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

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Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA$116,071a year$4,449.60Every two weeks$55.62Per hour$55.89Overtime hour#5On paper#33After prices
  1. GS pay scale 2026
  2. Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA

58 locality pay areasPage last changed 2026-10-22

Washington, DC GS pay scale 2026: 33.94% locality pay

In 2026 a GS-12 step 5 here earns $116,071 with 33.94% locality pay, but prices above the national average cut what it buys to $106,601 at U.S. prices.

#5 on paper, #33 after prices

−28Places lost, of 57 priced areas.

Buys at U.S. prices

$106,601BEA price level 108.9, for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.

Ceiling watch

5 of 150cells held to $197,200, from GS-15 step 6.

Against Rest of U.S.

+$14,628over $101,443 at GS-12 step 5, on paper.

Rest of U.S. buys as much at

95.2or lower prices, U.S. = 100, against 108.9 here; 13 of the 57 priced areas are that cheap (the two side by side).

Key facts

Locality pay change since 2016
+9.16 points
Pay gap, latest council estimate
79.39%
Rate the 1990 formula would set
70.85%
Federal civilian jobs, 2025
438,353
Share of all jobs here
8.43%
Largest county by federal jobs
The District of Columbia: 185,546
Sources and methods

Every 2026 rate

▲ marks the 5 cells cut to the $197,200 statutory ceiling. Reading these tables.
Grade12345678910
GS-130,24931,26332,26933,27134,27434,86235,85736,85936,90037,835
GS-234,01134,82035,94836,90037,31338,41039,50740,60441,70142,798
GS-337,11238,35039,58740,82542,06343,30044,53845,77547,01348,251
GS-441,65943,04844,43745,82647,21548,60449,99351,38252,77154,160
GS-546,61048,16349,71751,27152,82554,37855,93257,48659,03960,593
GS-651,95753,68955,42057,15258,88460,61662,34864,08065,81167,543
GS-757,73659,66161,58663,51065,43567,36069,28471,20973,13475,059
GS-863,94066,07168,20270,33372,46474,59576,72678,85780,98883,119
GS-970,62372,97775,33277,68780,04182,39684,75187,10589,46091,815
GS-1077,77180,36382,95485,54688,13890,73093,32195,91398,505101,097
GS-1185,44788,29691,14593,99496,84399,692102,540105,389108,238111,087
GS-12102,415105,829109,243112,657116,071119,485122,899126,313129,728133,142
GS-13121,785125,845129,904133,964138,024142,084146,143150,203154,263158,322
GS-14143,913148,711153,509158,306163,104167,902172,700177,497182,295187,093
GS-15169,279174,922180,565186,207191,850197,200197,200197,200197,200197,200
Annual rate divided by 2,087 hours (5 U.S.C. 5504(b)), as in OPM’s hourly table.
Grade12345678910
GS-114.4914.9815.4615.9416.4216.7017.1817.6617.6818.13
GS-216.3016.6817.2217.6817.8818.4018.9319.4619.9820.51
GS-317.7818.3818.9719.5620.1520.7521.3421.9322.5323.12
GS-419.9620.6321.2921.9622.6223.2923.9524.6225.2925.95
GS-522.3323.0823.8224.5725.3126.0626.8027.5428.2929.03
GS-624.9025.7326.5527.3828.2129.0429.8730.7031.5332.36
GS-727.6628.5929.5130.4331.3532.2833.2034.1235.0435.97
GS-830.6431.6632.6833.7034.7235.7436.7637.7838.8139.83
GS-933.8434.9736.1037.2238.3539.4840.6141.7442.8743.99
GS-1037.2638.5139.7540.9942.2343.4744.7245.9647.2048.44
GS-1140.9442.3143.6745.0446.4047.7749.1350.5051.8653.23
GS-1249.0750.7152.3453.9855.6257.2558.8960.5262.1663.80
GS-1358.3560.3062.2464.1966.1468.0870.0371.9773.9275.86
GS-1468.9671.2673.5575.8578.1580.4582.7585.0587.3589.65
GS-1581.1183.8286.5289.2291.9394.4994.4994.4994.4994.49
Hourly rate times 80 (5 U.S.C. 5504(b)).
Grade12345678910
GS-11,159.201,198.401,236.801,275.201,313.601,336.001,374.401,412.801,414.401,450.40
GS-21,304.001,334.401,377.601,414.401,430.401,472.001,514.401,556.801,598.401,640.80
GS-31,422.401,470.401,517.601,564.801,612.001,660.001,707.201,754.401,802.401,849.60
GS-41,596.801,650.401,703.201,756.801,809.601,863.201,916.001,969.602,023.202,076.00
GS-51,786.401,846.401,905.601,965.602,024.802,084.802,144.002,203.202,263.202,322.40
GS-61,992.002,058.402,124.002,190.402,256.802,323.202,389.602,456.002,522.402,588.80
GS-72,212.802,287.202,360.802,434.402,508.002,582.402,656.002,729.602,803.202,877.60
GS-82,451.202,532.802,614.402,696.002,777.602,859.202,940.803,022.403,104.803,186.40
GS-92,707.202,797.602,888.002,977.603,068.003,158.403,248.803,339.203,429.603,519.20
GS-102,980.803,080.803,180.003,279.203,378.403,477.603,577.603,676.803,776.003,875.20
GS-113,275.203,384.803,493.603,603.203,712.003,821.603,930.404,040.004,148.804,258.40
GS-123,925.604,056.804,187.204,318.404,449.604,580.004,711.204,841.604,972.805,104.00
GS-134,668.004,824.004,979.205,135.205,291.205,446.405,602.405,757.605,913.606,068.80
GS-145,516.805,700.805,884.006,068.006,252.006,436.006,620.006,804.006,988.007,172.00
GS-156,488.806,705.606,921.607,137.607,354.407,559.207,559.207,559.207,559.207,559.20
Source: OPM 2026 General Schedule salary table for this area, Salary Table 2026-DCB, 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
30Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK$110,282103.1$106,976
31Denver-Aurora, CO$113,107105.8$106,925
32Tucson-Nogales, AZ$103,36796.9$106,678
33Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA$116,071108.9$106,601
34Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC$103,70597.3$106,530
35Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX$104,29498.1$106,351
36New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA$119,546112.6$106,204

