FEDERAL PAY GUIDE
WG Pay Scale Guide
The WG pay scale is part of the Federal Wage System used for many federal trade, craft, and laboring jobs. Learn how WG grades and steps work, why hourly rates vary by local wage area, and how WG pay differs from the General Schedule.
What Is the WG Pay Scale?
The WG pay scale is commonly used to describe pay for Wage Grade employees covered by the Federal Wage System (FWS). The Federal Wage System is the primary pay system for many federal blue-collar employees working in trade, craft, and laboring occupations.
WG employees are generally paid an hourly rate rather than using the annual salary structure commonly seen on General Schedule (GS) pay tables.
Another major difference is geography. There is not one nationwide WG pay table that applies to every Wage Grade employee. Federal Wage System rates are based on prevailing wage levels within defined local wage areas.
What Does WG Mean in Federal Employment?
WG is a Federal Wage System pay plan commonly associated with nonsupervisory wage-grade employees.
The Federal Wage System covers many federal employees whose work involves trades, crafts, maintenance, repair, construction, equipment operation, laboring, and similar occupations.
Examples of occupations that may be covered by FWS wage schedules include mechanics, electricians, maintenance workers, equipment operators, machinists, laborers, and other skilled or semi-skilled trade positions.
The actual pay plan assigned to a position depends on its official federal classification. Employees should use their official personnel records or job announcement to confirm whether a position is WG or another pay plan.
WG Is Part of the Federal Wage System
The terms WG and FWS are related, but they do not mean exactly the same thing.
FWS means Federal Wage System. It is the broader federal pay system.
WG is one of the pay plan codes used for positions covered by that system.
Other common Federal Wage System pay plans include:
- WG – commonly used for nonsupervisory wage-grade positions.
- WL – commonly used for wage leader positions.
- WS – commonly used for wage supervisor positions.
Therefore, a reference to the "WG pay scale" usually concerns one part of the broader Federal Wage System.
How the Federal Wage System Works
The Federal Wage System was designed to make federal blue-collar wages comparable with prevailing private-sector wage rates for similar work within a local wage area.
Two important principles behind the system are:
- Federal wages should reflect prevailing local wage rates.
- Employees performing comparable work within the same wage area should receive comparable pay.
This local approach is one of the biggest differences between the Federal Wage System and the General Schedule.
How Are WG Pay Rates Determined?
WG pay is based on local wage schedules rather than a single nationwide salary table.
Under the Federal Wage System, wage surveys are used to gather information about prevailing private-sector rates for comparable work in local labor markets. That information is used in establishing federal wage schedules for the applicable wage area.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management establishes Governmentwide Federal Wage System policies and procedures. The Department of Defense serves as the lead agency for Federal Wage System local wage areas and is responsible for issuing FWS wage schedules.
As a result, determining an employee's WG hourly rate requires more information than simply knowing the employee's grade and step.
WG Grades and Steps
The regular Federal Wage System uses grades to distinguish different levels of work and uses steps within each grade for pay progression.
A regular WG schedule generally contains five steps within each grade.
| Step | General Position in the Grade |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Beginning rate |
| Step 2 | Prevailing rate |
| Step 3 | Above prevailing rate |
| Step 4 | Higher step rate |
| Step 5 | Highest regular step in the grade |
OPM explains that employees under the regular Federal Wage System are paid the full prevailing rate at Step 2. Step 5, the highest regular step, is 12 percent above the prevailing rate.
How Many Steps Are in the WG Pay Scale?
The regular WG structure has five steps. This is different from the General Schedule, which has 10 steps within each GS grade.
This difference is important when comparing WG and GS jobs. A WG-10 Step 3 and a GS-10 Step 3 are not equivalent simply because the grade and step numbers look similar.
They belong to different pay systems with different methods for establishing rates.
WG Pay Is Usually Expressed as an Hourly Rate
Federal Wage System schedules generally display rates on an hourly basis.
For example, a wage schedule may show a separate hourly rate for each step of a particular WG grade.
An employee looking up WG pay should therefore expect to see a structure such as:
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WG Grade | Hourly Rate | Hourly Rate | Hourly Rate | Hourly Rate | Hourly Rate |
The actual dollar values depend on the applicable wage schedule and should be obtained from the official Federal Wage System schedule covering the employee's location and position.
There Is No Single Nationwide WG Pay Table
This is one of the most important facts to understand about WG pay.
Searching for a single "2026 WG pay scale" without specifying a location may not provide enough information to determine an employee's actual rate.
Federal Wage System rates are geographically based. Different local wage areas can have different hourly rates for the same WG grade and step.
For example, a WG employee working in one wage area may receive a different hourly rate from an employee at the same WG grade and step working in another wage area.
What Is a Federal Wage Area?
A wage area is a geographic area used to administer Federal Wage System pay.
