DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX-OK — 27.26% locality adjustment · Ranks 17th 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 | $28,740 | $29,704 | $30,659 | $31,611 | $32,565 | $33,123 | $34,069 | $35,021 | $35,060 | $35,948 |
| GS-2 | $32,315 | $33,084 | $34,155 | $35,060 | $35,452 | $36,494 | $37,537 | $38,579 | $39,621 | $40,663 |
| GS-3 | $35,261 | $36,437 | $37,613 | $38,789 | $39,965 | $41,141 | $42,316 | $43,492 | $44,668 | $45,844 |
| GS-4 | $39,582 | $40,901 | $42,221 | $43,541 | $44,860 | $46,180 | $47,500 | $48,819 | $50,139 | $51,459 |
| GS-5 | $44,285 | $45,761 | $47,238 | $48,714 | $50,190 | $51,666 | $53,143 | $54,619 | $56,095 | $57,571 |
| GS-6 | $49,365 | $51,011 | $52,656 | $54,302 | $55,947 | $57,593 | $59,238 | $60,884 | $62,529 | $64,175 |
| GS-7 | $54,857 | $56,685 | $58,514 | $60,343 | $62,172 | $64,000 | $65,829 | $67,658 | $69,487 | $71,315 |
| GS-8 | $60,751 | $62,776 | $64,801 | $66,825 | $68,850 | $70,875 | $72,900 | $74,924 | $76,949 | $78,974 |
| GS-9 | $67,100 | $69,338 | $71,575 | $73,812 | $76,049 | $78,287 | $80,524 | $82,761 | $84,998 | $87,235 |
| GS-10 | $73,892 | $76,355 | $78,817 | $81,280 | $83,742 | $86,205 | $88,667 | $91,130 | $93,592 | $96,055 |
| GS-11 | $81,186 | $83,892 | $86,599 | $89,306 | $92,013 | $94,720 | $97,426 | $100,133 | $102,840 | $105,547 |
| GS-12 | $97,307 | $100,551 | $103,795 | $107,038 | $110,282 | $113,526 | $116,770 | $120,014 | $123,258 | $126,502 |
| GS-13 | $115,711 | $119,568 | $123,426 | $127,283 | $131,140 | $134,997 | $138,855 | $142,712 | $146,569 | $150,426 |
| GS-14 | $136,736 | $141,294 | $145,853 | $150,411 | $154,970 | $159,528 | $164,086 | $168,645 | $173,203 | $177,762 |
| GS-15 | $160,836 | $166,198 | $171,559 | $176,921 | $182,282 | $187,644 | $193,005 | $197,200* | $197,200* | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Dallas 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 DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX-OK pay area carries a 27.26% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #17 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $115,711 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $24,786 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 27.26%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the DALLAS-FORT WORTH, TX-OK geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase. This pay area is also commonly searched as Fort Worth and DFW.
Within the South Central region, Dallas sits 3.82 points above the South Central average of 23.44%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Dallas earns $9,274 more per year — $115,711 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $44,285 at GS-5, $67,100 at GS-9, $115,711 at GS-13, and $160,836 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 Dallas, GS-15 steps 8–10 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 Dallas — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $54,857 on Step 1, reaches $62,172 at Step 5, and tops out at $71,315 on Step 10, after the 27.26% Dallas locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Dallas — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $67,100 on Step 1, reaches $76,049 at Step 5, and tops out at $87,235 on Step 10, after the 27.26% Dallas locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Dallas — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $81,186 on Step 1, reaches $92,013 at Step 5, and tops out at $105,547 on Step 10, after the 27.26% Dallas locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Dallas — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $97,307 on Step 1, reaches $110,282 at Step 5, and tops out at $126,502 on Step 10, after the 27.26% Dallas locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Dallas — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $115,711 on Step 1, reaches $131,140 at Step 5, and tops out at $150,426 on Step 10, after the 27.26% Dallas locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Dallas — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $136,736 on Step 1, reaches $154,970 at Step 5, and tops out at $177,762 on Step 10, after the 27.26% Dallas locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Dallas — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $160,836 on Step 1, reaches $182,282 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 27.26% Dallas locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Dallas is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Dallas are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Dallas salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other South Central locality pay areas, closest to the Dallas rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Dallas’s 27.26% 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.