TUCSON-NOGALES, AZ — 19.28% locality adjustment · Ranks 42th 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 | $26,938 | $27,841 | $28,737 | $29,629 | $30,523 | $31,046 | $31,932 | $32,825 | $32,862 | $33,694 |
| GS-2 | $30,289 | $31,009 | $32,014 | $32,862 | $33,229 | $34,206 | $35,183 | $36,160 | $37,137 | $38,114 |
| GS-3 | $33,050 | $34,152 | $35,254 | $36,357 | $37,459 | $38,561 | $39,663 | $40,765 | $41,867 | $42,969 |
| GS-4 | $37,100 | $38,337 | $39,574 | $40,810 | $42,047 | $43,284 | $44,521 | $45,758 | $46,995 | $48,232 |
| GS-5 | $41,508 | $42,892 | $44,276 | $45,659 | $47,043 | $48,426 | $49,810 | $51,194 | $52,577 | $53,961 |
| GS-6 | $46,270 | $47,812 | $49,354 | $50,897 | $52,439 | $53,981 | $55,524 | $57,066 | $58,608 | $60,151 |
| GS-7 | $51,417 | $53,131 | $54,845 | $56,559 | $58,273 | $59,987 | $61,701 | $63,415 | $65,129 | $66,843 |
| GS-8 | $56,942 | $58,840 | $60,737 | $62,635 | $64,533 | $66,431 | $68,328 | $70,226 | $72,124 | $74,022 |
| GS-9 | $62,893 | $64,990 | $67,087 | $69,184 | $71,281 | $73,377 | $75,474 | $77,571 | $79,668 | $81,765 |
| GS-10 | $69,259 | $71,567 | $73,875 | $76,183 | $78,491 | $80,799 | $83,107 | $85,415 | $87,723 | $90,031 |
| GS-11 | $76,095 | $78,632 | $81,169 | $83,706 | $86,243 | $88,780 | $91,317 | $93,854 | $96,391 | $98,928 |
| GS-12 | $91,205 | $94,246 | $97,286 | $100,326 | $103,367 | $106,407 | $109,448 | $112,488 | $115,529 | $118,569 |
| GS-13 | $108,455 | $112,071 | $115,686 | $119,301 | $122,917 | $126,532 | $130,148 | $133,763 | $137,378 | $140,994 |
| GS-14 | $128,162 | $132,434 | $136,707 | $140,979 | $145,252 | $149,525 | $153,797 | $158,070 | $162,342 | $166,615 |
| GS-15 | $150,751 | $155,776 | $160,801 | $165,827 | $170,852 | $175,877 | $180,902 | $185,928 | $190,953 | $195,978 |
Your Tucson 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 TUCSON-NOGALES, AZ pay area carries a 19.28% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #42 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $108,455 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $17,530 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 19.28%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the TUCSON-NOGALES, AZ geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Mountain West region, Tucson sits 1.84 points below the Mountain West average of 21.12%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Tucson earns $2,018 more per year — $108,455 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $41,508 at GS-5, $62,893 at GS-9, $108,455 at GS-13, and $150,751 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. No GS-15 step reaches the $197,200 statutory cap in Tucson, so every step increase translates into full salary through GS-15 Step 10. 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 Tucson — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $51,417 on Step 1, reaches $58,273 at Step 5, and tops out at $66,843 on Step 10, after the 19.28% Tucson locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Tucson — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $62,893 on Step 1, reaches $71,281 at Step 5, and tops out at $81,765 on Step 10, after the 19.28% Tucson locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Tucson — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $76,095 on Step 1, reaches $86,243 at Step 5, and tops out at $98,928 on Step 10, after the 19.28% Tucson locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Tucson — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $91,205 on Step 1, reaches $103,367 at Step 5, and tops out at $118,569 on Step 10, after the 19.28% Tucson locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Tucson — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $108,455 on Step 1, reaches $122,917 at Step 5, and tops out at $140,994 on Step 10, after the 19.28% Tucson locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Tucson — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $128,162 on Step 1, reaches $145,252 at Step 5, and tops out at $166,615 on Step 10, after the 19.28% Tucson locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Tucson — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $150,751 on Step 1, reaches $170,852 at Step 5, and tops out at $195,978 on Step 10, after the 19.28% Tucson locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Tucson are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Tucson salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Mountain West locality pay areas, closest to the Tucson rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Tucson’s 19.28% 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.