REST OF U.S. — 17.06% locality adjustment · Ranks 58th 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 | $26,437 | $27,323 | $28,202 | $29,078 | $29,954 | $30,468 | $31,338 | $32,214 | $32,250 | $33,067 |
| GS-2 | $29,725 | $30,432 | $31,418 | $32,250 | $32,611 | $33,569 | $34,528 | $35,487 | $36,445 | $37,404 |
| GS-3 | $32,435 | $33,517 | $34,598 | $35,680 | $36,762 | $37,843 | $38,925 | $40,006 | $41,088 | $42,170 |
| GS-4 | $36,409 | $37,623 | $38,837 | $40,051 | $41,265 | $42,479 | $43,693 | $44,907 | $46,120 | $47,334 |
| GS-5 | $40,736 | $42,094 | $43,452 | $44,809 | $46,167 | $47,525 | $48,883 | $50,241 | $51,599 | $52,957 |
| GS-6 | $45,409 | $46,922 | $48,436 | $49,950 | $51,463 | $52,977 | $54,490 | $56,004 | $57,517 | $59,031 |
| GS-7 | $50,460 | $52,142 | $53,824 | $55,506 | $57,188 | $58,871 | $60,553 | $62,235 | $63,917 | $65,599 |
| GS-8 | $55,882 | $57,745 | $59,607 | $61,469 | $63,332 | $65,194 | $67,057 | $68,919 | $70,781 | $72,644 |
| GS-9 | $61,722 | $63,780 | $65,838 | $67,896 | $69,954 | $72,012 | $74,070 | $76,128 | $78,186 | $80,243 |
| GS-10 | $67,970 | $70,235 | $72,500 | $74,765 | $77,030 | $79,295 | $81,560 | $83,825 | $86,091 | $88,356 |
| GS-11 | $74,678 | $77,168 | $79,658 | $82,148 | $84,638 | $87,128 | $89,618 | $92,107 | $94,597 | $97,087 |
| GS-12 | $89,508 | $92,491 | $95,475 | $98,459 | $101,443 | $104,427 | $107,411 | $110,395 | $113,378 | $116,362 |
| GS-13 | $106,437 | $109,985 | $113,533 | $117,081 | $120,629 | $124,177 | $127,725 | $131,273 | $134,822 | $138,370 |
| GS-14 | $125,776 | $129,969 | $134,162 | $138,356 | $142,549 | $146,742 | $150,935 | $155,128 | $159,321 | $163,514 |
| GS-15 | $147,945 | $152,877 | $157,809 | $162,740 | $167,672 | $172,604 | $177,536 | $182,467 | $187,399 | $192,331 |
Your Rest of U.S. 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 REST OF U.S. pay area carries a 17.06% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the lowest federal pay areas (#58 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $106,437 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $15,512 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 17.06%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the REST OF U.S. 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 Rest of US, RUS and the national baseline.
Within the Nationwide region, Rest of U.S. sits almost exactly the Nationwide average of 17.06%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Rest of U.S. earns $0 more per year — $106,437 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $40,736 at GS-5, $61,722 at GS-9, $106,437 at GS-13, and $147,945 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 Rest of U.S., 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 Rest of U.S. — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $50,460 on Step 1, reaches $57,188 at Step 5, and tops out at $65,599 on Step 10, after the 17.06% Rest of U.S. locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Rest of U.S. — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $61,722 on Step 1, reaches $69,954 at Step 5, and tops out at $80,243 on Step 10, after the 17.06% Rest of U.S. locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Rest of U.S. — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $74,678 on Step 1, reaches $84,638 at Step 5, and tops out at $97,087 on Step 10, after the 17.06% Rest of U.S. locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Rest of U.S. — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $89,508 on Step 1, reaches $101,443 at Step 5, and tops out at $116,362 on Step 10, after the 17.06% Rest of U.S. locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Rest of U.S. — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $106,437 on Step 1, reaches $120,629 at Step 5, and tops out at $138,370 on Step 10, after the 17.06% Rest of U.S. locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Rest of U.S. — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $125,776 on Step 1, reaches $142,549 at Step 5, and tops out at $163,514 on Step 10, after the 17.06% Rest of U.S. locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Rest of U.S. — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $147,945 on Step 1, reaches $167,672 at Step 5, and tops out at $192,331 on Step 10, after the 17.06% Rest of U.S. locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Rest of U.S. are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Rest of U.S. salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Nationwide locality pay areas, closest to the Rest of U.S. rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Rest of U.S.’s 17.06% 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.