CHICAGO-NAPERVILLE, IL-IN-WI — 30.86% locality adjustment · Ranks 11th 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 | $29,553 | $30,544 | $31,527 | $32,506 | $33,486 | $34,060 | $35,033 | $36,011 | $36,052 | $36,965 |
| GS-2 | $33,229 | $34,020 | $35,122 | $36,052 | $36,455 | $37,527 | $38,598 | $39,670 | $40,742 | $41,814 |
| GS-3 | $36,259 | $37,468 | $38,677 | $39,886 | $41,095 | $42,304 | $43,514 | $44,723 | $45,932 | $47,141 |
| GS-4 | $40,701 | $42,058 | $43,415 | $44,772 | $46,129 | $47,486 | $48,843 | $50,201 | $51,558 | $52,915 |
| GS-5 | $45,538 | $47,056 | $48,574 | $50,092 | $51,610 | $53,128 | $54,646 | $56,164 | $57,682 | $59,200 |
| GS-6 | $50,762 | $52,454 | $54,146 | $55,838 | $57,530 | $59,222 | $60,914 | $62,606 | $64,298 | $65,990 |
| GS-7 | $56,409 | $58,289 | $60,169 | $62,050 | $63,930 | $65,811 | $67,691 | $69,572 | $71,452 | $73,333 |
| GS-8 | $62,470 | $64,552 | $66,634 | $68,716 | $70,798 | $72,880 | $74,962 | $77,044 | $79,126 | $81,208 |
| GS-9 | $68,999 | $71,299 | $73,600 | $75,900 | $78,201 | $80,501 | $82,802 | $85,102 | $87,403 | $89,703 |
| GS-10 | $75,983 | $78,515 | $81,047 | $83,579 | $86,111 | $88,643 | $91,175 | $93,708 | $96,240 | $98,772 |
| GS-11 | $83,482 | $86,266 | $89,049 | $91,832 | $94,616 | $97,399 | $100,182 | $102,966 | $105,749 | $108,533 |
| GS-12 | $100,059 | $103,395 | $106,731 | $110,066 | $113,402 | $116,738 | $120,073 | $123,409 | $126,744 | $130,080 |
| GS-13 | $118,984 | $122,951 | $126,917 | $130,884 | $134,850 | $138,816 | $142,783 | $146,749 | $150,715 | $154,682 |
| GS-14 | $140,604 | $145,291 | $149,979 | $154,666 | $159,353 | $164,041 | $168,728 | $173,416 | $178,103 | $182,790 |
| GS-15 | $165,386 | $170,899 | $176,412 | $181,925 | $187,439 | $192,952 | $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 Chicago 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 CHICAGO-NAPERVILLE, IL-IN-WI pay area carries a 30.86% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #11 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $118,984 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $28,059 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 30.86%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the CHICAGO-NAPERVILLE, IL-IN-WI geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Midwest region, Chicago sits 8.71 points above the Midwest average of 22.15%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Chicago earns $12,547 more per year — $118,984 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $45,538 at GS-5, $68,999 at GS-9, $118,984 at GS-13, and $165,386 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 Chicago, 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 Chicago — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $56,409 on Step 1, reaches $63,930 at Step 5, and tops out at $73,333 on Step 10, after the 30.86% Chicago locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Chicago — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $68,999 on Step 1, reaches $78,201 at Step 5, and tops out at $89,703 on Step 10, after the 30.86% Chicago locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Chicago — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $83,482 on Step 1, reaches $94,616 at Step 5, and tops out at $108,533 on Step 10, after the 30.86% Chicago locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Chicago — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $100,059 on Step 1, reaches $113,402 at Step 5, and tops out at $130,080 on Step 10, after the 30.86% Chicago locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Chicago — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $118,984 on Step 1, reaches $134,850 at Step 5, and tops out at $154,682 on Step 10, after the 30.86% Chicago locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Chicago — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $140,604 on Step 1, reaches $159,353 at Step 5, and tops out at $182,790 on Step 10, after the 30.86% Chicago locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Chicago — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $165,386 on Step 1, reaches $187,439 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 30.86% Chicago locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Chicago is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Chicago are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Chicago salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Midwest locality pay areas, closest to the Chicago rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Chicago’s 30.86% 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.