OPM defines the geographic boundaries of local wage areas. Wage surveys and schedules are associated with these areas so that federal trade, craft, and laboring employees can be paid in relation to prevailing wages in the relevant local labor market.
Federal Wage System wage areas are different from General Schedule locality pay areas. An employee should not use a GS locality area as a substitute for determining the applicable FWS wage schedule.
Appropriated Fund and Nonappropriated Fund Wage Areas
The Federal Wage System includes both appropriated fund and nonappropriated fund wage systems.
OPM currently identifies 130 appropriated fund local wage areas and 118 nonappropriated fund local wage areas.
The applicable system depends on the employee's position and employing organization. Employees should use the wage schedule specifically applicable to their employment rather than assuming all FWS schedules are interchangeable.
Who Issues WG Wage Schedules?
OPM provides Governmentwide policy leadership for the Federal Wage System, but the Department of Defense has a major operational role in the wage-setting process.
OPM identifies the Department of Defense as the lead agency for each local wage area. DOD is responsible for conducting Federal Wage System wage surveys and issuing wage schedules.
DOD's Civilian Personnel Advisory Service maintains the official collection of FWS wage schedules.
This differs from GS salary tables, which users commonly retrieve directly through OPM's annual General Schedule salary-table pages.
How to Find Your WG Pay Rate
To determine a WG hourly rate, you generally need several pieces of information:
- Identify your pay plan, such as WG.
- Identify your grade.
- Identify your current step.
- Determine the applicable local wage area.
- Determine whether an appropriated fund, nonappropriated fund, special, or other applicable schedule covers the position.
- Open the official wage schedule for that location.
- Find the hourly rate at the intersection of your grade and step.
Your official personnel documents and agency human resources office can help confirm the correct pay plan, grade, step, and wage schedule.
WG Pay Scale vs. GS Pay Scale
WG and GS are separate federal pay systems. They should not be treated as two versions of the same salary table.
| Feature | WG / Federal Wage System | General Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Typical occupational coverage | Trade, craft and laboring positions | Professional, technical, administrative and clerical positions |
| Common pay format | Hourly wage | Annual salary |
| Regular steps | 5 | 10 |
| Geographic system | Local wage areas | Locality pay areas for most covered employees |
| Rate-setting concept | Local prevailing private-sector wages | General Schedule plus applicable locality or other adjustments |
| Common pay plans | WG, WL, WS | GS and related GS pay plan codes |
WG Grade Is Not Equivalent to the Same GS Grade
A common mistake is assuming that a WG grade number directly corresponds to the same GS grade number.
For example, WG-8 is not automatically equivalent to GS-8.
The two positions are classified under different job-grading and classification systems. The grade number by itself does not establish equivalency between the Federal Wage System and General Schedule.
When an employee moves between FWS and GS positions, agencies must use the applicable federal classification and pay-setting rules rather than simply matching grade numbers.
How WG Jobs Are Graded
Federal Wage System positions are evaluated using federal job-grading standards.
The grade assigned to a position reflects factors related to the level and complexity of the work rather than simply the employee's years of service.
OPM develops Governmentwide job-grading standards for major Federal Wage System occupations, and agencies are required to apply the applicable standards when grading positions.
This means an employee does not normally receive a higher WG grade simply because they have remained in a position for a certain number of years. Moving to a higher grade generally requires a position or personnel action supporting that higher level of work.
How WG Step Increases Work
Within-grade progression under the Federal Wage System is different from the 10-step General Schedule system.
For regular FWS employees, advancement through the five-step structure is governed by Federal Wage System pay-administration rules.
Employees should not apply GS waiting periods to a WG position. GS and FWS use different progression structures.
The official FWS operating rules and the employee's agency records should be used to determine an actual step-increase eligibility date.
Does WG Pay Include GS Locality Pay?
WG employees generally should not calculate their pay by taking a Federal Wage System rate and adding the GS locality percentage shown on a General Schedule locality table.
The Federal Wage System has its own geographically based wage-setting process. Its local wage areas and wage schedules are separate from the GS locality pay system.
Some federal compensation laws and special provisions can affect FWS pay, but a standard GS locality percentage should not simply be added to a WG hourly rate unless an applicable authority specifically provides for it.
How Often Do WG Pay Rates Change?
Federal Wage System pay adjustments are tied to local wage survey and wage-schedule processes rather than simply following the same annual nationwide schedule used for GS base pay.
OPM works with agencies and labor organizations to schedule local wage surveys. Under the process commonly referred to as the 45-day law, wage adjustments generally become effective with the first pay period after the applicable 45-working-day period following the start of a wage survey.
However, legislation can limit or delay prevailing-rate adjustments. Employees should therefore use the current official wage schedule rather than assuming a particular percentage increase based on changes to GS pay.
Do WG Employees Receive the Same Annual Raise as GS Employees?
