HOUSTON-THE WOODLANDS, TX — 35.00% locality adjustment · Ranks 4th 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 | $30,488 | $31,510 | $32,524 | $33,534 | $34,545 | $35,138 | $36,141 | $37,151 | $37,193 | $38,135 |
| GS-2 | $34,281 | $35,096 | $36,233 | $37,193 | $37,608 | $38,714 | $39,820 | $40,925 | $42,031 | $43,137 |
| GS-3 | $37,406 | $38,653 | $39,901 | $41,148 | $42,395 | $43,643 | $44,890 | $46,138 | $47,385 | $48,632 |
| GS-4 | $41,989 | $43,389 | $44,789 | $46,189 | $47,589 | $48,989 | $50,389 | $51,789 | $53,189 | $54,589 |
| GS-5 | $46,979 | $48,545 | $50,111 | $51,677 | $53,243 | $54,809 | $56,375 | $57,941 | $59,507 | $61,073 |
| GS-6 | $52,368 | $54,113 | $55,859 | $57,605 | $59,350 | $61,096 | $62,841 | $64,587 | $66,332 | $68,078 |
| GS-7 | $58,193 | $60,133 | $62,073 | $64,013 | $65,953 | $67,893 | $69,833 | $71,773 | $73,713 | $75,653 |
| GS-8 | $64,446 | $66,594 | $68,742 | $70,890 | $73,038 | $75,186 | $77,333 | $79,481 | $81,629 | $83,777 |
| GS-9 | $71,181 | $73,555 | $75,928 | $78,301 | $80,675 | $83,048 | $85,421 | $87,795 | $90,168 | $92,541 |
| GS-10 | $78,386 | $80,999 | $83,611 | $86,223 | $88,835 | $91,448 | $94,060 | $96,672 | $99,284 | $101,897 |
| GS-11 | $86,123 | $88,995 | $91,866 | $94,738 | $97,609 | $100,481 | $103,352 | $106,223 | $109,095 | $111,966 |
| GS-12 | $103,225 | $106,666 | $110,107 | $113,549 | $116,990 | $120,431 | $123,872 | $127,313 | $130,754 | $134,195 |
| GS-13 | $122,749 | $126,841 | $130,932 | $135,024 | $139,116 | $143,208 | $147,300 | $151,392 | $155,484 | $159,575 |
| GS-14 | $145,052 | $149,888 | $154,724 | $159,559 | $164,395 | $169,231 | $174,066 | $178,902 | $183,738 | $188,573 |
| GS-15 | $170,618 | $176,306 | $181,994 | $187,681 | $193,369 | $197,200* | $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 Houston 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 HOUSTON-THE WOODLANDS, TX pay area carries a 35.00% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the top 10 highest federal pay areas (#4 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $122,749 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $31,824 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 35.00%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the HOUSTON-THE WOODLANDS, TX geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the South Central region, Houston sits 11.56 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 Houston earns $16,312 more per year — $122,749 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $46,979 at GS-5, $71,181 at GS-9, $122,749 at GS-13, and $170,618 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 Houston, GS-15 steps 6–10 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 Houston — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $58,193 on Step 1, reaches $65,953 at Step 5, and tops out at $75,653 on Step 10, after the 35.00% Houston locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Houston — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $71,181 on Step 1, reaches $80,675 at Step 5, and tops out at $92,541 on Step 10, after the 35.00% Houston locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Houston — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $86,123 on Step 1, reaches $97,609 at Step 5, and tops out at $111,966 on Step 10, after the 35.00% Houston locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Houston — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $103,225 on Step 1, reaches $116,990 at Step 5, and tops out at $134,195 on Step 10, after the 35.00% Houston locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Houston — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $122,749 on Step 1, reaches $139,116 at Step 5, and tops out at $159,575 on Step 10, after the 35.00% Houston locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Houston — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $145,052 on Step 1, reaches $164,395 at Step 5, and tops out at $188,573 on Step 10, after the 35.00% Houston locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Houston — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $170,618 on Step 1, reaches $193,369 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 35.00% Houston locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Houston is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Houston are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Houston salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other South Central locality pay areas, closest to the Houston rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Houston’s 35.00% 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.