2026 GS-14 Pay Scale
The GS-14 base salary range for 2026 is $107,446 at Step 1, rising to $139,684 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-14 for 2026.
2026 GS-14 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-14 rates for 2026.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $107,446 | $4,132.54 | $51.48 | - |
| Step 2 | $111,028 | $4,270.31 | $53.20 | - |
| Step 3 | $114,610 | $4,408.08 | $54.92 | - |
| Step 4 | $118,192 | $4,545.85 | $56.63 | - |
| Step 5 | $121,774 | $4,683.62 | $58.35 | - |
| Step 6 | $125,356 | $4,821.38 | $60.07 | - |
| Step 7 | $128,938 | $4,959.15 | $61.78 | - |
| Step 8 | $132,520 | $5,096.92 | $63.50 | - |
| Step 9 | $136,102 | $5,234.69 | $65.21 | - |
| Step 10 | $139,684 | $5,372.46 | $66.93 | - |
2026 GS-14 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-14 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 | $107,446 | $4,132.54 | $51.48 | - |
| Step 2 | $111,028 | $4,270.31 | $53.20 | - |
| Step 3 | $114,610 | $4,408.08 | $54.92 | - |
| Step 4 | $118,192 | $4,545.85 | $56.63 | - |
| Step 5 | $121,774 | $4,683.62 | $58.35 | - |
| Step 6 | $125,356 | $4,821.38 | $60.07 | - |
| Step 7 | $128,938 | $4,959.15 | $61.78 | - |
| Step 8 | $132,520 | $5,096.92 | $63.50 | - |
| Step 9 | $136,102 | $5,234.69 | $65.21 | - |
| Step 10 | $139,684 | $5,372.46 | $66.93 | - |
Who is a GS-14?
Typical role. Supervisory managers, senior program leads and senior technical experts. Many agency branch chiefs sit at GS-14.
Minimum qualifications. One year of specialized experience at the GS-13 level.
Career progression. Competitive promotion to GS-15 is selective; many GS-14 employees reach this grade as a career peak.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-14 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-14 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2026, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-14 Step 1 | GS-14 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 46.34% | $157,236 | $197,200 |
| New York-Newark | 37.95% | $148,222 | $192,694 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 36.47% | $146,632 | $190,627 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 35.00% | $145,052 | $188,573 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.94% | $143,913 | $187,093 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.72% | $143,677 | $186,785 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 32.58% | $142,452 | $185,193 |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $142,216 | $184,886 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 32.08% | $141,915 | $184,495 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 31.57% | $141,367 | $183,782 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.86% | $140,604 | $182,790 |
| Denver-Aurora | 30.52% | $140,239 | $182,316 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.76% | $139,422 | $181,254 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 29.12% | $138,734 | $180,360 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.99% | $138,595 | $180,178 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.62% | $137,123 | $178,265 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 27.26% | $136,736 | $177,762 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 26.13% | $135,522 | $176,183 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.67% | $133,953 | $174,144 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.79% | $133,007 | $172,915 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.45% | $131,568 | $171,043 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.42% | $131,535 | $171,001 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 22.41% | $131,525 | $170,987 |
| Richmond | 22.28% | $131,385 | $170,806 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 22.24% | $131,342 | $170,750 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.23% | $131,331 | $170,736 |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $131,310 | $170,708 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 22.15% | $131,245 | $170,624 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.93% | $131,009 | $170,317 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.91% | $130,987 | $170,289 |
| Laredo | 21.59% | $130,644 | $169,842 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.42% | $130,461 | $169,604 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 21.03% | $130,042 | $169,060 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.77% | $129,763 | $168,696 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 20.35% | $129,311 | $168,110 |
| Colorado Springs | 20.15% | $129,096 | $167,830 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 20.03% | $128,967 | $167,663 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.67% | $128,581 | $167,160 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.57% | $128,473 | $167,020 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 19.45% | $128,344 | $166,853 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.43% | $128,323 | $166,825 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 19.28% | $128,162 | $166,615 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.97% | $127,829 | $166,182 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.93% | $127,786 | $166,126 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.80% | $127,646 | $165,945 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.78% | $127,624 | $165,917 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.33% | $127,141 | $165,288 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 18.24% | $127,044 | $165,162 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 18.23% | $127,033 | $165,148 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 18.15% | $126,947 | $165,037 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 18.01% | $126,797 | $164,841 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.93% | $126,711 | $164,729 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.88% | $126,657 | $164,659 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.67% | $126,432 | $164,366 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.65% | $126,410 | $164,338 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.63% | $126,389 | $164,310 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.52% | $126,271 | $164,157 |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $125,776 | $163,514 |
Top and bottom GS-14 localities in 2026
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-14 pay scale
GS-14 is part of the 2026 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Supervisory managers, senior program leads and senior technical experts. Many agency branch chiefs sit at GS-14.
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-14 questions for 2026
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What is the starting salary for GS-14 in 2026?
The base starting salary for GS-14 in 2026 is $107,446 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2026 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 46.34%), GS-14 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-14 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-14 to GS-15?
Promotion from GS-14 to GS-15 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-14 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-15 vacancy. Open the GS-15 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-14?
GS-14 is roughly equivalent to O-6 Colonel. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.