What is my GS pay?
Pick your grade, step and locality pay area. The calculator applies the 2026 OPM locality percentage to the GS base rate and shows your yearly, biweekly and hourly pay.
- Yearly pay
- $61,722
In 2026, GS-9, Step 1, pays $61,722 a year, or $29.57 an hour.
- Monthly pay
- $5,143.50
- Biweekly pay
- $2,365.60
- Hourly rate
- $29.57
- Base pay
- $52,727
- Locality pay
- $8,995
Yearly pay: $61,722. In 2026, GS-9, Step 1, pays $61,722 a year, or $29.57 an hour.
The results are estimates for information only. They are not financial, tax, or legal advice. Check the numbers with your lender or a qualified professional before you decide. Terms of use
How to calculate
Finds your 2026 General Schedule (GS) salary for any grade, step and locality pay area: yearly, monthly, biweekly and hourly, from the OPM pay tables.
Example with the default inputs (Grade GS-9, Step Step 1, Locality pay area Rest of United States (17.06%)): In 2026, GS-9, Step 1, pays $61,722 a year, or $29.57 an hour.
Method: Yearly pay = 2026 GS base rate × (1 + locality percent ÷ 100), to the nearest dollar, at most $197,200; hourly = yearly ÷ 2,087; biweekly = hourly × 80; monthly = yearly ÷ 12.
- OPM 2026 GS base and locality pay tables (1% increase, effective January 2026).
- Law enforcement officers at GS-3 to GS-10 and jobs with special rate tables may be paid more.
- Pay before taxes, retirement and benefit deductions.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Grade GS-9, Step Step 1, Locality pay area Rest of United States (17.06%) gives Base pay $52,727.00, Yearly pay $61,722.00, Locality pay $8,995.00, Hourly rate $29.57, Biweekly pay $2,365.60, Monthly pay $5,143.50.Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-RUS (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/26Tables/html/RUS.aspx): GS-9 step 1 $61,722 and $29.57 an hour; 52,727 × 1.1706 = 61,722.2 (base from Salary Table 2026-GS)
- Grade GS-15, Step Step 1, Locality pay area San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA (46.34%) gives Base pay $126,384.00, Yearly pay $184,950.00, Hourly rate $88.62.Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-SF (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/26Tables/html/SF.aspx): GS-15 step 1 $184,950 and $88.62 an hour
- Grade GS-15, Step Step 9, Locality pay area Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA (33.94%) gives Yearly pay $197,200.00, Hourly rate $94.49, Biweekly pay $7,559.20.Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-DCB (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/26Tables/html/DCB.aspx): GS-15 step 9 limited to $197,200, the Executive Schedule level IV rate (160,088 × 1.3394 = 214,422); 5 U.S.C. 5504(b): biweekly = hourly × 80
- Grade GS-12, Step Step 1, Locality pay area Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA (33.94%) gives Yearly pay $102,415.00, Monthly pay $8,534.58, Hourly rate $49.07.Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-DCB (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/26Tables/html/DCB.aspx): GS-12 step 1, 76,463 × 1.3394 = 102,414.54, $102,415
- Grade GS-1, Step Step 1, Locality pay area Rest of United States (17.06%) gives Base pay $22,584.00, Yearly pay $26,437.00.Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-RUS (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/26Tables/html/RUS.aspx): GS-1 step 1, 22,584 × 1.1706 = 26,436.8, $26,437
How it works
Base rate. The 2026 GS base table (OPM Salary Table 2026-GS) gives a yearly rate for each of 15 grades and 10 steps, for example $52,727 for GS-9 step 1 and $126,384 for GS-15 step 1.
Locality pay. Each of OPM's 58 locality pay areas has one percentage for 2026, from 17.06% (Rest of the United States) to 46.34% (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland). The page lists them all.
Yearly pay = base rate × (1 + locality percent ÷ 100), rounded to the nearest dollar (half up). If that is more than $197,200, the 2026 rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule, the yearly pay is $197,200. This formula gives every cell of OPM's 58 locality tables for 2026.
Hourly rate = yearly pay ÷ 2,087, rounded to the cent (half up). Biweekly pay = hourly rate × 80. Monthly pay = yearly pay ÷ 12, rounded to the cent.
Locality pay = yearly pay − base rate.
Assumptions
- Law enforcement officers at GS-3 to GS-10 have their own higher table, and some jobs have special rates; this page shows the regular GS rate.
- Pay is before taxes, retirement contributions and benefit premiums.
When the data is out of date
The page uses the 2026 OPM tables. After December 31, 2026 it keeps them until it is updated, and says so above the result.
Worked examples by hand
GS-9 step 1, Rest of the United States (17.06%). 52,727 × 1.1706 = 61,722.2, so $61,722 a year. Hourly = 61,722 ÷ 2,087 = 29.574…, so $29.57. Biweekly = 29.57 × 80 = $2,365.60. Monthly = 61,722 ÷ 12 = $5,143.50. Locality pay = 61,722 − 52,727 = $8,995.
GS-15 step 1, San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland (46.34%). 126,384 × 1.4634 = 184,950.3, so $184,950; hourly $88.62.
GS-15 step 9, Washington-Baltimore-Arlington (33.94%). 160,088 × 1.3394 = 214,421.9, more than the cap, so $197,200. Hourly = 197,200 ÷ 2,087 = 94.489…, so $94.49; biweekly $7,559.20.
GS-12 step 1, Washington-Baltimore-Arlington. 76,463 × 1.3394 = 102,414.54, so $102,415; monthly $8,534.58; hourly $49.07.
GS-1 step 1, Rest of the United States. 22,584 × 1.1706 = 26,436.8, so $26,437.
Other questions people ask
How is GS pay calculated?
Take the GS base rate for your grade and step from the OPM table, multiply by 1 plus your locality percentage, and round to the nearest dollar. GS-9 step 1 in the Rest of the United States is 52,727 × 1.1706 = $61,722 in 2026.
How much did GS pay go up in 2026?
The General Schedule base rates went up 1% in January 2026. The locality percentages stayed the same as in 2025, so total pay went up 1% in every area.
What is the highest GS pay in 2026?
GS pay with locality cannot be more than the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule, $197,200 in 2026. In high-cost areas, upper steps of GS-14 and GS-15 stop at that amount.
How is the GS hourly rate calculated?
The hourly rate is the yearly rate divided by 2,087 hours, rounded to the cent. Biweekly pay is the hourly rate times 80 hours.
Which locality pay area am I in?
It depends on the county of your official duty station. OPM lists the counties in each of the 58 areas; places outside them are in the Rest of the United States area, 17.06%.