Cincinnati GS Pay Table for 2026
The Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area is one of 58 OPM locality pay areas. In 2026 it adds 21.93% on top of the nationwide base GS table, meaning federal employees in this area earn 21.93% more than the base schedule.
2026 Cincinnati GS Pay Table
Locality-adjusted General Schedule pay for Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN.
Covered area: Adams County, OH, Brown County, OH, Butler County, OH, Clermont County, OH, Clinton County, OH, Hamilton County, OH, Highland County, OH, Warren County, OH, Boone County, KY, Bracken County, KY, Campbell County, KY, Carroll County, KY, 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 | $27,537 | $28,460 | $29,375 | $30,287 | $31,201 | $31,736 | $32,642 | $33,554 | $33,592 | $34,443 |
| GS-2 | $30,962 | $31,698 | $32,725 | $33,592 | $33,967 | $34,966 | $35,964 | $36,963 | $37,962 | $38,960 |
| GS-3 | $33,784 | $34,911 | $36,038 | $37,164 | $38,291 | $39,418 | $40,544 | $41,671 | $42,797 | $43,924 |
| GS-4 | $37,924 | $39,188 | $40,453 | $41,717 | $42,982 | $44,246 | $45,510 | $46,775 | $48,039 | $49,304 |
| GS-5 | $42,430 | $43,845 | $45,259 | $46,674 | $48,088 | $49,502 | $50,917 | $52,331 | $53,746 | $55,160 |
| GS-6 | $47,298 | $48,874 | $50,451 | $52,028 | $53,604 | $55,181 | $56,757 | $58,334 | $59,910 | $61,487 |
| GS-7 | $52,559 | $54,311 | $56,063 | $57,816 | $59,568 | $61,320 | $63,072 | $64,824 | $66,576 | $68,328 |
| GS-8 | $58,207 | $60,147 | $62,087 | $64,027 | $65,967 | $67,906 | $69,846 | $71,786 | $73,726 | $75,666 |
| GS-9 | $64,290 | $66,434 | $68,577 | $70,721 | $72,864 | $75,008 | $77,151 | $79,295 | $81,438 | $83,582 |
| GS-10 | $70,797 | $73,157 | $75,516 | $77,875 | $80,235 | $82,594 | $84,954 | $87,313 | $89,672 | $92,032 |
| GS-11 | $77,785 | $80,379 | $82,972 | $85,566 | $88,159 | $90,752 | $93,346 | $95,939 | $98,533 | $101,126 |
| GS-12 | $93,231 | $96,339 | $99,447 | $102,555 | $105,663 | $108,771 | $111,879 | $114,987 | $118,095 | $121,203 |
| GS-13 | $110,865 | $114,561 | $118,256 | $121,952 | $125,648 | $129,343 | $133,039 | $136,735 | $140,430 | $144,126 |
| GS-14 | $131,009 | $135,376 | $139,744 | $144,112 | $148,479 | $152,847 | $157,214 | $161,582 | $165,949 | $170,317 |
| GS-15 | $154,100 | $159,237 | $164,374 | $169,511 | $174,648 | $179,785 | $184,921 | $190,058 | $195,195 | $197,200 |
2026 Cincinnati pay schedule
Every grade and step below already includes the 21.93% locality adjustment. Click any grade to open its dedicated single-grade pay scale page for Cincinnati.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $27,537 | $28,460 | $29,375 | $30,287 | $31,201 | $31,736 | $32,642 | $33,554 | $33,592 | $34,443 |
| GS-2 | $30,962 | $31,698 | $32,725 | $33,592 | $33,967 | $34,966 | $35,964 | $36,963 | $37,962 | $38,960 |
| GS-3 | $33,784 | $34,911 | $36,038 | $37,164 | $38,291 | $39,418 | $40,544 | $41,671 | $42,797 | $43,924 |
| GS-4 | $37,924 | $39,188 | $40,453 | $41,717 | $42,982 | $44,246 | $45,510 | $46,775 | $48,039 | $49,304 |
| GS-5 | $42,430 | $43,845 | $45,259 | $46,674 | $48,088 | $49,502 | $50,917 | $52,331 | $53,746 | $55,160 |
| GS-6 | $47,298 | $48,874 | $50,451 | $52,028 | $53,604 | $55,181 | $56,757 | $58,334 | $59,910 | $61,487 |
| GS-7 | $52,559 | $54,311 | $56,063 | $57,816 | $59,568 | $61,320 | $63,072 | $64,824 | $66,576 | $68,328 |
| GS-8 | $58,207 | $60,147 | $62,087 | $64,027 | $65,967 | $67,906 | $69,846 | $71,786 | $73,726 | $75,666 |
