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Updated with current federal pay tables and reference data

22.42% 2026 locality adjustment above base GS
$27,647 to $197,200 GS-1 Step 1 to GS-15 Step 10
10 Counties and cities covered

2026 Milwaukee pay schedule

Every grade and step below already includes the 22.42% locality adjustment. Click any grade to open its dedicated single-grade pay scale page for Milwaukee.

Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1 $27,647$28,574$29,493$30,409$31,326$31,863$32,773$33,689$33,727$34,581
GS-2 $31,086$31,826$32,856$33,727$34,104$35,106$36,109$37,112$38,114$39,117
GS-3 $33,920$35,051$36,182$37,314$38,445$39,576$40,707$41,838$42,969$44,101
GS-4 $38,076$39,346$40,615$41,885$43,154$44,424$45,693$46,963$48,232$49,502
GS-5 $42,601$44,021$45,441$46,861$48,281$49,701$51,121$52,541$53,962$55,382
GS-6 $47,488$49,071$50,654$52,237$53,820$55,402$56,985$58,568$60,151$61,734
GS-7 $52,770$54,530$56,289$58,048$59,807$61,566$63,325$65,085$66,844$68,603
GS-8 $58,441$60,389$62,336$64,284$66,232$68,179$70,127$72,075$74,022$75,970
GS-9 $64,548$66,701$68,853$71,005$73,157$75,309$77,461$79,613$81,766$83,918
GS-10 $71,082$73,451$75,820$78,188$80,557$82,926$85,295$87,664$90,033$92,401
GS-11 $78,098$80,702$83,306$85,909$88,513$91,117$93,721$96,325$98,929$101,533
GS-12 $93,606$96,726$99,847$102,967$106,088$109,208$112,329$115,449$118,570$121,690
GS-13 $111,310$115,021$118,731$122,442$126,153$129,863$133,574$137,284$140,995$144,705
GS-14 $131,535$135,920$140,306$144,691$149,076$153,461$157,846$162,231$166,616$171,001
GS-15 $154,719$159,877$165,034$170,192$175,350$180,507$185,665$190,822$195,980$197,200

Pay snapshot for popular grades

Grade-level salaries

Open a specific grade in Milwaukee

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 Milwaukee locality pay area

The Milwaukee 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 Wisconsin. 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 22.42%. That means a GS-1 Step 1 employee in Milwaukee earns $27,647, 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 10 counties and independent cities across Wisconsin. Some of the included jurisdictions include Dodge County, WI, Fond du Lac County, WI, Jefferson County, WI, Milwaukee County, WI, Ozaukee County, WI, Racine County, WI, Sheboygan County, WI, Walworth County, WI, Washington County, WI, Waukesha County, WI.

Counties and independent cities in Milwaukee

Dodge County, WIFond du Lac County, WIJefferson County, WIMilwaukee County, WIOzaukee County, WIRacine County, WISheboygan County, WIWalworth County, WIWashington County, WIWaukesha County, WI

Milwaukee pay questions

  • What is the 2026 locality adjustment for Milwaukee?
    For 2026, the locality pay adjustment for Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI is 22.42%. That percentage is added on top of the nationwide base GS table.
  • How much does a GS-12 earn in Milwaukee?
    In 2026, a GS-12 Step 1 employee in Milwaukee earns $93,606, rising to $121,690 at Step 10. See the GS-12 Milwaukee page for the full step breakdown.
  • Who is covered by the Milwaukee locality area?
    This locality table applies to federal employees whose official duty station is located within the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI boundary. It covers 10 counties and independent cities across Wisconsin. 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?
    Milwaukee 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.