SAN JOSE-SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND, CA — 46.34% locality adjustment · Ranks 1st 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 | $33,049 | $34,157 | $35,256 | $36,351 | $37,447 | $38,089 | $39,177 | $40,271 | $40,317 | $41,338 |
| GS-2 | $37,160 | $38,044 | $39,276 | $40,317 | $40,767 | $41,966 | $43,164 | $44,363 | $45,561 | $46,760 |
| GS-3 | $40,548 | $41,900 | $43,252 | $44,604 | $45,957 | $47,309 | $48,661 | $50,013 | $51,365 | $52,718 |
| GS-4 | $45,516 | $47,034 | $48,551 | $50,069 | $51,586 | $53,104 | $54,621 | $56,139 | $57,656 | $59,174 |
| GS-5 | $50,925 | $52,622 | $54,320 | $56,017 | $57,715 | $59,413 | $61,110 | $62,808 | $64,505 | $66,203 |
| GS-6 | $56,767 | $58,659 | $60,551 | $62,443 | $64,335 | $66,228 | $68,120 | $70,012 | $71,904 | $73,796 |
| GS-7 | $63,081 | $65,184 | $67,287 | $69,390 | $71,493 | $73,596 | $75,699 | $77,802 | $79,905 | $82,007 |
| GS-8 | $69,860 | $72,188 | $74,516 | $76,845 | $79,173 | $81,501 | $83,829 | $86,158 | $88,486 | $90,814 |
| GS-9 | $77,161 | $79,733 | $82,306 | $84,879 | $87,451 | $90,024 | $92,597 | $95,169 | $97,742 | $100,315 |
| GS-10 | $84,971 | $87,803 | $90,634 | $93,466 | $96,298 | $99,129 | $101,961 | $104,793 | $107,624 | $110,456 |
| GS-11 | $93,358 | $96,470 | $99,583 | $102,696 | $105,808 | $108,921 | $112,034 | $115,146 | $118,259 | $121,371 |
| GS-12 | $111,896 | $115,626 | $119,356 | $123,087 | $126,817 | $130,547 | $134,277 | $138,007 | $141,738 | $145,468 |
| GS-13 | $133,060 | $137,495 | $141,931 | $146,366 | $150,802 | $155,237 | $159,673 | $164,109 | $168,544 | $172,980 |
| GS-14 | $157,236 | $162,478 | $167,720 | $172,962 | $178,204 | $183,446 | $188,688 | $193,930 | $197,200 | $197,200 |
| GS-15 | $184,950 | $191,116 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 |
* One or more GS-15 steps are capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV, 5 CFR 531.606).
Your San Francisco 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 JOSE-SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND, CA pay area carries a 46.34% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the top 10 highest federal pay areas (#1 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $133,060 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $42,135 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 46.34%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the SAN JOSE-SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND, CA geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
GS locality pay is capped at the Executive Schedule Level IV rate ($197,200 in 2026) regardless of grade, step, or locality percentage. This cap affects higher steps at GS-15 in the most generous pay areas. See the full interactive GS pay scale to compare all 58 locality pay areas side by side.