2026 GS Pay Scale — Washington-Baltimore 33.94% locality

$102,415
A GS-12 Step 1 in Washington-Baltimore earns $102,415 in 2026. Every grade and step for Washington-Baltimore — at 33.94% locality pay — is in the table below.
Locality area: Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA · effective January 11, 2026

This page lists the complete 2026 General Schedule pay table for the Washington-Baltimore locality pay area, where a locality adjustment of 33.94% is added to each base rate. All grades and steps are shown; grade twelve, step one is $102,415.

GradeStep 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5Step 6Step 7Step 8Step 9Step 10
GS-1$30,249$31,263$32,269$33,271$34,274$34,862$35,857$36,859$36,900$37,835
GS-2$34,011$34,820$35,948$36,900$37,313$38,410$39,507$40,604$41,701$42,798
GS-3$37,112$38,350$39,587$40,825$42,063$43,300$44,538$45,775$47,013$48,251
GS-4$41,659$43,048$44,437$45,826$47,215$48,604$49,993$51,382$52,771$54,160
GS-5$46,610$48,163$49,717$51,271$52,825$54,378$55,932$57,486$59,039$60,593
GS-6$51,957$53,689$55,420$57,152$58,884$60,616$62,348$64,080$65,811$67,543
GS-7$57,736$59,661$61,586$63,510$65,435$67,360$69,284$71,209$73,134$75,059
GS-8$63,940$66,071$68,202$70,333$72,464$74,595$76,726$78,857$80,988$83,119
GS-9$70,623$72,977$75,332$77,687$80,041$82,396$84,751$87,105$89,460$91,815
GS-10$77,771$80,363$82,954$85,546$88,138$90,730$93,321$95,913$98,505$101,097
GS-11$85,447$88,296$91,145$93,994$96,843$99,692$102,540$105,389$108,238$111,087
GS-12$102,415$105,829$109,243$112,657$116,071$119,485$122,899$126,313$129,728$133,142
GS-13$121,785$125,845$129,904$133,964$138,024$142,084$146,143$150,203$154,263$158,322
GS-14$143,913$148,711$153,509$158,306$163,104$167,902$172,700$177,497$182,295$187,093
GS-15$169,279$174,922$180,565$186,207$191,850$197,200 *$197,200 *$197,200 *$197,200 *$197,200 *

* Capped at Level IV of the Executive Schedule ($197,200 in 2026) — GS locality-adjusted pay cannot exceed the EX-IV cap (5 U.S.C. §5304(g)(1)).

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Calculate any GS grade & step in Washington-Baltimore

$116,071/yr
Base pay (before locality)$86,659
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA locality33.94%
Adjusted annual$116,071
Per month$9,673
Bi-weekly$4,449.60
Hourly$55.62

Adjusted = base × (1 + locality %), rounded to the nearest dollar. Hourly = annual ÷ 2087; bi-weekly = hourly × 80.

Frequently asked questions

Which grades and steps does this table cover?

The table covers every General Schedule grade, each with its full set of within-grade steps, at the Washington-Baltimore locality rate for 2026.

How does Washington-Baltimore locality pay work?

Each base General Schedule rate is increased by the Washington-Baltimore locality percentage of 33.94%, giving the adjusted salary shown for 2026.

Which areas are included in the Washington-Baltimore pay area?

The Washington-Baltimore pay area covers the counties and locations that the Office of Personnel Management assigns to it, and the same 33.94% rate applies throughout that area.

Did pay change from the prior year?

Base rates were updated for 2026, while the Washington-Baltimore locality percentage remained at its prior-year level of 33.94%.

Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-DCB · effective January 11, 2026 · Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. Rates current as of July 20, 2026. Reference figures for general information — official pay is set by your agency, DFAS or OPM. See methodology.