MILWAUKEE-RACINE-WAUKESHA, WI — 22.42% locality adjustment · Ranks 22th 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 | $27,647 | $28,574 | $29,493 | $30,409 | $31,326 | $31,863 | $32,773 | $33,689 | $33,727 | $34,581 |
| GS-2 | $31,086 | $31,826 | $32,856 | $33,727 | $34,104 | $35,106 | $36,109 | $37,112 | $38,114 | $39,117 |
| GS-3 | $33,920 | $35,051 | $36,182 | $37,314 | $38,445 | $39,576 | $40,707 | $41,838 | $42,969 | $44,101 |
| GS-4 | $38,076 | $39,346 | $40,615 | $41,885 | $43,154 | $44,424 | $45,693 | $46,963 | $48,232 | $49,502 |
| GS-5 | $42,601 | $44,021 | $45,441 | $46,861 | $48,281 | $49,701 | $51,121 | $52,541 | $53,962 | $55,382 |
| GS-6 | $47,488 | $49,071 | $50,654 | $52,237 | $53,820 | $55,402 | $56,985 | $58,568 | $60,151 | $61,734 |
| GS-7 | $52,770 | $54,530 | $56,289 | $58,048 | $59,807 | $61,566 | $63,325 | $65,085 | $66,844 | $68,603 |
| GS-8 | $58,441 | $60,389 | $62,336 | $64,284 | $66,232 | $68,179 | $70,127 | $72,075 | $74,022 | $75,970 |
| GS-9 | $64,548 | $66,701 | $68,853 | $71,005 | $73,157 | $75,309 | $77,461 | $79,613 | $81,766 | $83,918 |
| GS-10 | $71,082 | $73,451 | $75,820 | $78,188 | $80,557 | $82,926 | $85,295 | $87,664 | $90,033 | $92,401 |
| GS-11 | $78,098 | $80,702 | $83,306 | $85,909 | $88,513 | $91,117 | $93,721 | $96,325 | $98,929 | $101,533 |
| GS-12 | $93,606 | $96,726 | $99,847 | $102,967 | $106,088 | $109,208 | $112,329 | $115,449 | $118,570 | $121,690 |
| GS-13 | $111,310 | $115,021 | $118,731 | $122,442 | $126,153 | $129,863 | $133,574 | $137,284 | $140,995 | $144,705 |
| GS-14 | $131,535 | $135,920 | $140,306 | $144,691 | $149,076 | $153,461 | $157,846 | $162,231 | $166,616 | $171,001 |
| GS-15 | $154,719 | $159,877 | $165,034 | $170,192 | $175,350 | $180,507 | $185,665 | $190,822 | $195,980 | $197,200 |
* One or more GS-15 steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Milwaukee 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 MILWAUKEE-RACINE-WAUKESHA, WI pay area carries a 22.42% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #22 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $111,310 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $20,385 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 22.42%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the MILWAUKEE-RACINE-WAUKESHA, WI geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
GS locality pay is capped at the Executive Schedule Level IV rate ($197,200 in 2026) regardless of grade, step, or locality percentage. This cap affects higher steps at GS-15 in the most generous pay areas. See the full interactive GS pay scale to compare all 58 locality pay areas side by side.