in, military out; BLS, 2023, 2024, 2025. BLS has another 3,258 federal jobs in Oregon and Washington with no county; the states page counts them with the state, not with any area. Sources and caveats; every area: where the federal jobs are.
YearFederal civilian jobsShare of all jobs, %Average pay per job
202320,8571.35$99,415
202421,7941.42$104,966
202521,0201.37$109,126

Counties

13 counties paid at this rate

Oregon, 9 counties

  • Benton County
  • Clackamas County
  • Columbia County
  • Linn County
  • Marion County
  • Multnomah County
  • Polk County
  • Washington County
  • Yamhill County

Washington, 4 counties

  • Clark County
  • Cowlitz County
  • Skamania County
  • Wahkiakum County (added 2024)
Source: OPM 2026 locality pay area definitions.