Data & Methodology

GS Pay Scales is designed to make General Schedule salary information easier to research and use. This page explains where our pay data comes from, how salary tables are organized, and how values shown by our calculators are determined.

Our primary source for General Schedule pay information is the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). We organize officially published pay information into searchable salary tables, locality pages, historical resources, and calculators.

Primary Data Source

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management publishes General Schedule salary tables and related federal pay information. OPM is the primary source used for the GS salary data presented on this website.

Where appropriate, our salary pages include a link to the corresponding official OPM source. Visitors who need to confirm a salary for employment, payroll, or another important purpose should verify the information directly with OPM or their employing federal agency.

Official information is available from OPM Salaries & Wages.

General Schedule Base Pay Data

The General Schedule consists of 15 grades, GS-1 through GS-15, with 10 steps within each grade. Our GS base pay tables organize the annual salary associated with each grade and step for the applicable pay year.

Base pay represents the nationwide General Schedule rate before locality pay is considered. A base-pay figure should therefore not automatically be treated as the final salary for an employee who is covered by a locality pay schedule, special rate table, or another pay provision.

Locality Pay Data

For 2026 locality pages, GS Pay Scales uses annual salary values from the applicable published OPM locality pay tables. Each locality dataset contains salary values for GS-1 through GS-15 and Steps 1 through 10.

The salary displayed for a grade and step on a locality page is taken from the applicable locality salary table. We do not generate the displayed locality salary by simply multiplying a base salary by the locality percentage.

This distinction is important because the published locality table should be used as the source for the applicable scheduled salary. The locality percentage shown on a page is therefore informational and is not added a second time to a salary that already comes from the locality table.

How the Locality Pay Calculator Works

Our 2026 locality calculators use the same salary data displayed in each locality's complete GS salary table. When a visitor selects a GS grade and step, the calculator looks up the corresponding annual salary directly from that locality's stored 2026 table.

For example, selecting GS-12 and Step 5 retrieves the GS-12 Step 5 annual salary from the selected locality table. The calculator does not estimate that salary from another locality or from a percentage applied to a different salary table.

Locality calculators on this website currently represent the 2026 pay year. A locality calculator should not be used to determine a salary for an earlier or later year unless a calculator specifically identifies that year and uses the corresponding official data.

Monthly and Biweekly Estimates

After retrieving an annual salary, some calculators provide additional figures to make the annual rate easier to understand. These figures are derived from the annual salary using the following calculations:

Monthly: annual salary divided by 12
Biweekly: annual salary divided by 26
Approximate hourly equivalent: annual salary divided by 2,087

These values are provided as convenient mathematical conversions. They should not be interpreted as a prediction of an employee's actual paycheck. Deductions, benefits, taxes, retirement contributions, premium pay, unpaid time, payroll rules, and other factors can affect actual compensation.

Historical GS Pay Data

GS Pay Scales also organizes historical General Schedule base salary information by pay year. Historical calculators use the salary table associated with the selected year rather than estimating historical salaries from current pay rates.

Because federal pay policies and salary schedules can change over time, information from one year should not automatically be applied to another. Visitors researching historical compensation should use the table or calculator specifically associated with the year they are researching.

Grades and Steps

A GS grade and a GS step represent different parts of the General Schedule structure. The grade generally identifies the level of the position within the GS system, while the step identifies a salary level within that grade.

Our salary tables preserve this structure by displaying each grade separately with Steps 1 through 10. Calculator selections use the same grade-and-step structure to locate the corresponding salary value.

Special Rates and Other Pay Systems

The standard General Schedule and locality tables do not describe every federal employee's compensation. Some positions may be covered by special salary rates, law-enforcement pay schedules, different federal pay systems, or other special pay provisions.

A standard GS calculator result should therefore not be assumed to represent the final salary for every federal position. Employees and applicants should review the applicable job announcement and official agency information when special pay rules may apply.

Rounding and Calculator Results

Annual salaries displayed in our GS and locality tables are presented as whole-dollar annual rates based on the source data used for the applicable table.

Monthly, biweekly, and approximate hourly figures are mathematical conversions of those annual amounts. Because these conversions can produce fractions, calculator results may be rounded for display.

Data Verification

We aim to accurately transcribe and organize the official salary information used by this website. However, data-entry errors, source updates, technical issues, or later government revisions are possible.

For this reason, GS Pay Scales should be used as an informational research resource rather than as an official payroll system. When accuracy is important for an employment or compensation decision, verify the applicable rate using the linked OPM source or information provided by the relevant federal agency.

Corrections

If you find a salary value, locality designation, calculator result, or source link that appears to be incorrect, please use our Contact page to report it.

When submitting a correction, please include the relevant page and, when applicable, the pay year, locality, GS grade, and step. This information helps us identify and review the relevant data more efficiently.

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.

Official OPM publications and applicable federal agency guidance remain the authoritative sources for General Schedule pay and federal compensation information.