ATLANTA--ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY--SANDY SPRINGS, GA-AL — 23.79% locality adjustment · Ranks 20th of 58 pay areas
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $27,957 | $28,894 | $29,823 | $30,749 | $31,677 | $32,220 | $33,140 | $34,066 | $34,104 | $34,968 |
| GS-2 | $31,434 | $32,182 | $33,224 | $34,104 | $34,485 | $35,499 | $36,513 | $37,527 | $38,541 | $39,555 |
| GS-3 | $34,300 | $35,444 | $36,587 | $37,731 | $38,875 | $40,019 | $41,163 | $42,306 | $43,450 | $44,594 |
| GS-4 | $38,502 | $39,786 | $41,070 | $42,354 | $43,637 | $44,921 | $46,205 | $47,488 | $48,772 | $50,056 |
| GS-5 | $43,078 | $44,514 | $45,950 | $47,386 | $48,822 | $50,258 | $51,693 | $53,129 | $54,565 | $56,001 |
| GS-6 | $48,019 | $49,620 | $51,221 | $52,821 | $54,422 | $56,022 | $57,623 | $59,224 | $60,824 | $62,425 |
| GS-7 | $53,361 | $55,140 | $56,919 | $58,698 | $60,476 | $62,255 | $64,034 | $65,813 | $67,592 | $69,371 |
| GS-8 | $59,095 | $61,064 | $63,034 | $65,003 | $66,973 | $68,942 | $70,912 | $72,881 | $74,851 | $76,820 |
| GS-9 | $65,271 | $67,447 | $69,623 | $71,799 | $73,976 | $76,152 | $78,328 | $80,504 | $82,681 | $84,857 |
| GS-10 | $71,877 | $74,273 | $76,668 | $79,063 | $81,459 | $83,854 | $86,249 | $88,645 | $91,040 | $93,435 |
| GS-11 | $78,972 | $81,605 | $84,238 | $86,871 | $89,504 | $92,137 | $94,770 | $97,403 | $100,036 | $102,669 |
| GS-12 | $94,654 | $97,809 | $100,964 | $104,120 | $107,275 | $110,431 | $113,586 | $116,741 | $119,897 | $123,052 |
| GS-13 | $112,556 | $116,308 | $120,060 | $123,812 | $127,564 | $131,316 | $135,069 | $138,821 | $142,573 | $146,325 |
| GS-14 | $133,007 | $137,442 | $141,876 | $146,310 | $150,744 | $155,178 | $159,612 | $164,047 | $168,481 | $172,915 |
| GS-15 | $156,451 | $161,666 | $166,881 | $172,097 | $177,312 | $182,527 | $187,742 | $192,958 | $197,200* | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Atlanta locality salary feeds directly into your FERS High-3 average, which sets your pension for life. Use the GS Pay Calculator to see your exact salary and projected pension by grade, step, and locality.
The ATLANTA--ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY--SANDY SPRINGS, GA-AL pay area carries a 23.79% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #20 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $112,556 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $21,631 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 23.79%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the ATLANTA--ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY--SANDY SPRINGS, GA-AL geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Southeast region, Atlanta sits 1.44 points above the Southeast average of 22.35%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Atlanta earns $6,119 more per year — $112,556 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $43,078 at GS-5, $65,271 at GS-9, $112,556 at GS-13, and $156,451 at GS-15.
GS locality pay is capped at the Executive Schedule Level IV rate ($197,200 in 2026) regardless of grade, step, or locality percentage. In Atlanta, GS-15 steps 9–10 are capped at $197,200, so the published step increases stop translating into real pay at that point. See the full interactive GS pay scale to compare all 58 locality pay areas side by side.
2026 locality-adjusted salaries for the grades that cover most of the federal workforce. Jump to a grade:
A GS-7 in Atlanta — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $53,361 on Step 1, reaches $60,476 at Step 5, and tops out at $69,371 on Step 10, after the 23.79% Atlanta locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Atlanta — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $65,271 on Step 1, reaches $73,976 at Step 5, and tops out at $84,857 on Step 10, after the 23.79% Atlanta locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Atlanta — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $78,972 on Step 1, reaches $89,504 at Step 5, and tops out at $102,669 on Step 10, after the 23.79% Atlanta locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Atlanta — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $94,654 on Step 1, reaches $107,275 at Step 5, and tops out at $123,052 on Step 10, after the 23.79% Atlanta locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Atlanta — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $112,556 on Step 1, reaches $127,564 at Step 5, and tops out at $146,325 on Step 10, after the 23.79% Atlanta locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Atlanta — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $133,007 on Step 1, reaches $150,744 at Step 5, and tops out at $172,915 on Step 10, after the 23.79% Atlanta locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Atlanta — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $156,451 on Step 1, reaches $177,312 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 23.79% Atlanta locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Atlanta is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Atlanta are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Atlanta salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Southeast locality pay areas, closest to the Atlanta rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Atlanta’s 23.79% adjustment.
Comparing offers across localities? The GS Pay Calculator models any grade, step, and locality combination, and the FERS Estimator shows what each option is worth as lifetime pension income. See all 58 pay areas for the full list.