PORTLAND-VANCOUVER-SALEM, OR-WA — 26.13% locality adjustment · Ranks 18th 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 | $28,485 | $29,440 | $30,387 | $31,331 | $32,275 | $32,829 | $33,766 | $34,710 | $34,749 | $35,629 |
| GS-2 | $32,028 | $32,790 | $33,852 | $34,749 | $35,137 | $36,170 | $37,203 | $38,236 | $39,269 | $40,302 |
| GS-3 | $34,948 | $36,114 | $37,279 | $38,444 | $39,610 | $40,775 | $41,941 | $43,106 | $44,272 | $45,437 |
| GS-4 | $39,230 | $40,538 | $41,846 | $43,154 | $44,462 | $45,770 | $47,078 | $48,386 | $49,694 | $51,002 |
| GS-5 | $43,892 | $45,355 | $46,818 | $48,281 | $49,744 | $51,208 | $52,671 | $54,134 | $55,597 | $57,060 |
| GS-6 | $48,927 | $50,558 | $52,189 | $53,820 | $55,451 | $57,081 | $58,712 | $60,343 | $61,974 | $63,605 |
| GS-7 | $54,370 | $56,182 | $57,995 | $59,807 | $61,620 | $63,432 | $65,245 | $67,057 | $68,870 | $70,682 |
| GS-8 | $60,212 | $62,219 | $64,225 | $66,232 | $68,239 | $70,246 | $72,252 | $74,259 | $76,266 | $78,272 |
| GS-9 | $66,505 | $68,722 | $70,939 | $73,157 | $75,374 | $77,591 | $79,809 | $82,026 | $84,243 | $86,461 |
| GS-10 | $73,236 | $75,677 | $78,117 | $80,558 | $82,999 | $85,439 | $87,880 | $90,320 | $92,761 | $95,202 |
| GS-11 | $80,465 | $83,147 | $85,830 | $88,513 | $91,196 | $93,879 | $96,561 | $99,244 | $101,927 | $104,610 |
| GS-12 | $96,443 | $99,658 | $102,873 | $106,088 | $109,303 | $112,518 | $115,733 | $118,948 | $122,163 | $125,378 |
| GS-13 | $114,684 | $118,507 | $122,330 | $126,153 | $129,976 | $133,799 | $137,622 | $141,445 | $145,268 | $149,091 |
| GS-14 | $135,522 | $140,040 | $144,558 | $149,076 | $153,594 | $158,112 | $162,629 | $167,147 | $171,665 | $176,183 |
| GS-15 | $159,408 | $164,722 | $170,036 | $175,350 | $180,664 | $185,977 | $191,291 | $196,605 | $197,200* | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Portland 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 PORTLAND-VANCOUVER-SALEM, OR-WA pay area carries a 26.13% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #18 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $114,684 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $23,759 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 26.13%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the PORTLAND-VANCOUVER-SALEM, OR-WA geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Pacific & Non-Contiguous region, Portland sits 3.26 points below the Pacific & Non-Contiguous average of 29.39%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Portland earns $8,247 more per year — $114,684 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $43,892 at GS-5, $66,505 at GS-9, $114,684 at GS-13, and $159,408 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 Portland, GS-15 steps 9–10 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 Portland — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $54,370 on Step 1, reaches $61,620 at Step 5, and tops out at $70,682 on Step 10, after the 26.13% Portland locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Portland — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $66,505 on Step 1, reaches $75,374 at Step 5, and tops out at $86,461 on Step 10, after the 26.13% Portland locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Portland — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $80,465 on Step 1, reaches $91,196 at Step 5, and tops out at $104,610 on Step 10, after the 26.13% Portland locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Portland — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $96,443 on Step 1, reaches $109,303 at Step 5, and tops out at $125,378 on Step 10, after the 26.13% Portland locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Portland — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $114,684 on Step 1, reaches $129,976 at Step 5, and tops out at $149,091 on Step 10, after the 26.13% Portland locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Portland — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $135,522 on Step 1, reaches $153,594 at Step 5, and tops out at $176,183 on Step 10, after the 26.13% Portland locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Portland — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $159,408 on Step 1, reaches $180,664 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 26.13% Portland locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Portland is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Portland are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Portland salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Pacific & Non-Contiguous locality pay areas, closest to the Portland rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Portland’s 26.13% 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.