HARTFORD-EAST HARTFORD, CT-MA — 32.08% locality adjustment · Ranks 9th 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 | $29,829 | $30,829 | $31,821 | $32,809 | $33,798 | $34,378 | $35,359 | $36,347 | $36,388 | $37,310 |
| GS-2 | $33,539 | $34,337 | $35,449 | $36,388 | $36,795 | $37,877 | $38,958 | $40,040 | $41,122 | $42,204 |
| GS-3 | $36,597 | $37,817 | $39,038 | $40,258 | $41,478 | $42,699 | $43,919 | $45,140 | $46,360 | $47,580 |
| GS-4 | $41,081 | $42,451 | $43,820 | $45,190 | $46,560 | $47,929 | $49,299 | $50,669 | $52,038 | $53,408 |
| GS-5 | $45,963 | $47,495 | $49,027 | $50,559 | $52,091 | $53,623 | $55,155 | $56,687 | $58,220 | $59,752 |
| GS-6 | $51,235 | $52,943 | $54,651 | $56,359 | $58,066 | $59,774 | $61,482 | $63,190 | $64,898 | $66,605 |
| GS-7 | $56,934 | $58,832 | $60,730 | $62,628 | $64,526 | $66,424 | $68,322 | $70,220 | $72,118 | $74,016 |
| GS-8 | $63,052 | $65,154 | $67,255 | $69,357 | $71,458 | $73,559 | $75,661 | $77,762 | $79,863 | $81,965 |
| GS-9 | $69,642 | $71,964 | $74,286 | $76,608 | $78,930 | $81,252 | $83,574 | $85,896 | $88,218 | $90,540 |
| GS-10 | $76,691 | $79,247 | $81,802 | $84,358 | $86,914 | $89,470 | $92,025 | $94,581 | $97,137 | $99,693 |
| GS-11 | $84,260 | $87,070 | $89,879 | $92,688 | $95,498 | $98,307 | $101,116 | $103,926 | $106,735 | $109,545 |
| GS-12 | $100,992 | $104,359 | $107,726 | $111,092 | $114,459 | $117,826 | $121,193 | $124,559 | $127,926 | $131,293 |
| GS-13 | $120,094 | $124,097 | $128,100 | $132,104 | $136,107 | $140,110 | $144,114 | $148,117 | $152,120 | $156,124 |
| GS-14 | $141,915 | $146,646 | $151,377 | $156,108 | $160,839 | $165,570 | $170,301 | $175,032 | $179,764 | $184,495 |
| GS-15 | $166,928 | $172,493 | $178,057 | $183,622 | $189,186 | $194,751 | $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 Hartford 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 HARTFORD-EAST HARTFORD, CT-MA pay area carries a 32.08% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the top 10 highest federal pay areas (#9 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $120,094 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $29,169 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 32.08%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the HARTFORD-EAST HARTFORD, CT-MA 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 East Hartford.
Within the Northeast region, Hartford sits 6.82 points above the Northeast average of 25.26%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Hartford earns $13,657 more per year — $120,094 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $45,963 at GS-5, $69,642 at GS-9, $120,094 at GS-13, and $166,928 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 Hartford, 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 Hartford — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $56,934 on Step 1, reaches $64,526 at Step 5, and tops out at $74,016 on Step 10, after the 32.08% Hartford locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Hartford — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $69,642 on Step 1, reaches $78,930 at Step 5, and tops out at $90,540 on Step 10, after the 32.08% Hartford locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Hartford — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $84,260 on Step 1, reaches $95,498 at Step 5, and tops out at $109,545 on Step 10, after the 32.08% Hartford locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Hartford — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $100,992 on Step 1, reaches $114,459 at Step 5, and tops out at $131,293 on Step 10, after the 32.08% Hartford locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Hartford — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $120,094 on Step 1, reaches $136,107 at Step 5, and tops out at $156,124 on Step 10, after the 32.08% Hartford locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Hartford — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $141,915 on Step 1, reaches $160,839 at Step 5, and tops out at $184,495 on Step 10, after the 32.08% Hartford locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Hartford — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $166,928 on Step 1, reaches $189,186 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 32.08% Hartford locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Hartford is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Hartford are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Hartford salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Northeast locality pay areas, closest to the Hartford rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Hartford’s 32.08% 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.