LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH, CA — 36.47% locality adjustment · Ranks 3rd 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 | $30,820 | $31,853 | $32,878 | $33,899 | $34,921 | $35,520 | $36,534 | $37,555 | $37,597 | $38,550 |
| GS-2 | $34,654 | $35,478 | $36,627 | $37,597 | $38,018 | $39,136 | $40,253 | $41,371 | $42,489 | $43,606 |
| GS-3 | $37,813 | $39,074 | $40,335 | $41,596 | $42,857 | $44,118 | $45,379 | $46,640 | $47,901 | $49,162 |
| GS-4 | $42,446 | $43,861 | $45,277 | $46,692 | $48,107 | $49,522 | $50,937 | $52,353 | $53,768 | $55,183 |
| GS-5 | $47,490 | $49,073 | $50,656 | $52,239 | $53,822 | $55,405 | $56,989 | $58,572 | $60,155 | $61,738 |
| GS-6 | $52,938 | $54,703 | $56,467 | $58,232 | $59,996 | $61,761 | $63,525 | $65,290 | $67,055 | $68,819 |
| GS-7 | $58,827 | $60,788 | $62,749 | $64,710 | $66,671 | $68,632 | $70,593 | $72,554 | $74,515 | $76,476 |
| GS-8 | $65,148 | $67,319 | $69,491 | $71,662 | $73,833 | $76,004 | $78,175 | $80,347 | $82,518 | $84,689 |
| GS-9 | $71,957 | $74,356 | $76,755 | $79,154 | $81,553 | $83,952 | $86,351 | $88,751 | $91,150 | $93,549 |
| GS-10 | $79,240 | $81,881 | $84,521 | $87,162 | $89,803 | $92,443 | $95,084 | $97,725 | $100,365 | $103,006 |
| GS-11 | $87,061 | $89,964 | $92,866 | $95,769 | $98,672 | $101,575 | $104,477 | $107,380 | $110,283 | $113,185 |
| GS-12 | $104,349 | $107,828 | $111,306 | $114,785 | $118,264 | $121,742 | $125,221 | $128,699 | $132,178 | $135,657 |
| GS-13 | $124,085 | $128,222 | $132,358 | $136,495 | $140,631 | $144,767 | $148,904 | $153,040 | $157,177 | $161,313 |
| GS-14 | $146,632 | $151,520 | $156,408 | $161,297 | $166,185 | $171,073 | $175,962 | $180,850 | $185,738 | $190,627 |
| GS-15 | $172,476 | $178,226 | $183,975 | $189,725 | $195,474 | $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 Los Angeles 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 LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH, CA pay area carries a 36.47% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the top 10 highest federal pay areas (#3 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $124,085 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $33,160 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 36.47%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH, CA 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 LA.
Within the Pacific & Non-Contiguous region, Los Angeles sits 7.08 points above the Pacific & Non-Contiguous average of 29.39%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Los Angeles earns $17,648 more per year — $124,085 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $47,490 at GS-5, $71,957 at GS-9, $124,085 at GS-13, and $172,476 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 Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $58,827 on Step 1, reaches $66,671 at Step 5, and tops out at $76,476 on Step 10, after the 36.47% Los Angeles locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Los Angeles — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $71,957 on Step 1, reaches $81,553 at Step 5, and tops out at $93,549 on Step 10, after the 36.47% Los Angeles locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Los Angeles — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $87,061 on Step 1, reaches $98,672 at Step 5, and tops out at $113,185 on Step 10, after the 36.47% Los Angeles locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Los Angeles — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $104,349 on Step 1, reaches $118,264 at Step 5, and tops out at $135,657 on Step 10, after the 36.47% Los Angeles locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Los Angeles — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $124,085 on Step 1, reaches $140,631 at Step 5, and tops out at $161,313 on Step 10, after the 36.47% Los Angeles locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Los Angeles — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $146,632 on Step 1, reaches $166,185 at Step 5, and tops out at $190,627 on Step 10, after the 36.47% Los Angeles locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Los Angeles — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $172,476 on Step 1, reaches $195,474 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 36.47% Los Angeles locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Los Angeles is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Los Angeles are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Los Angeles salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Pacific & Non-Contiguous locality pay areas, closest to the Los Angeles rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Los Angeles’s 36.47% 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.