RENO-FERNLEY, NV — 17.52% locality adjustment · Ranks 57th 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 | $26,541 | $27,430 | $28,313 | $29,192 | $30,072 | $30,588 | $31,461 | $32,340 | $32,377 | $33,197 |
| GS-2 | $29,842 | $30,552 | $31,541 | $32,377 | $32,739 | $33,701 | $34,664 | $35,626 | $36,589 | $37,551 |
| GS-3 | $32,562 | $33,648 | $34,734 | $35,820 | $36,906 | $37,992 | $39,078 | $40,164 | $41,250 | $42,335 |
| GS-4 | $36,552 | $37,771 | $38,990 | $40,208 | $41,427 | $42,646 | $43,864 | $45,083 | $46,302 | $47,520 |
| GS-5 | $40,896 | $42,259 | $43,622 | $44,985 | $46,349 | $47,712 | $49,075 | $50,438 | $51,802 | $53,165 |
| GS-6 | $45,587 | $47,107 | $48,626 | $50,146 | $51,665 | $53,185 | $54,704 | $56,224 | $57,743 | $59,263 |
| GS-7 | $50,658 | $52,347 | $54,036 | $55,724 | $57,413 | $59,102 | $60,791 | $62,480 | $64,168 | $65,857 |
| GS-8 | $56,102 | $57,971 | $59,841 | $61,711 | $63,581 | $65,450 | $67,320 | $69,190 | $71,060 | $72,929 |
| GS-9 | $61,965 | $64,031 | $66,097 | $68,163 | $70,229 | $72,295 | $74,361 | $76,427 | $78,493 | $80,559 |
| GS-10 | $68,237 | $70,511 | $72,785 | $75,059 | $77,333 | $79,607 | $81,881 | $84,155 | $86,429 | $88,703 |
| GS-11 | $74,972 | $77,472 | $79,971 | $82,471 | $84,970 | $87,470 | $89,970 | $92,469 | $94,969 | $97,469 |
| GS-12 | $89,859 | $92,855 | $95,850 | $98,846 | $101,842 | $104,837 | $107,833 | $110,828 | $113,824 | $116,820 |
| GS-13 | $106,855 | $110,417 | $113,979 | $117,541 | $121,103 | $124,665 | $128,227 | $131,789 | $135,351 | $138,913 |
| GS-14 | $126,271 | $130,480 | $134,690 | $138,899 | $143,109 | $147,318 | $151,528 | $155,738 | $159,947 | $164,157 |
| GS-15 | $148,526 | $153,478 | $158,429 | $163,380 | $168,331 | $173,282 | $178,233 | $183,184 | $188,135 | $193,087 |
Your Reno 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 RENO-FERNLEY, NV pay area carries a 17.52% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the lowest federal pay areas (#57 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $106,855 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $15,930 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 17.52%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the RENO-FERNLEY, NV 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, Reno sits 3.60 points below the Mountain West average of 21.12%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Reno earns $418 more per year — $106,855 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $40,896 at GS-5, $61,965 at GS-9, $106,855 at GS-13, and $148,526 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 Reno, 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 Reno — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $50,658 on Step 1, reaches $57,413 at Step 5, and tops out at $65,857 on Step 10, after the 17.52% Reno locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Reno — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $61,965 on Step 1, reaches $70,229 at Step 5, and tops out at $80,559 on Step 10, after the 17.52% Reno locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Reno — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $74,972 on Step 1, reaches $84,970 at Step 5, and tops out at $97,469 on Step 10, after the 17.52% Reno locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Reno — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $89,859 on Step 1, reaches $101,842 at Step 5, and tops out at $116,820 on Step 10, after the 17.52% Reno locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Reno — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $106,855 on Step 1, reaches $121,103 at Step 5, and tops out at $138,913 on Step 10, after the 17.52% Reno locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Reno — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $126,271 on Step 1, reaches $143,109 at Step 5, and tops out at $164,157 on Step 10, after the 17.52% Reno locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Reno — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $148,526 on Step 1, reaches $168,331 at Step 5, and tops out at $193,087 on Step 10, after the 17.52% Reno locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Reno are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Reno salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Mountain West locality pay areas, closest to the Reno rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Reno’s 17.52% 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.