SAN DIEGO-CHULA VISTA-CARLSBAD, CA — 33.72% locality adjustment · Ranks 6th 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 | $30,199 | $31,212 | $32,216 | $33,216 | $34,218 | $34,805 | $35,798 | $36,798 | $36,840 | $37,773 |
| GS-2 | $33,956 | $34,763 | $35,889 | $36,840 | $37,252 | $38,347 | $39,442 | $40,537 | $41,632 | $42,728 |
| GS-3 | $37,051 | $38,287 | $39,522 | $40,758 | $41,993 | $43,229 | $44,465 | $45,700 | $46,936 | $48,171 |
| GS-4 | $41,591 | $42,978 | $44,364 | $45,751 | $47,138 | $48,524 | $49,911 | $51,298 | $52,684 | $54,071 |
| GS-5 | $46,533 | $48,084 | $49,636 | $51,187 | $52,738 | $54,289 | $55,840 | $57,391 | $58,942 | $60,494 |
| GS-6 | $51,871 | $53,600 | $55,329 | $57,058 | $58,787 | $60,516 | $62,245 | $63,974 | $65,703 | $67,432 |
| GS-7 | $57,641 | $59,563 | $61,484 | $63,406 | $65,328 | $67,249 | $69,171 | $71,092 | $73,014 | $74,935 |
| GS-8 | $63,835 | $65,963 | $68,090 | $70,218 | $72,345 | $74,473 | $76,600 | $78,728 | $80,855 | $82,983 |
| GS-9 | $70,507 | $72,857 | $75,208 | $77,559 | $79,910 | $82,261 | $84,611 | $86,962 | $89,313 | $91,664 |
| GS-10 | $77,643 | $80,231 | $82,818 | $85,406 | $87,993 | $90,581 | $93,168 | $95,756 | $98,343 | $100,931 |
| GS-11 | $85,307 | $88,151 | $90,995 | $93,839 | $96,684 | $99,528 | $102,372 | $105,216 | $108,060 | $110,905 |
| GS-12 | $102,246 | $105,655 | $109,063 | $112,472 | $115,880 | $119,289 | $122,697 | $126,106 | $129,515 | $132,923 |
| GS-13 | $121,585 | $125,638 | $129,691 | $133,744 | $137,797 | $141,850 | $145,903 | $149,956 | $154,009 | $158,062 |
| GS-14 | $143,677 | $148,467 | $153,256 | $158,046 | $162,836 | $167,626 | $172,416 | $177,206 | $181,996 | $186,785 |
| GS-15 | $169,001 | $174,634 | $180,268 | $185,902 | $191,535 | $197,169 | $197,200* | $197,200* | $197,200* | $197,200* |
* One or more steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your San Diego 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 SAN DIEGO-CHULA VISTA-CARLSBAD, CA pay area carries a 33.72% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the top 10 highest federal pay areas (#6 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $121,585 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $30,660 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 33.72%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the SAN DIEGO-CHULA VISTA-CARLSBAD, CA 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, San Diego sits 4.33 points above the Pacific & Non-Contiguous average of 29.39%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in San Diego earns $15,148 more per year — $121,585 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $46,533 at GS-5, $70,507 at GS-9, $121,585 at GS-13, and $169,001 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 San Diego, GS-15 steps 7–10 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 San Diego — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $57,641 on Step 1, reaches $65,328 at Step 5, and tops out at $74,935 on Step 10, after the 33.72% San Diego locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in San Diego — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $70,507 on Step 1, reaches $79,910 at Step 5, and tops out at $91,664 on Step 10, after the 33.72% San Diego locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in San Diego — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $85,307 on Step 1, reaches $96,684 at Step 5, and tops out at $110,905 on Step 10, after the 33.72% San Diego locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in San Diego — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $102,246 on Step 1, reaches $115,880 at Step 5, and tops out at $132,923 on Step 10, after the 33.72% San Diego locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in San Diego — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $121,585 on Step 1, reaches $137,797 at Step 5, and tops out at $158,062 on Step 10, after the 33.72% San Diego locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in San Diego — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $143,677 on Step 1, reaches $162,836 at Step 5, and tops out at $186,785 on Step 10, after the 33.72% San Diego locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in San Diego — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $169,001 on Step 1, reaches $191,535 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 33.72% San Diego locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in San Diego is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for San Diego are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any San Diego salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Pacific & Non-Contiguous locality pay areas, closest to the San Diego rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from San Diego’s 33.72% 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.