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 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. This pay area is also commonly searched as the Bay Area, San Jose and Oakland.
Within the Pacific & Non-Contiguous region, San Francisco sits 16.95 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 Francisco earns $26,623 more per year — $133,060 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $50,925 at GS-5, $77,161 at GS-9, $133,060 at GS-13, and $184,950 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 Francisco, GS-15 steps 3–10 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 Francisco — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $63,081 on Step 1, reaches $71,493 at Step 5, and tops out at $82,007 on Step 10, after the 46.34% San Francisco locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in San Francisco — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $77,161 on Step 1, reaches $87,451 at Step 5, and tops out at $100,315 on Step 10, after the 46.34% San Francisco locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in San Francisco — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $93,358 on Step 1, reaches $105,808 at Step 5, and tops out at $121,371 on Step 10, after the 46.34% San Francisco locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in San Francisco — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $111,896 on Step 1, reaches $126,817 at Step 5, and tops out at $145,468 on Step 10, after the 46.34% San Francisco locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in San Francisco — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $133,060 on Step 1, reaches $150,802 at Step 5, and tops out at $172,980 on Step 10, after the 46.34% San Francisco locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in San Francisco — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $157,236 on Step 1, reaches $178,204 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 46.34% San Francisco locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate. Step 10 pay in San Francisco is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
A GS-15 in San Francisco — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $184,950 on Step 1, reaches $197,200 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 46.34% San Francisco locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in San Francisco is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for San Francisco are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any San Francisco salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Pacific & Non-Contiguous locality pay areas, closest to the San Francisco rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from San Francisco’s 46.34% 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.