INDIANAPOLIS-CARMEL-MUNCIE, IN — 18.15% locality adjustment · Ranks 50th 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 | $26,683 | $27,577 | $28,465 | $29,348 | $30,233 | $30,752 | $31,630 | $32,514 | $32,550 | $33,375 |
| GS-2 | $30,002 | $30,715 | $31,710 | $32,550 | $32,914 | $33,882 | $34,850 | $35,817 | $36,785 | $37,752 |
| GS-3 | $32,737 | $33,829 | $34,920 | $36,012 | $37,104 | $38,196 | $39,287 | $40,379 | $41,471 | $42,562 |
| GS-4 | $36,748 | $37,973 | $39,199 | $40,424 | $41,649 | $42,874 | $44,099 | $45,325 | $46,550 | $47,775 |
| GS-5 | $41,115 | $42,486 | $43,856 | $45,227 | $46,597 | $47,968 | $49,338 | $50,709 | $52,079 | $53,450 |
| GS-6 | $45,832 | $47,359 | $48,887 | $50,415 | $51,942 | $53,470 | $54,998 | $56,525 | $58,053 | $59,581 |
| GS-7 | $50,930 | $52,628 | $54,325 | $56,023 | $57,721 | $59,419 | $61,117 | $62,814 | $64,512 | $66,210 |
| GS-8 | $56,402 | $58,282 | $60,162 | $62,042 | $63,922 | $65,801 | $67,681 | $69,561 | $71,441 | $73,320 |
| GS-9 | $62,297 | $64,374 | $66,451 | $68,528 | $70,605 | $72,682 | $74,759 | $76,836 | $78,914 | $80,991 |
| GS-10 | $68,603 | $70,889 | $73,175 | $75,461 | $77,747 | $80,034 | $82,320 | $84,606 | $86,892 | $89,178 |
| GS-11 | $75,374 | $77,887 | $80,400 | $82,913 | $85,426 | $87,939 | $90,452 | $92,965 | $95,478 | $97,991 |
| GS-12 | $90,341 | $93,353 | $96,364 | $99,376 | $102,388 | $105,399 | $108,411 | $111,423 | $114,434 | $117,446 |
| GS-13 | $107,428 | $111,009 | $114,590 | $118,171 | $121,752 | $125,334 | $128,915 | $132,496 | $136,077 | $139,658 |
| GS-14 | $126,947 | $131,180 | $135,412 | $139,644 | $143,876 | $148,108 | $152,340 | $156,572 | $160,805 | $165,037 |
| GS-15 | $149,323 | $154,300 | $159,278 | $164,256 | $169,233 | $174,211 | $179,189 | $184,166 | $189,144 | $194,122 |
Your Indianapolis 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 INDIANAPOLIS-CARMEL-MUNCIE, IN pay area carries a 18.15% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #50 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $107,428 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $16,503 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 18.15%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the INDIANAPOLIS-CARMEL-MUNCIE, IN geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Midwest region, Indianapolis sits 4.00 points below the Midwest average of 22.15%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Indianapolis earns $991 more per year — $107,428 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $41,115 at GS-5, $62,297 at GS-9, $107,428 at GS-13, and $149,323 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. No GS-15 step reaches the $197,200 statutory cap in Indianapolis, so every step increase translates into full salary through GS-15 Step 10. 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 Indianapolis — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $50,930 on Step 1, reaches $57,721 at Step 5, and tops out at $66,210 on Step 10, after the 18.15% Indianapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Indianapolis — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $62,297 on Step 1, reaches $70,605 at Step 5, and tops out at $80,991 on Step 10, after the 18.15% Indianapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Indianapolis — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $75,374 on Step 1, reaches $85,426 at Step 5, and tops out at $97,991 on Step 10, after the 18.15% Indianapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Indianapolis — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $90,341 on Step 1, reaches $102,388 at Step 5, and tops out at $117,446 on Step 10, after the 18.15% Indianapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Indianapolis — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $107,428 on Step 1, reaches $121,752 at Step 5, and tops out at $139,658 on Step 10, after the 18.15% Indianapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Indianapolis — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $126,947 on Step 1, reaches $143,876 at Step 5, and tops out at $165,037 on Step 10, after the 18.15% Indianapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Indianapolis — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $149,323 on Step 1, reaches $169,233 at Step 5, and tops out at $194,122 on Step 10, after the 18.15% Indianapolis locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Indianapolis are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Indianapolis salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Midwest locality pay areas, closest to the Indianapolis rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Indianapolis’s 18.15% 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.