SEATTLE-TACOMA, WA — 31.57% locality adjustment · Ranks 10th 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 | $29,714 | $30,710 | $31,698 | $32,682 | $33,667 | $34,245 | $35,223 | $36,207 | $36,248 | $37,166 |
| GS-2 | $33,410 | $34,204 | $35,312 | $36,248 | $36,653 | $37,730 | $38,808 | $39,885 | $40,963 | $42,041 |
| GS-3 | $36,455 | $37,671 | $38,887 | $40,103 | $41,318 | $42,534 | $43,750 | $44,965 | $46,181 | $47,397 |
| GS-4 | $40,922 | $42,287 | $43,651 | $45,015 | $46,380 | $47,744 | $49,109 | $50,473 | $51,837 | $53,202 |
| GS-5 | $45,785 | $47,311 | $48,837 | $50,364 | $51,890 | $53,416 | $54,942 | $56,469 | $57,995 | $59,521 |
| GS-6 | $51,037 | $52,739 | $54,440 | $56,141 | $57,842 | $59,543 | $61,245 | $62,946 | $64,647 | $66,348 |
| GS-7 | $56,715 | $58,605 | $60,496 | $62,387 | $64,277 | $66,168 | $68,059 | $69,949 | $71,840 | $73,731 |
| GS-8 | $62,809 | $64,902 | $66,995 | $69,089 | $71,182 | $73,275 | $75,369 | $77,462 | $79,555 | $81,648 |
| GS-9 | $69,373 | $71,686 | $73,999 | $76,312 | $78,625 | $80,938 | $83,251 | $85,564 | $87,877 | $90,190 |
| GS-10 | $76,395 | $78,941 | $81,487 | $84,032 | $86,578 | $89,124 | $91,670 | $94,216 | $96,762 | $99,308 |
| GS-11 | $83,935 | $86,734 | $89,532 | $92,331 | $95,129 | $97,928 | $100,726 | $103,525 | $106,323 | $109,122 |
| GS-12 | $100,602 | $103,956 | $107,310 | $110,664 | $114,017 | $117,371 | $120,725 | $124,078 | $127,432 | $130,786 |
| GS-13 | $119,630 | $123,618 | $127,606 | $131,594 | $135,582 | $139,569 | $143,557 | $147,545 | $151,533 | $155,521 |
| GS-14 | $141,367 | $146,080 | $150,792 | $155,505 | $160,218 | $164,931 | $169,644 | $174,357 | $179,069 | $183,782 |
| GS-15 | $166,283 | $171,826 | $177,370 | $182,913 | $188,456 | $193,999 | $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 Seattle 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 SEATTLE-TACOMA, WA pay area carries a 31.57% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the top 10 highest federal pay areas (#10 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $119,630 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $28,705 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 31.57%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the SEATTLE-TACOMA, WA 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, Seattle sits 2.18 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 Seattle earns $13,193 more per year — $119,630 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $45,785 at GS-5, $69,373 at GS-9, $119,630 at GS-13, and $166,283 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 Seattle, 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 Seattle — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $56,715 on Step 1, reaches $64,277 at Step 5, and tops out at $73,731 on Step 10, after the 31.57% Seattle locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Seattle — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $69,373 on Step 1, reaches $78,625 at Step 5, and tops out at $90,190 on Step 10, after the 31.57% Seattle locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Seattle — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $83,935 on Step 1, reaches $95,129 at Step 5, and tops out at $109,122 on Step 10, after the 31.57% Seattle locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Seattle — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $100,602 on Step 1, reaches $114,017 at Step 5, and tops out at $130,786 on Step 10, after the 31.57% Seattle locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Seattle — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $119,630 on Step 1, reaches $135,582 at Step 5, and tops out at $155,521 on Step 10, after the 31.57% Seattle locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Seattle — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $141,367 on Step 1, reaches $160,218 at Step 5, and tops out at $183,782 on Step 10, after the 31.57% Seattle locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Seattle — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $166,283 on Step 1, reaches $188,456 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 31.57% Seattle locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Seattle is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Seattle are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Seattle salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Pacific & Non-Contiguous locality pay areas, closest to the Seattle rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Seattle’s 31.57% 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.