Not necessarily.
The Federal Wage System and General Schedule have different pay-adjustment processes. A nationwide GS pay adjustment does not by itself establish the new hourly rates for every WG employee.
Federal Wage System rates are generally tied to prevailing wage determinations and applicable federal law. Congress may also impose limitations on annual adjustments for certain prevailing-rate employees.
What Is the Prevailing Rate?
The concept of a prevailing rate is central to the Federal Wage System.
In general, the system is designed to relate federal wages for trade, craft, and laboring work to rates paid for comparable work by private employers within the local wage area.
Under the regular FWS structure, OPM states that Step 2 represents the full prevailing rate for each grade level.
The higher steps provide rates above that prevailing rate, with Step 5 being the highest regular step.
WG, WL and WS Pay Plans
Federal Wage System users may encounter several similar pay-plan codes.
WG – Wage Grade
WG is commonly associated with nonsupervisory trade, craft, and laboring positions.
WL – Wage Leader
WL is commonly associated with employees who lead other wage-system employees while also performing work themselves.
WS – Wage Supervisor
WS is commonly associated with supervisory positions covered by the Federal Wage System.
The correct designation depends on the official classification of the federal position.
Special Federal Wage System Schedules
Not every Federal Wage System employee is necessarily covered by a regular WG schedule.
OPM can authorize special wage schedules or special rates when applicable conditions justify different treatment. Special schedules can apply to particular occupations, locations, or employment circumstances.
Therefore, employees should verify the exact schedule covering their position before using a regular WG table to estimate pay.
Premium Pay and Other Compensation
An employee's regular WG hourly rate is not necessarily the same as total compensation for every hour worked.
Depending on eligibility and work schedule, Federal Wage System employees may be subject to additional pay rules involving matters such as overtime, night shifts, Sunday work, holidays, or environmental differentials.
These payments are governed by separate federal pay rules and should not be confused with the employee's regular scheduled WG rate.
Example of Looking Up a WG Rate
Suppose a federal employee knows that their position is classified as WG and that their personnel record shows a particular grade and step.
Knowing only those two numbers is not enough to determine the employee's hourly wage.
The employee should next identify the local wage area and applicable wage schedule. Once the correct schedule is found, the employee can locate their grade and then read across to the appropriate step.
This approach is more accurate than searching for a generic national WG salary because Federal Wage System rates can vary by wage area.
Common WG Pay Scale Mistakes
Using a GS Salary Table for a WG Position
GS and WG are different pay systems. A GS table should not be used to determine the regular hourly rate of a WG employee.
Looking for One Nationwide WG Salary
WG rates are geographically based. The applicable wage area and schedule are necessary to determine an actual rate.
Assuming WG and GS Grade Numbers Are Equivalent
A WG grade does not automatically correspond to a GS grade with the same number.
Adding GS Locality Pay to a WG Rate
The Federal Wage System has its own local wage-setting structure. A GS locality percentage should not simply be added to a WG rate.
Using an Old Wage Schedule
Wage schedules are periodically updated. Always check the effective date of the schedule before using its rates.
WG Pay Scale Frequently Asked Questions
What does WG mean on a federal job?
WG is a pay plan code commonly used for nonsupervisory positions covered by the Federal Wage System, the federal pay system for many trade, craft, and laboring employees.
Is WG the same as GS?
No. WG positions are generally covered by the Federal Wage System, while GS positions are covered by the General Schedule. The systems use different job-grading, geographic, step, and pay-setting structures.
How many steps are in the WG pay scale?
The regular Federal Wage System WG structure has five steps. This differs from the 10-step structure used by the General Schedule.
Is WG pay hourly or salary?
Federal Wage System wage schedules generally express WG rates on an hourly basis.
Does every WG employee at the same grade earn the same amount?
No. Rates can differ because Federal Wage System pay is based on local wage areas and applicable wage schedules.
Does WG receive locality pay?
WG pay is geographically based through the Federal Wage System's local wage-area structure. It should not be calculated by automatically adding a GS locality percentage to the WG hourly rate.
Who publishes WG pay tables?
OPM establishes Federal Wage System policy, while the Department of Defense is the lead agency responsible for conducting FWS wage surveys and issuing wage schedules. DOD's Civilian Personnel Advisory Service maintains the FWS wage schedules.
Where can I find my current WG hourly rate?
Identify your pay plan, grade, step and local wage area, then use the current official Federal Wage System wage schedule applicable to your position. Your agency human resources office can confirm which schedule applies.
Official Federal Wage System Information
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management establishes Governmentwide policies and procedures for the Federal Wage System. The Department of Defense serves as the lead agency for local wage areas and provides the official FWS wage schedules through its civilian personnel system.
Because WG rates vary geographically and schedules have specific effective dates, employees should verify their actual pay using the current official wage schedule and their agency personnel records.