WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE-ARLINGTON, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA — 33.94% locality adjustment · Ranks 5th 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 | $30,249 | $31,263 | $32,269 | $33,271 | $34,274 | $34,862 | $35,857 | $36,859 | $36,900 | $37,835 |
| GS-2 | $34,011 | $34,820 | $35,948 | $36,900 | $37,313 | $38,410 | $39,507 | $40,604 | $41,701 | $42,798 |
| GS-3 | $37,112 | $38,350 | $39,587 | $40,825 | $42,063 | $43,300 | $44,538 | $45,775 | $47,013 | $48,251 |
| GS-4 | $41,659 | $43,048 | $44,437 | $45,826 | $47,215 | $48,604 | $49,993 | $51,382 | $52,771 | $54,160 |
| GS-5 | $46,610 | $48,163 | $49,717 | $51,271 | $52,825 | $54,378 | $55,932 | $57,486 | $59,039 | $60,593 |
| GS-6 | $51,957 | $53,689 | $55,420 | $57,152 | $58,884 | $60,616 | $62,348 | $64,080 | $65,811 | $67,543 |
| GS-7 | $57,736 | $59,661 | $61,586 | $63,510 | $65,435 | $67,360 | $69,284 | $71,209 | $73,134 | $75,059 |
| GS-8 | $63,940 | $66,071 | $68,202 | $70,333 | $72,464 | $74,595 | $76,726 | $78,857 | $80,988 | $83,119 |
| GS-9 | $70,623 | $72,977 | $75,332 | $77,687 | $80,041 | $82,396 | $84,751 | $87,105 | $89,460 | $91,815 |
| GS-10 | $77,771 | $80,363 | $82,954 | $85,546 | $88,138 | $90,730 | $93,321 | $95,913 | $98,505 | $101,097 |
| GS-11 | $85,447 | $88,296 | $91,145 | $93,994 | $96,843 | $99,692 | $102,540 | $105,389 | $108,238 | $111,087 |
| GS-12 | $102,415 | $105,829 | $109,243 | $112,657 | $116,071 | $119,485 | $122,899 | $126,313 | $129,728 | $133,142 |
| GS-13 | $121,785 | $125,845 | $129,904 | $133,964 | $138,024 | $142,084 | $146,143 | $150,203 | $154,263 | $158,322 |
| GS-14 | $143,913 | $148,711 | $153,509 | $158,306 | $163,104 | $167,902 | $172,700 | $177,497 | $182,295 | $187,093 |
| GS-15 | $169,279 | $174,922 | $180,565 | $186,207 | $191,850 | $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 Washington DC 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 WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE-ARLINGTON, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area carries a 33.94% locality adjustment for 2026, making it one of the top 10 highest federal pay areas (#5 of 58). A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $121,785 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $30,860 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 33.94%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the WASHINGTON-BALTIMORE-ARLINGTON, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA 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 Washington, D.C., the DC metro area and Baltimore.
Within the Southeast region, Washington DC sits 11.59 points above the Southeast average of 22.35%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Washington DC earns $15,348 more per year — $121,785 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $46,610 at GS-5, $70,623 at GS-9, $121,785 at GS-13, and $169,279 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 Washington DC, GS-15 steps 6–10 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 Washington DC — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $57,736 on Step 1, reaches $65,435 at Step 5, and tops out at $75,059 on Step 10, after the 33.94% Washington DC locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Washington DC — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $70,623 on Step 1, reaches $80,041 at Step 5, and tops out at $91,815 on Step 10, after the 33.94% Washington DC locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Washington DC — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $85,447 on Step 1, reaches $96,843 at Step 5, and tops out at $111,087 on Step 10, after the 33.94% Washington DC locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Washington DC — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $102,415 on Step 1, reaches $116,071 at Step 5, and tops out at $133,142 on Step 10, after the 33.94% Washington DC locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Washington DC — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $121,785 on Step 1, reaches $138,024 at Step 5, and tops out at $158,322 on Step 10, after the 33.94% Washington DC locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Washington DC — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $143,913 on Step 1, reaches $163,104 at Step 5, and tops out at $187,093 on Step 10, after the 33.94% Washington DC locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Washington DC — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $169,279 on Step 1, reaches $191,850 at Step 5, and tops out at $197,200 on Step 10, after the 33.94% Washington DC locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate. Step 10 pay in Washington DC is held down by the $197,200 statutory cap.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Washington DC are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Washington DC salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Southeast locality pay areas, closest to the Washington DC rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Washington DC’s 33.94% 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.