2026 Des Moines GS Pay Table
The Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA GS locality table for 2026. The 2026 locality adjustment was 18.01%, applied on top of the 2026 base GS table. Every grade and every step shown below already includes locality pay.
2026 Des Moines GS Pay Table
Locality-adjusted General Schedule pay for Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA.
Covered area: Adair County, IA, Boone County, IA, Clarke County, IA, Dallas County, IA, Greene County, IA, Guthrie County, IA, Hamilton County, IA, Jasper County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Madison County, IA, Mahaska County, IA, Marion County, IA, and more.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $26,651 | $27,545 | $28,431 | $29,314 | $30,198 | $30,716 | $31,592 | $32,475 | $32,512 | $33,335 |
| GS-2 | $29,966 | $30,679 | $31,673 | $32,512 | $32,875 | $33,842 | $34,808 | $35,775 | $36,741 | $37,708 |
| GS-3 | $32,698 | $33,789 | $34,879 | $35,969 | $37,060 | $38,150 | $39,241 | $40,331 | $41,422 | $42,512 |
| GS-4 | $36,705 | $37,928 | $39,152 | $40,376 | $41,600 | $42,823 | $44,047 | $45,271 | $46,495 | $47,719 |
| GS-5 | $41,066 | $42,435 | $43,804 | $45,173 | $46,542 | $47,911 | $49,280 | $50,649 | $52,018 | $53,387 |
| GS-6 | $45,777 | $47,303 | $48,829 | $50,355 | $51,881 | $53,407 | $54,932 | $56,458 | $57,984 | $59,510 |
| GS-7 | $50,869 | $52,565 | $54,261 | $55,957 | $57,653 | $59,348 | $61,044 | $62,740 | $64,436 | $66,132 |
| GS-8 | $56,336 | $58,213 | $60,091 | $61,968 | $63,846 | $65,723 | $67,601 | $69,478 | $71,356 | $73,233 |
| GS-9 | $62,223 | $64,298 | $66,372 | $68,447 | $70,522 | $72,596 | $74,671 | $76,745 | $78,820 | $80,895 |
| GS-10 | $68,521 | $70,805 | $73,088 | $75,372 | $77,655 | $79,939 | $82,222 | $84,506 | $86,789 | $89,073 |
| GS-11 | $75,284 | $77,795 | $80,305 | $82,815 | $85,325 | $87,835 | $90,345 | $92,855 | $95,365 | $97,875 |
| GS-12 | $90,234 | $93,242 | $96,250 | $99,258 | $102,266 | $105,274 | $108,282 | $111,291 | $114,299 | $117,307 |
| GS-13 | $107,301 | $110,877 | $114,454 | $118,031 | $121,608 | $125,185 | $128,762 | $132,339 | $135,916 | $139,493 |
| GS-14 | $126,797 | $131,024 | $135,251 | $139,478 | $143,705 | $147,933 | $152,160 | $156,387 | $160,614 | $164,841 |
| GS-15 | $149,146 | $154,118 | $159,089 | $164,061 | $169,033 | $174,005 | $178,976 | $183,948 | $188,920 | $193,892 |
2026 Des Moines full schedule
Every grade and step already includes the 18.01% locality adjustment for 2026. Click a grade to open its dedicated single-grade pay scale page for Des Moines.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $26,651 | $27,545 | $28,431 | $29,314 | $30,198 | $30,716 | $31,592 | $32,475 | $32,512 | $33,335 |
| GS-2 | $29,966 | $30,679 | $31,673 | $32,512 | $32,875 | $33,842 | $34,808 | $35,775 | $36,741 | $37,708 |
| GS-3 | $32,698 | $33,789 | $34,879 | $35,969 | $37,060 | $38,150 | $39,241 | $40,331 | $41,422 | $42,512 |
| GS-4 | $36,705 | $37,928 | $39,152 | $40,376 | $41,600 | $42,823 | $44,047 | $45,271 | $46,495 | $47,719 |
| GS-5 | $41,066 | $42,435 | $43,804 | $45,173 | $46,542 | $47,911 | $49,280 | $50,649 | $52,018 | $53,387 |
| GS-6 | $45,777 | $47,303 | $48,829 | $50,355 | $51,881 | $53,407 | $54,932 | $56,458 | $57,984 | $59,510 |
| GS-7 | $50,869 | $52,565 | $54,261 | $55,957 | $57,653 | $59,348 | $61,044 | $62,740 | $64,436 | $66,132 |
| GS-8 | $56,336 | $58,213 | $60,091 | $61,968 | $63,846 | $65,723 | $67,601 | $69,478 | $71,356 | $73,233 |
| GS-9 | $62,223 | $64,298 | $66,372 | $68,447 | $70,522 | $72,596 | $74,671 | $76,745 | $78,820 | $80,895 |
| GS-10 | $68,521 | $70,805 | $73,088 | $75,372 | $77,655 | $79,939 | $82,222 | $84,506 | $86,789 | $89,073 |
| GS-11 | $75,284 | $77,795 | $80,305 | $82,815 | $85,325 | $87,835 | $90,345 | $92,855 | $95,365 | $97,875 |
| GS-12 | $90,234 | $93,242 | $96,250 | $99,258 | $102,266 | $105,274 | $108,282 | $111,291 | $114,299 | $117,307 |
| GS-13 | $107,301 | $110,877 | $114,454 | $118,031 | $121,608 | $125,185 | $128,762 | $132,339 | $135,916 | $139,493 |
| GS-14 | $126,797 | $131,024 | $135,251 | $139,478 | $143,705 | $147,933 | $152,160 | $156,387 | $160,614 | $164,841 |
| GS-15 | $149,146 | $154,118 | $159,089 | $164,061 | $169,033 | $174,005 | $178,976 | $183,948 | $188,920 | $193,892 |
2026 pay snapshot
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About the 2026 Des Moines table
The Des Moines Locality Area used the official OPM Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA boundary in 2026. Federal employees whose duty station was inside this boundary used this table instead of the 2026 nationwide base GS table.
In 2026, the locality adjustment was 18.01%. A GS-1 Step 1 salary in this area was $26,651, and a senior GS-15 Step 10 salary reached $193,892.
What was covered by this pay area
The pay area covered 17 counties and cities across Iowa. Some of the included jurisdictions include Adair County, IA, Boone County, IA, Clarke County, IA, Dallas County, IA, Greene County, IA, Guthrie County, IA, Hamilton County, IA, Jasper County, IA, Lucas County, IA, Madison County, IA, Mahaska County, IA, Marion County, IA, and more.
2026 Des Moines questions
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What was the 2026 locality adjustment for Des Moines?
In 2026, the locality pay adjustment for Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA was 18.01%, added on top of the 2026 base GS table. -
What did a GS-12 earn in Des Moines in 2026?
A GS-12 Step 1 employee in Des Moines earned $90,234 in 2026, rising to $117,307 at Step 10. See the 2026 GS-12 Des Moines page. -
Is the 2026 table still current?
Yes. 2026 is the current year. This is the active OPM pay table for federal employees in Des Moines.