RICHMOND, VA — 22.28% locality adjustment · Ranks 24th 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 | $27,616 | $28,541 | $29,460 | $30,374 | $31,290 | $31,827 | $32,736 | $33,650 | $33,688 | $34,542 |
| GS-2 | $31,051 | $31,789 | $32,819 | $33,688 | $34,065 | $35,066 | $36,068 | $37,069 | $38,071 | $39,072 |
| GS-3 | $33,881 | $35,011 | $36,141 | $37,271 | $38,401 | $39,531 | $40,661 | $41,790 | $42,920 | $44,050 |
| GS-4 | $38,033 | $39,301 | $40,569 | $41,837 | $43,105 | $44,373 | $45,641 | $46,909 | $48,177 | $49,445 |
| GS-5 | $42,552 | $43,971 | $45,389 | $46,808 | $48,226 | $49,644 | $51,063 | $52,481 | $53,900 | $55,318 |
| GS-6 | $47,434 | $49,015 | $50,596 | $52,177 | $53,758 | $55,339 | $56,920 | $58,501 | $60,082 | $61,663 |
| GS-7 | $52,710 | $54,467 | $56,224 | $57,982 | $59,739 | $61,496 | $63,253 | $65,010 | $66,767 | $68,524 |
| GS-8 | $58,374 | $60,320 | $62,265 | $64,210 | $66,156 | $68,101 | $70,047 | $71,992 | $73,938 | $75,883 |
| GS-9 | $64,475 | $66,624 | $68,774 | $70,924 | $73,073 | $75,223 | $77,373 | $79,522 | $81,672 | $83,822 |
| GS-10 | $71,001 | $73,367 | $75,733 | $78,099 | $80,465 | $82,831 | $85,197 | $87,563 | $89,930 | $92,296 |
| GS-11 | $78,009 | $80,609 | $83,210 | $85,811 | $88,412 | $91,013 | $93,614 | $96,215 | $98,816 | $101,417 |
| GS-12 | $93,499 | $96,616 | $99,733 | $102,850 | $105,967 | $109,084 | $112,200 | $115,317 | $118,434 | $121,551 |
| GS-13 | $111,183 | $114,889 | $118,596 | $122,302 | $126,008 | $129,715 | $133,421 | $137,127 | $140,834 | $144,540 |
| GS-14 | $131,385 | $135,765 | $140,145 | $144,525 | $148,905 | $153,285 | $157,665 | $162,045 | $166,426 | $170,806 |
| GS-15 | $154,542 | $159,694 | $164,846 | $169,997 | $175,149 | $180,301 | $185,452 | $190,604 | $195,756 | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your Richmond 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 RICHMOND, VA pay area carries a 22.28% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #24 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $111,183 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $20,258 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 22.28%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the RICHMOND, VA geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Southeast region, Richmond sits almost exactly the Southeast average of 22.35%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Richmond earns $4,746 more per year — $111,183 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $42,552 at GS-5, $64,475 at GS-9, $111,183 at GS-13, and $154,542 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 Richmond, 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 Richmond — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $52,710 on Step 1, reaches $59,739 at Step 5, and tops out at $68,524 on Step 10, after the 22.28% Richmond locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Richmond — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $64,475 on Step 1, reaches $73,073 at Step 5, and tops out at $83,822 on Step 10, after the 22.28% Richmond locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Richmond — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $78,009 on Step 1, reaches $88,412 at Step 5, and tops out at $101,417 on Step 10, after the 22.28% Richmond locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Richmond — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $93,499 on Step 1, reaches $105,967 at Step 5, and tops out at $121,551 on Step 10, after the 22.28% Richmond locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Richmond — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $111,183 on Step 1, reaches $126,008 at Step 5, and tops out at $144,540 on Step 10, after the 22.28% Richmond locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Richmond — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $131,385 on Step 1, reaches $148,905 at Step 5, and tops out at $170,806 on Step 10, after the 22.28% Richmond locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Richmond — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $154,542 on Step 1, reaches $175,149 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 22.28% Richmond locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Richmond is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Richmond are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Richmond salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Southeast locality pay areas, closest to the Richmond rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Richmond’s 22.28% 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.