BUFFALO-CHEEKTOWAGA-OLEAN, NY — 22.41% locality adjustment · Ranks 23th 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 | $27,645 | $28,572 | $29,491 | $30,407 | $31,323 | $31,861 | $32,770 | $33,686 | $33,724 | $34,578 |
| GS-2 | $31,084 | $31,823 | $32,854 | $33,724 | $34,101 | $35,104 | $36,106 | $37,109 | $38,111 | $39,114 |
| GS-3 | $33,917 | $35,048 | $36,179 | $37,311 | $38,442 | $39,573 | $40,704 | $41,835 | $42,966 | $44,097 |
| GS-4 | $38,073 | $39,343 | $40,612 | $41,881 | $43,151 | $44,420 | $45,690 | $46,959 | $48,228 | $49,498 |
| GS-5 | $42,597 | $44,017 | $45,437 | $46,857 | $48,277 | $49,697 | $51,117 | $52,537 | $53,957 | $55,377 |
| GS-6 | $47,484 | $49,067 | $50,650 | $52,232 | $53,815 | $55,398 | $56,981 | $58,563 | $60,146 | $61,729 |
| GS-7 | $52,766 | $54,525 | $56,284 | $58,043 | $59,802 | $61,561 | $63,320 | $65,079 | $66,838 | $68,597 |
| GS-8 | $58,436 | $60,384 | $62,331 | $64,279 | $66,226 | $68,174 | $70,121 | $72,069 | $74,016 | $75,964 |
| GS-9 | $64,543 | $66,695 | $68,847 | $70,999 | $73,151 | $75,303 | $77,455 | $79,607 | $81,759 | $83,911 |
| GS-10 | $71,076 | $73,445 | $75,813 | $78,182 | $80,551 | $82,919 | $85,288 | $87,657 | $90,025 | $92,394 |
| GS-11 | $78,091 | $80,695 | $83,299 | $85,902 | $88,506 | $91,110 | $93,713 | $96,317 | $98,921 | $101,524 |
| GS-12 | $93,598 | $96,719 | $99,839 | $102,959 | $106,079 | $109,200 | $112,320 | $115,440 | $118,560 | $121,680 |
| GS-13 | $111,301 | $115,012 | $118,722 | $122,432 | $126,142 | $129,853 | $133,563 | $137,273 | $140,983 | $144,694 |
| GS-14 | $131,525 | $135,909 | $140,294 | $144,679 | $149,064 | $153,448 | $157,833 | $162,218 | $166,602 | $170,987 |
| GS-15 | $154,707 | $159,864 | $165,021 | $170,178 | $175,335 | $180,492 | $185,649 | $190,807 | $195,964 | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Buffalo 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 BUFFALO-CHEEKTOWAGA-OLEAN, NY pay area carries a 22.41% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #23 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $111,301 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $20,376 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 22.41%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the BUFFALO-CHEEKTOWAGA-OLEAN, NY geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Northeast region, Buffalo sits 2.85 points below the Northeast average of 25.26%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Buffalo earns $4,864 more per year — $111,301 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $42,597 at GS-5, $64,543 at GS-9, $111,301 at GS-13, and $154,707 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 Buffalo, GS-15 step 10 is 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 Buffalo — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $52,766 on Step 1, reaches $59,802 at Step 5, and tops out at $68,597 on Step 10, after the 22.41% Buffalo locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Buffalo — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $64,543 on Step 1, reaches $73,151 at Step 5, and tops out at $83,911 on Step 10, after the 22.41% Buffalo locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Buffalo — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $78,091 on Step 1, reaches $88,506 at Step 5, and tops out at $101,524 on Step 10, after the 22.41% Buffalo locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Buffalo — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $93,598 on Step 1, reaches $106,079 at Step 5, and tops out at $121,680 on Step 10, after the 22.41% Buffalo locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Buffalo — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $111,301 on Step 1, reaches $126,142 at Step 5, and tops out at $144,694 on Step 10, after the 22.41% Buffalo locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Buffalo — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $131,525 on Step 1, reaches $149,064 at Step 5, and tops out at $170,987 on Step 10, after the 22.41% Buffalo locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Buffalo — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $154,707 on Step 1, reaches $175,335 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 22.41% Buffalo locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Buffalo is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Buffalo are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Buffalo salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Northeast locality pay areas, closest to the Buffalo rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Buffalo’s 22.41% 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.