DAYTON-SPRINGFIELD-KETTERING, OH — 21.42% locality adjustment · Ranks 32th 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 | $27,421 | $28,341 | $29,253 | $30,161 | $31,070 | $31,603 | $32,505 | $33,414 | $33,451 | $34,299 |
| GS-2 | $30,832 | $31,566 | $32,588 | $33,451 | $33,825 | $34,820 | $35,814 | $36,808 | $37,803 | $38,797 |
| GS-3 | $33,643 | $34,765 | $35,887 | $37,009 | $38,131 | $39,253 | $40,375 | $41,496 | $42,618 | $43,740 |
| GS-4 | $37,765 | $39,024 | $40,284 | $41,543 | $42,802 | $44,061 | $45,320 | $46,579 | $47,838 | $49,097 |
| GS-5 | $42,253 | $43,661 | $45,070 | $46,478 | $47,887 | $49,295 | $50,704 | $52,112 | $53,521 | $54,929 |
| GS-6 | $47,100 | $48,670 | $50,240 | $51,810 | $53,380 | $54,950 | $56,520 | $58,090 | $59,660 | $61,230 |
| GS-7 | $52,339 | $54,084 | $55,829 | $57,574 | $59,319 | $61,063 | $62,808 | $64,553 | $66,298 | $68,043 |
| GS-8 | $57,963 | $59,895 | $61,827 | $63,759 | $65,691 | $67,622 | $69,554 | $71,486 | $73,418 | $75,350 |
| GS-9 | $64,021 | $66,156 | $68,290 | $70,425 | $72,559 | $74,694 | $76,829 | $78,963 | $81,098 | $83,232 |
| GS-10 | $70,501 | $72,851 | $75,200 | $77,550 | $79,899 | $82,249 | $84,598 | $86,948 | $89,297 | $91,647 |
| GS-11 | $77,460 | $80,042 | $82,625 | $85,208 | $87,790 | $90,373 | $92,956 | $95,538 | $98,121 | $100,703 |
| GS-12 | $92,841 | $95,936 | $99,031 | $102,126 | $105,221 | $108,316 | $111,411 | $114,506 | $117,601 | $120,696 |
| GS-13 | $110,401 | $114,081 | $117,762 | $121,442 | $125,122 | $128,802 | $132,483 | $136,163 | $139,843 | $143,523 |
| GS-14 | $130,461 | $134,810 | $139,159 | $143,509 | $147,858 | $152,207 | $156,557 | $160,906 | $165,255 | $169,604 |
| GS-15 | $153,455 | $158,571 | $163,686 | $168,802 | $173,917 | $179,033 | $184,148 | $189,263 | $194,379 | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Dayton 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 DAYTON-SPRINGFIELD-KETTERING, OH pay area carries a 21.42% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #32 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $110,401 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $19,476 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 21.42%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the DAYTON-SPRINGFIELD-KETTERING, OH geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Midwest region, Dayton sits 0.73 points below the Midwest average of 22.15%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Dayton earns $3,964 more per year — $110,401 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $42,253 at GS-5, $64,021 at GS-9, $110,401 at GS-13, and $153,455 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 Dayton, 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 Dayton — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $52,339 on Step 1, reaches $59,319 at Step 5, and tops out at $68,043 on Step 10, after the 21.42% Dayton locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Dayton — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $64,021 on Step 1, reaches $72,559 at Step 5, and tops out at $83,232 on Step 10, after the 21.42% Dayton locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Dayton — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $77,460 on Step 1, reaches $87,790 at Step 5, and tops out at $100,703 on Step 10, after the 21.42% Dayton locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Dayton — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $92,841 on Step 1, reaches $105,221 at Step 5, and tops out at $120,696 on Step 10, after the 21.42% Dayton locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Dayton — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $110,401 on Step 1, reaches $125,122 at Step 5, and tops out at $143,523 on Step 10, after the 21.42% Dayton locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Dayton — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $130,461 on Step 1, reaches $147,858 at Step 5, and tops out at $169,604 on Step 10, after the 21.42% Dayton locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Dayton — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $153,455 on Step 1, reaches $173,917 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 21.42% Dayton locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Dayton is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Dayton are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Dayton salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Midwest locality pay areas, closest to the Dayton rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Dayton’s 21.42% 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.