Prices here are those of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, 108.9. The area’s name also takes in Baltimore: BEA puts the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area at 104.5, and at that level GS-12 step 5 here would buy $111,087.

BEA price levels, 2024, for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (how to read this table).
Kind of spendingHereU.S.Rank of 57
Goods104.899.6#12
Housing (rent)151.1100.6#6
Utilities106.798.4#20
Other services102.3100.1#12
All items108.9100.0#8

Prices here have been rising faster than in the country as a whole: BLS consumer prices for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area rose 4.1% in the twelve months to September 2026, against 3.7% for the U.S. city average over the same months.

Locality pay since 2016

24.78% in 2016, 33.94% in 2026, up 9.16 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
Washington, DC24.7827.1028.2229.3230.4830.4831.5332.4933.2633.9433.94
Rest of U.S.14.3515.0615.3715.6715.9515.9516.2016.5016.8217.0617.06

The 1990 pay law’s formula

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 area79.3970.8533.94
2025March 2023Locality pay area81.4272.7833.94
2024March 2022Locality pay area68.4360.4133.26
2023March 2021Locality pay area68.2460.2332.49
2022March 2020Locality pay area70.7662.6331.53
2021March 2019Locality pay area77.0768.6430.48
2020March 2018Locality pay area87.4778.5430.48
2019March 2017Locality pay area87.7578.8129.32
2018March 2016Locality pay area88.6379.6528.22

Pay here is further from the 1990 pay law’s formula than in most areas: the formula would set 70.85%, 36.91 points above the 33.94% paid in 2026, against a median distance of 18.40 points across the 57 areas with a formula rate.

Federal jobs

In this area’s 46 counties, 8 independent cities and the District of Columbia, Postal Service in, military out; BLS, 2023, 2024, 2025. BLS has another 12,528 federal jobs in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia 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
2023453,4568.84$130,628
2024459,9448.82$135,029
2025438,3538.43$140,040

Federal jobs of every pay system are 8.43% of all jobs here, the highest share of the 58 areas; next comes Virginia Beach, VA (7.24%).

Average pay per federal job, overtime included, was $140,040 in 2025, the highest of the 58 areas; across all 58 it was $105,058.

Counties

46 counties, 8 independent cities and the District of Columbia paid at this rate

The District of Columbia, the whole District

  • District of Columbia

Maryland, 18 counties and 1 independent city

  • Allegany County (added 2024)
  • Anne Arundel County
  • Baltimore County
  • Baltimore city
  • Calvert County
  • Caroline County (added 2024)
  • Carroll County
  • Charles County
  • Dorchester County
  • Frederick County
  • Harford County
  • Howard County
  • Kent County
  • Montgomery County
  • Prince George's County
  • Queen Anne's County
  • St. Mary's County
  • Talbot County
  • Washington County

Pennsylvania, 4 counties

  • Adams County
  • Franklin County
  • Fulton County (added 2024)
  • York County

Virginia, 18 counties and 7 independent cities

  • Alexandria city
  • Arlington County
  • Caroline County (added 2024)
  • Clarke County
  • Culpeper County
  • Fairfax County
  • Fairfax city
  • Falls Church city
  • Fauquier County
  • Frederick County
  • Fredericksburg city
  • King George County
  • Loudoun County
  • Madison County (added 2024)
  • Manassas Park city
  • Manassas city
  • Orange County (added 2024)
  • Prince William County
  • Rappahannock County
  • Shenandoah County (added 2024)
  • Spotsylvania County
  • Stafford County
  • Warren County
  • Westmoreland County (added 2024)
  • Winchester city

West Virginia, 6 counties

  • Berkeley County
  • Hampshire County
  • Hardy County (added 2024)
  • Jefferson County
  • Mineral County (added 2024)
  • Morgan County
Source: OPM 2026 locality pay area definitions.

It is the only locality pay area in the District of Columbia.