PHOENIX-MESA, AZ — 22.45% locality adjustment · Ranks 21th 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 | $27,654 | $28,581 | $29,501 | $30,417 | $31,334 | $31,871 | $32,781 | $33,697 | $33,735 | $34,590 |
| GS-2 | $31,094 | $31,833 | $32,864 | $33,735 | $34,112 | $35,115 | $36,118 | $37,121 | $38,124 | $39,126 |
| GS-3 | $33,928 | $35,060 | $36,191 | $37,323 | $38,454 | $39,586 | $40,717 | $41,849 | $42,980 | $44,111 |
| GS-4 | $38,086 | $39,355 | $40,625 | $41,895 | $43,165 | $44,435 | $45,704 | $46,974 | $48,244 | $49,514 |
| GS-5 | $42,611 | $44,032 | $45,452 | $46,873 | $48,293 | $49,713 | $51,134 | $52,554 | $53,975 | $55,395 |
| GS-6 | $47,500 | $49,083 | $50,666 | $52,249 | $53,833 | $55,416 | $56,999 | $58,583 | $60,166 | $61,749 |
| GS-7 | $52,783 | $54,543 | $56,303 | $58,062 | $59,822 | $61,581 | $63,341 | $65,101 | $66,860 | $68,620 |
| GS-8 | $58,455 | $60,403 | $62,352 | $64,300 | $66,248 | $68,196 | $70,144 | $72,092 | $74,041 | $75,989 |
| GS-9 | $64,564 | $66,717 | $68,870 | $71,022 | $73,175 | $75,328 | $77,480 | $79,633 | $81,786 | $83,938 |
| GS-10 | $71,099 | $73,469 | $75,838 | $78,208 | $80,577 | $82,946 | $85,316 | $87,685 | $90,055 | $92,424 |
| GS-11 | $78,117 | $80,721 | $83,326 | $85,931 | $88,535 | $91,140 | $93,744 | $96,349 | $98,953 | $101,558 |
| GS-12 | $93,629 | $96,750 | $99,871 | $102,993 | $106,114 | $109,235 | $112,356 | $115,478 | $118,599 | $121,720 |
| GS-13 | $111,338 | $115,049 | $118,761 | $122,472 | $126,184 | $129,895 | $133,606 | $137,318 | $141,029 | $144,741 |
| GS-14 | $131,568 | $135,954 | $140,340 | $144,726 | $149,112 | $153,498 | $157,885 | $162,271 | $166,657 | $171,043 |
| GS-15 | $154,757 | $159,916 | $165,075 | $170,234 | $175,392 | $180,551 | $185,710 | $190,869 | $196,028 | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Phoenix 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 PHOENIX-MESA, AZ pay area carries a 22.45% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #21 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $111,338 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $20,413 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 22.45%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the PHOENIX-MESA, AZ geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Mountain West region, Phoenix sits 1.33 points above the Mountain West average of 21.12%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Phoenix earns $4,901 more per year — $111,338 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $42,611 at GS-5, $64,564 at GS-9, $111,338 at GS-13, and $154,757 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 Phoenix, GS-15 step 10 is 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 Phoenix — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $52,783 on Step 1, reaches $59,822 at Step 5, and tops out at $68,620 on Step 10, after the 22.45% Phoenix locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Phoenix — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $64,564 on Step 1, reaches $73,175 at Step 5, and tops out at $83,938 on Step 10, after the 22.45% Phoenix locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Phoenix — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $78,117 on Step 1, reaches $88,535 at Step 5, and tops out at $101,558 on Step 10, after the 22.45% Phoenix locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Phoenix — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $93,629 on Step 1, reaches $106,114 at Step 5, and tops out at $121,720 on Step 10, after the 22.45% Phoenix locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Phoenix — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $111,338 on Step 1, reaches $126,184 at Step 5, and tops out at $144,741 on Step 10, after the 22.45% Phoenix locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Phoenix — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $131,568 on Step 1, reaches $149,112 at Step 5, and tops out at $171,043 on Step 10, after the 22.45% Phoenix locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Phoenix — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $154,757 on Step 1, reaches $175,392 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 22.45% Phoenix locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Phoenix is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Phoenix are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Phoenix salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Mountain West locality pay areas, closest to the Phoenix rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Phoenix’s 22.45% 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.