BOSTON-WORCESTER-PROVIDENCE, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT — 32.58% locality adjustment · Ranks 7th 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 | $29,942 | $30,945 | $31,941 | $32,933 | $33,926 | $34,508 | $35,493 | $36,485 | $36,526 | $37,451 |
| GS-2 | $33,666 | $34,467 | $35,583 | $36,526 | $36,934 | $38,020 | $39,106 | $40,192 | $41,277 | $42,363 |
| GS-3 | $36,735 | $37,960 | $39,185 | $40,410 | $41,635 | $42,860 | $44,086 | $45,311 | $46,536 | $47,761 |
| GS-4 | $41,236 | $42,611 | $43,986 | $45,361 | $46,736 | $48,111 | $49,485 | $50,860 | $52,235 | $53,610 |
| GS-5 | $46,137 | $47,674 | $49,212 | $50,750 | $52,288 | $53,826 | $55,364 | $56,902 | $58,440 | $59,978 |
| GS-6 | $51,429 | $53,143 | $54,858 | $56,572 | $58,286 | $60,000 | $61,715 | $63,429 | $65,143 | $66,857 |
| GS-7 | $57,150 | $59,055 | $60,960 | $62,865 | $64,771 | $66,676 | $68,581 | $70,486 | $72,391 | $74,297 |
| GS-8 | $63,291 | $65,400 | $67,510 | $69,619 | $71,728 | $73,838 | $75,947 | $78,056 | $80,166 | $82,275 |
| GS-9 | $69,905 | $72,236 | $74,567 | $76,898 | $79,228 | $81,559 | $83,890 | $86,221 | $88,552 | $90,882 |
| GS-10 | $76,981 | $79,547 | $82,112 | $84,678 | $87,243 | $89,808 | $92,374 | $94,939 | $97,505 | $100,070 |
| GS-11 | $84,579 | $87,399 | $90,219 | $93,039 | $95,859 | $98,679 | $101,499 | $104,319 | $107,139 | $109,959 |
| GS-12 | $101,375 | $104,754 | $108,134 | $111,513 | $114,893 | $118,272 | $121,651 | $125,031 | $128,410 | $131,790 |
| GS-13 | $120,548 | $124,567 | $128,585 | $132,604 | $136,622 | $140,641 | $144,659 | $148,678 | $152,696 | $156,715 |
| GS-14 | $142,452 | $147,201 | $151,950 | $156,699 | $161,448 | $166,197 | $170,946 | $175,695 | $180,444 | $185,193 |
| GS-15 | $167,560 | $173,146 | $178,731 | $184,317 | $189,902 | $195,488 | $197,200* | $197,200* | $197,200* | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Boston 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 BOSTON-WORCESTER-PROVIDENCE, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area carries a 32.58% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the top 10 highest federal pay areas (#7 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $120,548 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $29,623 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 32.58%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the BOSTON-WORCESTER-PROVIDENCE, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Northeast region, Boston sits 7.32 points above the Northeast average of 25.26%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Boston earns $14,111 more per year — $120,548 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $46,137 at GS-5, $69,905 at GS-9, $120,548 at GS-13, and $167,560 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 Boston, GS-15 steps 7–10 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 Boston — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $57,150 on Step 1, reaches $64,771 at Step 5, and tops out at $74,297 on Step 10, after the 32.58% Boston locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Boston — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $69,905 on Step 1, reaches $79,228 at Step 5, and tops out at $90,882 on Step 10, after the 32.58% Boston locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Boston — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $84,579 on Step 1, reaches $95,859 at Step 5, and tops out at $109,959 on Step 10, after the 32.58% Boston locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Boston — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $101,375 on Step 1, reaches $114,893 at Step 5, and tops out at $131,790 on Step 10, after the 32.58% Boston locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Boston — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $120,548 on Step 1, reaches $136,622 at Step 5, and tops out at $156,715 on Step 10, after the 32.58% Boston locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Boston — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $142,452 on Step 1, reaches $161,448 at Step 5, and tops out at $185,193 on Step 10, after the 32.58% Boston locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Boston — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $167,560 on Step 1, reaches $189,902 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 32.58% Boston locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Boston is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Boston are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Boston salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Northeast locality pay areas, closest to the Boston rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Boston’s 32.58% 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.