| GS-9 | $64,290 | $66,434 | $68,577 | $70,721 | $72,864 | $75,008 | $77,151 | $79,295 | $81,438 | $83,582 |
| GS-10 | $70,797 | $73,157 | $75,516 | $77,875 | $80,235 | $82,594 | $84,954 | $87,313 | $89,672 | $92,032 |
| GS-11 | $77,785 | $80,379 | $82,972 | $85,566 | $88,159 | $90,752 | $93,346 | $95,939 | $98,533 | $101,126 |
| GS-12 | $93,231 | $96,339 | $99,447 | $102,555 | $105,663 | $108,771 | $111,879 | $114,987 | $118,095 | $121,203 |
| GS-13 | $110,865 | $114,561 | $118,256 | $121,952 | $125,648 | $129,343 | $133,039 | $136,735 | $140,430 | $144,126 |
| GS-14 | $131,009 | $135,376 | $139,744 | $144,112 | $148,479 | $152,847 | $157,214 | $161,582 | $165,949 | $170,317 |
| GS-15 | $154,100 | $159,237 | $164,374 | $169,511 | $174,648 | $179,785 | $184,921 | $190,058 | $195,195 | $197,200 |
Pay snapshot for popular grades
Grade-level salaries
Compare with other top localities
Open a specific grade in Cincinnati
Every GS grade has a dedicated single-grade pay scale page for this locality area. Each page shows all 10 steps, annual, biweekly and hourly pay, and the locality add-on broken out.
About the Cincinnati locality pay area
The Cincinnati Locality Area is one of the official OPM General Schedule locality pay areas. It is defined by a set of counties and independent cities within Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana. Any federal employee whose duty station is inside this boundary is paid from this locality table rather than the nationwide base GS schedule.
For 2026, the locality adjustment is 21.93%. That means a GS-1 Step 1 employee in Cincinnati earns $27,537, and a senior GS-15 Step 10 employee can earn up to $197,200, subject to the statutory Executive Schedule Level 4 pay cap for the highest grade-step combinations.
Which counties does this pay area cover?
This pay area covers 27 counties and independent cities across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana. Some of the included jurisdictions include Adams County, OH, Brown County, OH, Butler County, OH, Clermont County, OH, Clinton County, OH, Hamilton County, OH, Highland County, OH, Warren County, OH, Boone County, KY, Bracken County, KY, Campbell County, KY, Carroll County, KY, and more.
Counties and independent cities in Cincinnati
Cincinnati pay questions
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What is the 2026 locality adjustment for Cincinnati?
For 2026, the locality pay adjustment for Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN is 21.93%. That percentage is added on top of the nationwide base GS table. -
How much does a GS-12 earn in Cincinnati?
In 2026, a GS-12 Step 1 employee in Cincinnati earns $93,231, rising to $121,203 at Step 10. See the GS-12 Cincinnati page for the full step breakdown. -
Who is covered by the Cincinnati locality area?
This locality table applies to federal employees whose official duty station is located within the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN boundary. It covers 27 counties and independent cities across Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana. Telework alone does not change your locality. It is based on the official duty station listed on your SF-50. -
How does this compare to other pay areas?
Cincinnati is one of 58 GS locality pay areas nationwide. See the full directory to compare against other cities, or browse the base GS table for the nationwide schedule before locality is added.