CLEVELAND-AKRON-CANTON, OH-PA — 22.23% locality adjustment · Ranks 26th 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 | $27,604 | $28,530 | $29,448 | $30,362 | $31,277 | $31,814 | $32,722 | $33,636 | $33,674 | $34,528 |
| GS-2 | $31,038 | $31,776 | $32,805 | $33,674 | $34,051 | $35,052 | $36,053 | $37,054 | $38,055 | $39,056 |
| GS-3 | $33,867 | $34,997 | $36,126 | $37,256 | $38,385 | $39,515 | $40,644 | $41,773 | $42,903 | $44,032 |
| GS-4 | $38,017 | $39,285 | $40,552 | $41,820 | $43,087 | $44,355 | $45,622 | $46,890 | $48,157 | $49,425 |
| GS-5 | $42,535 | $43,953 | $45,371 | $46,788 | $48,206 | $49,624 | $51,042 | $52,460 | $53,878 | $55,296 |
| GS-6 | $47,414 | $48,995 | $50,575 | $52,156 | $53,736 | $55,316 | $56,897 | $58,477 | $60,058 | $61,638 |
| GS-7 | $52,688 | $54,445 | $56,201 | $57,958 | $59,714 | $61,471 | $63,227 | $64,984 | $66,740 | $68,496 |
| GS-8 | $58,350 | $60,295 | $62,240 | $64,184 | $66,129 | $68,074 | $70,018 | $71,963 | $73,908 | $75,852 |
| GS-9 | $64,448 | $66,597 | $68,746 | $70,895 | $73,043 | $75,192 | $77,341 | $79,490 | $81,639 | $83,787 |
| GS-10 | $70,972 | $73,337 | $75,702 | $78,067 | $80,432 | $82,797 | $85,163 | $87,528 | $89,893 | $92,258 |
| GS-11 | $77,977 | $80,576 | $83,176 | $85,776 | $88,376 | $90,976 | $93,576 | $96,175 | $98,775 | $101,375 |
| GS-12 | $93,461 | $96,576 | $99,692 | $102,808 | $105,923 | $109,039 | $112,155 | $115,270 | $118,386 | $121,502 |
| GS-13 | $111,138 | $114,842 | $118,547 | $122,252 | $125,957 | $129,662 | $133,366 | $137,071 | $140,776 | $144,481 |
| GS-14 | $131,331 | $135,710 | $140,088 | $144,466 | $148,844 | $153,223 | $157,601 | $161,979 | $166,357 | $170,736 |
| GS-15 | $154,479 | $159,629 | $164,778 | $169,928 | $175,077 | $180,227 | $185,376 | $190,526 | $195,676 | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Cleveland 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 CLEVELAND-AKRON-CANTON, OH-PA pay area carries a 22.23% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #26 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $111,138 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $20,213 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 22.23%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the CLEVELAND-AKRON-CANTON, OH-PA geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Midwest region, Cleveland 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 Cleveland earns $4,701 more per year — $111,138 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $42,535 at GS-5, $64,448 at GS-9, $111,138 at GS-13, and $154,479 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 Cleveland, 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 Cleveland — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $52,688 on Step 1, reaches $59,714 at Step 5, and tops out at $68,496 on Step 10, after the 22.23% Cleveland locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Cleveland — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $64,448 on Step 1, reaches $73,043 at Step 5, and tops out at $83,787 on Step 10, after the 22.23% Cleveland locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Cleveland — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $77,977 on Step 1, reaches $88,376 at Step 5, and tops out at $101,375 on Step 10, after the 22.23% Cleveland locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Cleveland — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $93,461 on Step 1, reaches $105,923 at Step 5, and tops out at $121,502 on Step 10, after the 22.23% Cleveland locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Cleveland — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $111,138 on Step 1, reaches $125,957 at Step 5, and tops out at $144,481 on Step 10, after the 22.23% Cleveland locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Cleveland — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $131,331 on Step 1, reaches $148,844 at Step 5, and tops out at $170,736 on Step 10, after the 22.23% Cleveland locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Cleveland — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $154,479 on Step 1, reaches $175,077 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 22.23% Cleveland locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Cleveland is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Cleveland are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Cleveland salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Midwest locality pay areas, closest to the Cleveland rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Cleveland’s 22.23% 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.