BIRMINGHAM-HOOVER-TALLADEGA, AL — 18.24% locality adjustment · Ranks 48th 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 | $26,703 | $27,598 | $28,486 | $29,371 | $30,256 | $30,776 | $31,654 | $32,538 | $32,575 | $33,400 |
| GS-2 | $30,025 | $30,739 | $31,734 | $32,575 | $32,939 | $33,908 | $34,876 | $35,844 | $36,813 | $37,781 |
| GS-3 | $32,762 | $33,854 | $34,947 | $36,040 | $37,132 | $38,225 | $39,317 | $40,410 | $41,502 | $42,595 |
| GS-4 | $36,776 | $38,002 | $39,228 | $40,455 | $41,681 | $42,907 | $44,133 | $45,359 | $46,585 | $47,812 |
| GS-5 | $41,146 | $42,518 | $43,890 | $45,261 | $46,633 | $48,004 | $49,376 | $50,747 | $52,119 | $53,491 |
| GS-6 | $45,866 | $47,395 | $48,924 | $50,453 | $51,982 | $53,511 | $55,040 | $56,568 | $58,097 | $59,626 |
| GS-7 | $50,969 | $52,668 | $54,367 | $56,066 | $57,765 | $59,464 | $61,163 | $62,862 | $64,561 | $66,261 |
| GS-8 | $56,445 | $58,327 | $60,208 | $62,089 | $63,970 | $65,851 | $67,733 | $69,614 | $71,495 | $73,376 |
| GS-9 | $62,344 | $64,423 | $66,502 | $68,580 | $70,659 | $72,738 | $74,816 | $76,895 | $78,974 | $81,052 |
| GS-10 | $68,655 | $70,943 | $73,231 | $75,519 | $77,807 | $80,095 | $82,383 | $84,670 | $86,958 | $89,246 |
| GS-11 | $75,431 | $77,946 | $80,461 | $82,976 | $85,491 | $88,006 | $90,521 | $93,036 | $95,551 | $98,066 |
| GS-12 | $90,410 | $93,424 | $96,438 | $99,452 | $102,466 | $105,480 | $108,493 | $111,507 | $114,521 | $117,535 |
| GS-13 | $107,510 | $111,094 | $114,677 | $118,261 | $121,845 | $125,429 | $129,013 | $132,597 | $136,181 | $139,764 |
| GS-14 | $127,044 | $131,280 | $135,515 | $139,750 | $143,986 | $148,221 | $152,456 | $156,692 | $160,927 | $165,162 |
| GS-15 | $149,436 | $154,418 | $159,399 | $164,381 | $169,362 | $174,344 | $179,325 | $184,307 | $189,288 | $194,270 |
Your Birmingham 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 BIRMINGHAM-HOOVER-TALLADEGA, AL pay area carries a 18.24% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #48 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $107,510 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $16,585 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 18.24%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the BIRMINGHAM-HOOVER-TALLADEGA, 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, Birmingham sits 4.11 points below the Southeast average of 22.35%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Birmingham earns $1,073 more per year — $107,510 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $41,146 at GS-5, $62,344 at GS-9, $107,510 at GS-13, and $149,436 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. No GS-15 step reaches the $197,200 statutory cap in Birmingham, so every step increase translates into full salary through GS-15 Step 10. 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 Birmingham — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $50,969 on Step 1, reaches $57,765 at Step 5, and tops out at $66,261 on Step 10, after the 18.24% Birmingham locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Birmingham — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $62,344 on Step 1, reaches $70,659 at Step 5, and tops out at $81,052 on Step 10, after the 18.24% Birmingham locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Birmingham — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $75,431 on Step 1, reaches $85,491 at Step 5, and tops out at $98,066 on Step 10, after the 18.24% Birmingham locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Birmingham — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $90,410 on Step 1, reaches $102,466 at Step 5, and tops out at $117,535 on Step 10, after the 18.24% Birmingham locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Birmingham — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $107,510 on Step 1, reaches $121,845 at Step 5, and tops out at $139,764 on Step 10, after the 18.24% Birmingham locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Birmingham — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $127,044 on Step 1, reaches $143,986 at Step 5, and tops out at $165,162 on Step 10, after the 18.24% Birmingham locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Birmingham — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $149,436 on Step 1, reaches $169,362 at Step 5, and tops out at $194,270 on Step 10, after the 18.24% Birmingham locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Birmingham are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Birmingham salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Southeast locality pay areas, closest to the Birmingham rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Birmingham’s 18.24% 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.