Editorial Policy

GS Pay Scales is an independent informational website focused on General Schedule (GS) pay, locality pay, federal salary tables, and related pay topics. Our editorial goal is to present this information in a clear, useful, and accurate format while relying on authoritative sources whenever possible.

This Editorial Policy explains how we select sources, prepare content, review salary data, update pages, handle corrections, and distinguish our website from official government resources.

Our Editorial Principles

We aim to make federal pay information easier to understand without changing the meaning of the underlying source material. Salary tables, calculators, and explanatory articles are organized for usability, but official government publications remain the authoritative source.

Our core editorial principles are accuracy, clarity, transparency, useful organization, and reliance on primary sources.

Primary Sources

For General Schedule salary information, our primary source is the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). OPM publishes General Schedule salary tables, locality pay tables, pay administration guidance, and other information about federal compensation.

When a page presents specific GS salary figures, we aim to use the applicable official OPM pay table for the relevant year and pay area.

Official federal salary information can be found through OPM Salaries & Wages.

How We Prepare Salary Tables

GS Pay Scales organizes official salary information into formats that are easier to browse. This includes tables organized by pay year, GS grade, step, and locality pay area.

For 2026 locality pay pages, salary values are stored from the applicable published locality pay tables. The individual salary values displayed in these tables are not created by simply multiplying base pay by a locality percentage.

Our historical GS resources are also organized by year. Historical salary figures are associated with their applicable pay-year tables rather than being estimated from current salary rates.

Calculator Methodology

Our calculators are designed as convenient interfaces for the salary data available on the website. When a user selects a GS grade and step, the calculator retrieves the corresponding annual salary from the applicable stored pay table.

For locality calculations, the selected salary comes from the applicable locality table. For historical base-pay calculations, the selected salary comes from the General Schedule base table for the selected year.

Some calculators also display mathematical equivalents of the annual salary, such as monthly, biweekly, and approximate hourly amounts. These conversions are clearly distinguished from the source annual salary and should not be interpreted as an employee's actual paycheck or take-home pay.

A more detailed explanation of our data handling and calculations is available on our Data & Methodology page.

How We Research Editorial Content

When preparing explanatory content about GS grades, steps, locality pay, within-grade increases, promotions, special rates, and related federal pay topics, we prioritize primary government sources.

Where appropriate, we consult OPM publications and other relevant official government material before presenting factual statements about federal pay rules or salary schedules.

We may simplify technical language or reorganize information to make a topic easier to understand. Our goal is to explain the information without misrepresenting the underlying rule or official source.

Content Review

Before publishing or materially updating important salary content, we aim to review relevant figures, pay years, grade and step references, locality information, and source links.

For large salary datasets, we also use structured data and validation methods to reduce transcription and formatting errors. However, no editorial or technical process can guarantee that a website will always be free from errors.

Updates

Federal salary information changes over time. New General Schedule and locality pay tables may be published for a new pay year, and federal agencies may update guidance or other information.

We may update our salary tables, calculators, articles, source links, and supporting explanations when new authoritative information becomes available. Older pay tables may remain available as historical resources when we have reliable data for those years.

A page may also be updated to improve readability, navigation, calculations, formatting, internal links, or explanations without changing its underlying salary data.

Corrections

Accuracy is important to us. If we discover an incorrect salary value, calculation, locality designation, source link, or factual statement, we aim to review the issue against an authoritative source and correct the page when appropriate.

Visitors can also report potential errors through our Contact page. When reporting a salary-data issue, please include the relevant page and, if applicable, the pay year, locality, GS grade, and step.

Use of Automation and Technology

We may use software, structured datasets, templates, calculators, and other technical tools to organize and present information efficiently. For example, a common page structure may be used to present salary data for multiple locality pay areas.

Using a shared technical structure does not change the source of the underlying salary data. Our objective is to combine structured presentation with reliable source information so visitors can navigate large federal pay datasets more easily.

Advertising and Editorial Independence

GS Pay Scales may display advertising or use third-party services to support the operation of the website. Advertising relationships do not determine the salary values presented in our pay tables or calculator results.

We do not intentionally alter federal salary data, rankings, explanations, or conclusions to benefit an advertiser.

External Links

We link to official government resources when those links help visitors verify information or learn more about a topic. We may also link to other external resources when appropriate.

An external link does not necessarily constitute an endorsement. Third-party websites control their own content and may change after we link to them.

Informational Purpose

Content published on GS Pay Scales is provided for informational and educational purposes. It should not be treated as an official determination of an individual's federal salary, employment status, eligibility, benefits, tax liability, retirement benefits, or other compensation.

Actual federal compensation can depend on factors beyond a standard GS table, including locality coverage, special salary rates, position classification, agency rules, premium pay, and other applicable provisions.

For an official determination concerning your employment or compensation, consult your employing agency, human resources office, OPM, or another appropriate government authority.

Independent Website

GS Pay Scales is an independent informational website. It is not an official U.S. government website and is not operated by, endorsed by, or affiliated with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management or any other federal agency.

References to government agencies, General Schedule terminology, and official pay information are provided to help users research federal compensation. Official government publications remain the authoritative source.

Editorial Questions and Feedback

If you have a question about our editorial process, want to suggest an improvement, or believe information on the website should be reviewed, please use our Contact page.