2026 GS-10 Pay Scale
The GS-10 base salary range for 2026 is $58,064 at Step 1, rising to $75,479 at Step 10. Add the locality pay adjustment for your duty station on top. This page shows the base table first, then every locality-adjusted version of GS-10 for 2026.
2026 GS-10 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-10 rates for 2026.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $58,064 | $2,233.23 | $27.82 | - |
| Step 2 | $59,999 | $2,307.65 | $28.75 | - |
| Step 3 | $61,934 | $2,382.08 | $29.68 | - |
| Step 4 | $63,869 | $2,456.50 | $30.60 | - |
| Step 5 | $65,804 | $2,530.92 | $31.53 | - |
| Step 6 | $67,739 | $2,605.35 | $32.46 | - |
| Step 7 | $69,674 | $2,679.77 | $33.38 | - |
| Step 8 | $71,609 | $2,754.19 | $34.31 | - |
| Step 9 | $73,544 | $2,828.62 | $35.24 | - |
| Step 10 | $75,479 | $2,903.04 | $36.17 | - |
2026 GS-10 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-10 salary schedule for 2026, before any locality adjustment. It shows annual salary, biweekly pay and hourly rate for every step.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $58,064 | $2,233.23 | $27.82 | - |
| Step 2 | $59,999 | $2,307.65 | $28.75 | - |
| Step 3 | $61,934 | $2,382.08 | $29.68 | - |
| Step 4 | $63,869 | $2,456.50 | $30.60 | - |
| Step 5 | $65,804 | $2,530.92 | $31.53 | - |
| Step 6 | $67,739 | $2,605.35 | $32.46 | - |
| Step 7 | $69,674 | $2,679.77 | $33.38 | - |
| Step 8 | $71,609 | $2,754.19 | $34.31 | - |
| Step 9 | $73,544 | $2,828.62 | $35.24 | - |
| Step 10 | $75,479 | $2,903.04 | $36.17 | - |
Who is a GS-10?
Typical role. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-9 level, plus agency-specific requirements.
Career progression. Promoted to GS-11 after one year of creditable experience in grade.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-10 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-10 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2026, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-10 Step 1 | GS-10 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 46.34% | $84,971 | $110,456 |
| New York-Newark | 37.95% | $80,099 | $104,123 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 36.47% | $79,240 | $103,006 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 35.00% | $78,386 | $101,897 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.94% | $77,771 | $101,097 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.72% | $77,643 | $100,931 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 32.58% | $76,981 | $100,070 |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $76,854 | $99,904 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 32.08% | $76,691 | $99,693 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 31.57% | $76,395 | $99,308 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.86% | $75,983 | $98,772 |
| Denver-Aurora | 30.52% | $75,785 | $98,515 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.76% | $75,344 | $97,942 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 29.12% | $74,972 | $97,458 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.99% | $74,897 | $97,360 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.62% | $74,101 | $96,326 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 27.26% | $73,892 | $96,055 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 26.13% | $73,236 | $95,202 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.67% | $72,388 | $94,100 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.79% | $71,877 | $93,435 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.45% | $71,099 | $92,424 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.42% | $71,082 | $92,401 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 22.41% | $71,076 | $92,394 |
| Richmond | 22.28% | $71,001 | $92,296 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 22.24% | $70,977 | $92,266 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.23% | $70,972 | $92,258 |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $70,960 | $92,243 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 22.15% | $70,925 | $92,198 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.93% | $70,797 | $92,032 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.91% | $70,786 | $92,016 |
| Laredo | 21.59% | $70,600 | $91,775 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.42% | $70,501 | $91,647 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 21.03% | $70,275 | $91,352 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.77% | $70,124 | $91,156 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 20.35% | $69,880 | $90,839 |
| Colorado Springs | 20.15% | $69,764 | $90,688 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 20.03% | $69,694 | $90,597 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.67% | $69,485 | $90,326 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.57% | $69,427 | $90,250 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 19.45% | $69,357 | $90,160 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.43% | $69,346 | $90,145 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 19.28% | $69,259 | $90,031 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.97% | $69,079 | $89,797 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.93% | $69,056 | $89,767 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.80% | $68,980 | $89,669 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.78% | $68,968 | $89,654 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.33% | $68,707 | $89,314 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 18.24% | $68,655 | $89,246 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 18.23% | $68,649 | $89,239 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 18.15% | $68,603 | $89,178 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 18.01% | $68,521 | $89,073 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.93% | $68,475 | $89,012 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.88% | $68,446 | $88,975 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.67% | $68,324 | $88,816 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.65% | $68,312 | $88,801 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.63% | $68,301 | $88,786 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.52% | $68,237 | $88,703 |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $67,970 | $88,356 |
Top and bottom GS-10 localities in 2026
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-10 pay scale
GS-10 is part of the 2026 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Senior technician and supervisory positions, and full-performance roles in a handful of occupations such as Border Patrol and IT.
How step increases work
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable. You move from Step 1 to Step 4 one year at a time, from Step 4 to Step 7 every two years, and from Step 7 to Step 10 every three years. Managers can award a one-time quality step increase (QSI) to accelerate progression for employees whose performance is rated outstanding.
Browse other grades in 2026
GS-10 questions for 2026
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What is the starting salary for GS-10 in 2026?
The base starting salary for GS-10 in 2026 is $58,064 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2026 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 46.34%), GS-10 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-10 Step 10?
If you never get a quality step increase, it takes roughly 18 years to move from Step 1 to Step 10. Steps 1-4 take one year each, Steps 5-7 take two years each, and Steps 8-10 take three years each. A quality step increase can shorten that timeline by one year per QSI. -
How do I get promoted from GS-10 to GS-11?
Promotion from GS-10 to GS-11 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-10 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-11 vacancy. Open the GS-11 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-10?
GS-10 is roughly equivalent to O-4 Major. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.