Denver GS Pay Table for 2026
The Denver-Aurora, CO pay area is one of 58 OPM locality pay areas. In 2026 it adds 30.52% on top of the nationwide base GS table, meaning federal employees in this area earn 30.52% more than the base schedule.
2026 Denver GS Pay Table
Locality-adjusted General Schedule pay for Denver-Aurora, CO.
Covered area: Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Boulder County, CO, Broomfield County, CO, Clear Creek County, CO, Denver County, CO, Douglas County, CO, Elbert County, CO, Gilpin County, CO, Jefferson County, CO, Larimer County, CO, Lincoln County, CO, 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 | $29,477 | $30,465 | $31,445 | $32,421 | $33,399 | $33,972 | $34,942 | $35,918 | $35,958 | $36,869 |
| GS-2 | $33,143 | $33,931 | $35,030 | $35,958 | $36,360 | $37,429 | $38,498 | $39,567 | $40,636 | $41,705 |
| GS-3 | $36,164 | $37,370 | $38,576 | $39,782 | $40,989 | $42,195 | $43,401 | $44,607 | $45,813 | $47,019 |
| GS-4 | $40,596 | $41,949 | $43,303 | $44,656 | $46,010 | $47,363 | $48,717 | $50,070 | $51,424 | $52,777 |
| GS-5 | $45,420 | $46,934 | $48,448 | $49,962 | $51,476 | $52,990 | $54,504 | $56,018 | $57,532 | $59,046 |
| GS-6 | $50,630 | $52,318 | $54,005 | $55,693 | $57,381 | $59,068 | $60,756 | $62,443 | $64,131 | $65,819 |
| GS-7 | $56,262 | $58,138 | $60,013 | $61,889 | $63,764 | $65,640 | $67,515 | $69,391 | $71,267 | $73,142 |
| GS-8 | $62,308 | $64,384 | $66,461 | $68,537 | $70,614 | $72,691 | $74,767 | $76,844 | $78,920 | $80,997 |
| GS-9 | $68,819 | $71,114 | $73,408 | $75,703 | $77,997 | $80,292 | $82,587 | $84,881 | $87,176 | $89,470 |
| GS-10 | $75,785 | $78,311 | $80,836 | $83,362 | $85,887 | $88,413 | $90,939 | $93,464 | $95,990 | $98,515 |
| GS-11 | $83,265 | $86,041 | $88,818 | $91,594 | $94,370 | $97,146 | $99,922 | $102,698 | $105,475 | $108,251 |
| GS-12 | $99,800 | $103,126 | $106,453 | $109,780 | $113,107 | $116,434 | $119,761 | $123,088 | $126,415 | $129,742 |
| GS-13 | $118,675 | $122,631 | $126,587 | $130,543 | $134,500 | $138,456 | $142,412 | $146,368 | $150,324 | $154,280 |
| GS-14 | $140,239 | $144,914 | $149,589 | $154,264 | $158,939 | $163,615 | $168,290 | $172,965 | $177,640 | $182,316 |
| GS-15 | $164,956 | $170,455 | $175,954 | $181,453 | $186,952 | $192,450 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 |
2026 Denver pay schedule
Every grade and step below already includes the 30.52% locality adjustment. Click any grade to open its dedicated single-grade pay scale page for Denver.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $29,477 | $30,465 | $31,445 | $32,421 | $33,399 | $33,972 | $34,942 | $35,918 | $35,958 | $36,869 |
| GS-2 | $33,143 | $33,931 | $35,030 | $35,958 | $36,360 | $37,429 | $38,498 | $39,567 | $40,636 | $41,705 |
| GS-3 | $36,164 | $37,370 | $38,576 | $39,782 | $40,989 | $42,195 | $43,401 | $44,607 | $45,813 | $47,019 |
| GS-4 | $40,596 | $41,949 | $43,303 | $44,656 | $46,010 | $47,363 | $48,717 | $50,070 | $51,424 | $52,777 |
| GS-5 | $45,420 | $46,934 | $48,448 | $49,962 | $51,476 | $52,990 | $54,504 | $56,018 | $57,532 | $59,046 |
| GS-6 | $50,630 | $52,318 | $54,005 | $55,693 | $57,381 | $59,068 | $60,756 | $62,443 | $64,131 | $65,819 |
| GS-7 | $56,262 | $58,138 | $60,013 | $61,889 | $63,764 | $65,640 | $67,515 | $69,391 | $71,267 | $73,142 |
| GS-8 | $62,308 | $64,384 | $66,461 | $68,537 | $70,614 | $72,691 | $74,767 | $76,844 | $78,920 | $80,997 |
| GS-9 | $68,819 | $71,114 | $73,408 | $75,703 | $77,997 | $80,292 | $82,587 | $84,881 | $87,176 | $89,470 |
| GS-10 | $75,785 | $78,311 | $80,836 | $83,362 | $85,887 | $88,413 | $90,939 | $93,464 | $95,990 | $98,515 |
| GS-11 | $83,265 | $86,041 | $88,818 | $91,594 | $94,370 | $97,146 | $99,922 | $102,698 | $105,475 | $108,251 |
| GS-12 | $99,800 | $103,126 | $106,453 | $109,780 | $113,107 | $116,434 | $119,761 | $123,088 | $126,415 | $129,742 |
| GS-13 | $118,675 | $122,631 | $126,587 | $130,543 | $134,500 | $138,456 | $142,412 | $146,368 | $150,324 | $154,280 |
| GS-14 | $140,239 | $144,914 | $149,589 | $154,264 | $158,939 | $163,615 | $168,290 | $172,965 | $177,640 | $182,316 |
| GS-15 | $164,956 | $170,455 | $175,954 | $181,453 | $186,952 | $192,450 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 |
Pay snapshot for popular grades
Grade-level salaries
Compare with other top localities
Open a specific grade in Denver
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 Denver locality pay area
The Denver 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 Colorado. 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 30.52%. That means a GS-1 Step 1 employee in Denver earns $29,477, 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 14 counties and independent cities across Colorado. Some of the included jurisdictions include Adams County, CO, Arapahoe County, CO, Boulder County, CO, Broomfield County, CO, Clear Creek County, CO, Denver County, CO, Douglas County, CO, Elbert County, CO, Gilpin County, CO, Jefferson County, CO, Larimer County, CO, Lincoln County, CO, and more.
Counties and independent cities in Denver
Denver pay questions
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What is the 2026 locality adjustment for Denver?
For 2026, the locality pay adjustment for Denver-Aurora, CO is 30.52%. That percentage is added on top of the nationwide base GS table. -
How much does a GS-12 earn in Denver?
In 2026, a GS-12 Step 1 employee in Denver earns $99,800, rising to $129,742 at Step 10. See the GS-12 Denver page for the full step breakdown. -
Who is covered by the Denver locality area?
This locality table applies to federal employees whose official duty station is located within the Denver-Aurora, CO boundary. It covers 14 counties and independent cities across Colorado. 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?
Denver 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.