DENVER-AURORA, CO — 30.52% locality adjustment · Ranks 12th 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 | $29,477 | $30,465 | $31,445 | $32,421 | $33,399 | $33,972 | $34,942 | $35,918 | $35,958 | $36,869 |
| GS-2 | $33,143 | $33,931 | $35,030 | $35,958 | $36,360 | $37,429 | $38,498 | $39,567 | $40,636 | $41,705 |
| GS-3 | $36,164 | $37,370 | $38,576 | $39,782 | $40,989 | $42,195 | $43,401 | $44,607 | $45,813 | $47,019 |
| GS-4 | $40,596 | $41,949 | $43,303 | $44,656 | $46,010 | $47,363 | $48,717 | $50,070 | $51,424 | $52,777 |
| GS-5 | $45,420 | $46,934 | $48,448 | $49,962 | $51,476 | $52,990 | $54,504 | $56,018 | $57,532 | $59,046 |
| GS-6 | $50,630 | $52,318 | $54,005 | $55,693 | $57,381 | $59,068 | $60,756 | $62,443 | $64,131 | $65,819 |
| GS-7 | $56,262 | $58,138 | $60,013 | $61,889 | $63,764 | $65,640 | $67,515 | $69,391 | $71,267 | $73,142 |
| GS-8 | $62,308 | $64,384 | $66,461 | $68,537 | $70,614 | $72,691 | $74,767 | $76,844 | $78,920 | $80,997 |
| GS-9 | $68,819 | $71,114 | $73,408 | $75,703 | $77,997 | $80,292 | $82,587 | $84,881 | $87,176 | $89,470 |
| GS-10 | $75,785 | $78,311 | $80,836 | $83,362 | $85,887 | $88,413 | $90,939 | $93,464 | $95,990 | $98,515 |
| GS-11 | $83,265 | $86,041 | $88,818 | $91,594 | $94,370 | $97,146 | $99,922 | $102,698 | $105,475 | $108,251 |
| GS-12 | $99,800 | $103,126 | $106,453 | $109,780 | $113,107 | $116,434 | $119,761 | $123,088 | $126,415 | $129,742 |
| GS-13 | $118,675 | $122,631 | $126,587 | $130,543 | $134,500 | $138,456 | $142,412 | $146,368 | $150,324 | $154,280 |
| GS-14 | $140,239 | $144,914 | $149,589 | $154,264 | $158,939 | $163,615 | $168,290 | $172,965 | $177,640 | $182,316 |
| GS-15 | $164,956 | $170,455 | $175,954 | $181,453 | $186,952 | $192,450 | $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 Denver 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 DENVER-AURORA, CO pay area carries a 30.52% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #12 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $118,675 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $27,750 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 30.52%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the DENVER-AURORA, CO geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Mountain West region, Denver sits 9.40 points above the Mountain West average of 21.12%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Denver earns $12,238 more per year — $118,675 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $45,420 at GS-5, $68,819 at GS-9, $118,675 at GS-13, and $164,956 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 Denver, 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 Denver — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $56,262 on Step 1, reaches $63,764 at Step 5, and tops out at $73,142 on Step 10, after the 30.52% Denver locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Denver — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $68,819 on Step 1, reaches $77,997 at Step 5, and tops out at $89,470 on Step 10, after the 30.52% Denver locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Denver — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $83,265 on Step 1, reaches $94,370 at Step 5, and tops out at $108,251 on Step 10, after the 30.52% Denver locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Denver — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $99,800 on Step 1, reaches $113,107 at Step 5, and tops out at $129,742 on Step 10, after the 30.52% Denver locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Denver — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $118,675 on Step 1, reaches $134,500 at Step 5, and tops out at $154,280 on Step 10, after the 30.52% Denver locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Denver — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $140,239 on Step 1, reaches $158,939 at Step 5, and tops out at $182,316 on Step 10, after the 30.52% Denver locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Denver — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $164,956 on Step 1, reaches $186,952 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 30.52% Denver locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Denver is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Denver are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Denver salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Mountain West locality pay areas, closest to the Denver rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Denver’s 30.52% 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.