CINCINNATI-WILMINGTON-MAYSVILLE, OH-KY-IN — 21.93% locality adjustment · Ranks 29th 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 | $27,537 | $28,460 | $29,375 | $30,287 | $31,201 | $31,736 | $32,642 | $33,554 | $33,592 | $34,443 |
| GS-2 | $30,962 | $31,698 | $32,725 | $33,592 | $33,967 | $34,966 | $35,964 | $36,963 | $37,962 | $38,960 |
| GS-3 | $33,784 | $34,911 | $36,038 | $37,164 | $38,291 | $39,418 | $40,544 | $41,671 | $42,797 | $43,924 |
| GS-4 | $37,924 | $39,188 | $40,453 | $41,717 | $42,982 | $44,246 | $45,510 | $46,775 | $48,039 | $49,304 |
| GS-5 | $42,430 | $43,845 | $45,259 | $46,674 | $48,088 | $49,502 | $50,917 | $52,331 | $53,746 | $55,160 |
| GS-6 | $47,298 | $48,874 | $50,451 | $52,028 | $53,604 | $55,181 | $56,757 | $58,334 | $59,910 | $61,487 |
| GS-7 | $52,559 | $54,311 | $56,063 | $57,816 | $59,568 | $61,320 | $63,072 | $64,824 | $66,576 | $68,328 |
| GS-8 | $58,207 | $60,147 | $62,087 | $64,027 | $65,967 | $67,906 | $69,846 | $71,786 | $73,726 | $75,666 |
| GS-9 | $64,290 | $66,434 | $68,577 | $70,721 | $72,864 | $75,008 | $77,151 | $79,295 | $81,438 | $83,582 |
| GS-10 | $70,797 | $73,157 | $75,516 | $77,875 | $80,235 | $82,594 | $84,954 | $87,313 | $89,672 | $92,032 |
| GS-11 | $77,785 | $80,379 | $82,972 | $85,566 | $88,159 | $90,752 | $93,346 | $95,939 | $98,533 | $101,126 |
| GS-12 | $93,231 | $96,339 | $99,447 | $102,555 | $105,663 | $108,771 | $111,879 | $114,987 | $118,095 | $121,203 |
| GS-13 | $110,865 | $114,561 | $118,256 | $121,952 | $125,648 | $129,343 | $133,039 | $136,735 | $140,430 | $144,126 |
| GS-14 | $131,009 | $135,376 | $139,744 | $144,112 | $148,479 | $152,847 | $157,214 | $161,582 | $165,949 | $170,317 |
| GS-15 | $154,100 | $159,237 | $164,374 | $169,511 | $174,648 | $179,785 | $184,921 | $190,058 | $195,195 | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Cincinnati 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 CINCINNATI-WILMINGTON-MAYSVILLE, OH-KY-IN pay area carries a 21.93% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #29 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $110,865 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $19,940 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 21.93%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the CINCINNATI-WILMINGTON-MAYSVILLE, OH-KY-IN geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Midwest region, Cincinnati sits almost exactly the Midwest average of 22.15%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Cincinnati earns $4,428 more per year — $110,865 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $42,430 at GS-5, $64,290 at GS-9, $110,865 at GS-13, and $154,100 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 Cincinnati, 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 Cincinnati — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $52,559 on Step 1, reaches $59,568 at Step 5, and tops out at $68,328 on Step 10, after the 21.93% Cincinnati locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Cincinnati — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $64,290 on Step 1, reaches $72,864 at Step 5, and tops out at $83,582 on Step 10, after the 21.93% Cincinnati locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Cincinnati — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $77,785 on Step 1, reaches $88,159 at Step 5, and tops out at $101,126 on Step 10, after the 21.93% Cincinnati locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Cincinnati — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $93,231 on Step 1, reaches $105,663 at Step 5, and tops out at $121,203 on Step 10, after the 21.93% Cincinnati locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Cincinnati — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $110,865 on Step 1, reaches $125,648 at Step 5, and tops out at $144,126 on Step 10, after the 21.93% Cincinnati locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Cincinnati — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $131,009 on Step 1, reaches $148,479 at Step 5, and tops out at $170,317 on Step 10, after the 21.93% Cincinnati locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Cincinnati — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $154,100 on Step 1, reaches $174,648 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 21.93% Cincinnati locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Cincinnati is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Cincinnati are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Cincinnati salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Midwest locality pay areas, closest to the Cincinnati rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Cincinnati’s 21.93% 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.