Work out a federal General Schedule salary in seconds. Pick the GS grade, step and locality area to see annual, biweekly, monthly and hourly pay, the value of locality pay, your next step increase and a full step table for the grade.
Last updated:
Position
Percentages are the 2025 rates, kept for 2026. Choose Custom for any other area.
%
Find your area's percentage in the OPM locality pay tables.
%
Apply a future across-the-board raise, e.g. 2 for +2%.
Paycheck estimate
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the GS Pay Calculator
Choose your GS grade and step from the job announcement or your SF-50.
Pick the pay year: 2026 or the 2025 OPM table.
Select your locality pay area, or choose Custom and type the percentage from the OPM locality tables.
Optionally pick your FERS contribution rate to see biweekly pay after FERS and FICA.
Press Calculate salary to see annual, biweekly and hourly pay plus tables for every step and grade.
GS salary formula
Base rate from the General Schedule for your grade and step.
Locality-adjusted salary = base rate × (1 + locality %), rounded to the nearest dollar, but not above the Executive Schedule Level IV cap.
Hourly rate = annual salary ÷ 2,087, rounded to the cent. Biweekly pay = hourly rate × 80.
Example (2025 rates): GS-11 step 1 has a base rate of $63,163. With the Rest of U.S. locality of 17.06%, the salary is $63,163 × 1.1706 = $73,939, which is $35.43 an hour and $2,834.40 per biweekly paycheck. In the Washington DC area (33.94%) the same job pays $84,601.
2025 GS base pay range by grade
Grade
Step 1
Step 10
Typical entry level
GS-3
$27,434
$35,660
Clerical and entry support roles
GS-5
$34,454
$44,795
Bachelor's degree, entry professional
GS-7
$42,679
$55,486
Bachelor's with superior academic achievement
GS-9
$52,205
$67,865
Master's degree
GS-11
$63,163
$82,108
PhD or experienced professional
GS-12
$75,706
$98,422
Full-performance professional
GS-13
$90,025
$117,034
Senior specialist
GS-14
$106,382
$138,296
Supervisor or expert
GS-15
$125,133
$162,672
Senior manager
These are base rates before locality pay, from the 2025 OPM General Schedule. From GS-3 up, each step adds about 3.3% of the step 1 rate (one thirtieth).
Tips
Job announcements on USAJOBS already list the locality-adjusted range for the duty station; use it to check your locality percentage.
Some occupations (many IT, engineering and medical jobs) use special rate tables that pay more than the GS plus locality. If yours does, type the higher salary's implied percentage as a custom locality.
When you are promoted, your new step is set so you get at least a two-step increase in your old grade; the step table helps you see where you will land.
Locality percentages for areas not in the preset list can be entered with Custom. Always confirm the current tables on OPM's pay and leave site.
Frequently asked questions
How is GS pay calculated?
Start with the base General Schedule rate for your grade and step, then add locality pay: annual salary = base rate × (1 + locality %), rounded to the nearest dollar. The hourly rate is the annual salary divided by 2,087 hours, and biweekly pay is the hourly rate times 80 hours.
What is locality pay?
Locality pay is a percentage added to the GS base rate to reflect pay levels in different metro areas. Every GS employee in the continental US gets at least the Rest of U.S. rate, which was 17.06% in 2025, while high-cost areas such as Washington DC (33.94%) and San Francisco (46.34%) get more.
How much was the 2026 GS pay raise?
For 2026 the General Schedule base rates rose 1.0% across the board, with locality percentages kept at their 2025 levels. Certain law enforcement positions received a larger increase. The 2026 rates here apply 1.0% to each 2025 base rate, rounded to the nearest dollar; the extra adjustment field lets you model any other raise.
How often do GS step increases happen?
With acceptable performance, you move up one step after 52 weeks at steps 1, 2 and 3, after 104 weeks at steps 4, 5 and 6, and after 156 weeks at steps 7, 8 and 9. Going from step 1 to step 10 therefore takes 18 years. Quality step increases can speed this up.
Is there a maximum GS salary?
Yes. Locality-adjusted GS pay cannot exceed the rate for Executive Schedule Level IV, which was $195,200 in 2025. Senior GS-15 employees in high-locality areas often hit this cap, so several steps can show the same salary.
Why is the hourly rate divided by 2,087 and not 2,080?
OPM uses 2,087 hours, the average number of working hours in a year over a 28-year cycle including leap years, to convert annual GS salaries to hourly rates. The result is rounded to the nearest cent.
Does this show take-home pay?
It shows gross pay and an estimate after the FERS retirement contribution and FICA. Federal and state income tax, TSP contributions, health insurance (FEHB) and other deductions also come out of your paycheck, so actual take-home pay will be lower.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.