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Updated with current federal pay tables and reference data

31.57% 2026 locality adjustment above base GS
$29,714 to $197,200 GS-1 Step 1 to GS-15 Step 10
15 Counties and cities covered

2026 Seattle pay schedule

Every grade and step below already includes the 31.57% locality adjustment. Click any grade to open its dedicated single-grade pay scale page for Seattle.

Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1 $29,714$30,710$31,698$32,682$33,667$34,245$35,223$36,207$36,248$37,166
GS-2 $33,410$34,204$35,312$36,248$36,653$37,730$38,808$39,885$40,963$42,041
GS-3 $36,455$37,671$38,887$40,103$41,318$42,534$43,750$44,965$46,181$47,397
GS-4 $40,922$42,287$43,651$45,015$46,380$47,744$49,109$50,473$51,837$53,202
GS-5 $45,785$47,311$48,837$50,364$51,890$53,416$54,942$56,469$57,995$59,521
GS-6 $51,037$52,739$54,440$56,141$57,842$59,543$61,245$62,946$64,647$66,348
GS-7 $56,715$58,605$60,496$62,387$64,277$66,168$68,059$69,949$71,840$73,731
GS-8 $62,809$64,902$66,995$69,089$71,182$73,275$75,369$77,462$79,555$81,648
GS-9 $69,373$71,686$73,999$76,312$78,625$80,938$83,251$85,564$87,877$90,190
GS-10 $76,395$78,941$81,487$84,032$86,578$89,124$91,670$94,216$96,762$99,308
GS-11 $83,935$86,734$89,532$92,331$95,129$97,928$100,726$103,525$106,323$109,122
GS-12 $100,602$103,956$107,310$110,664$114,017$117,371$120,725$124,078$127,432$130,786
GS-13 $119,630$123,618$127,606$131,594$135,582$139,569$143,557$147,545$151,533$155,521
GS-14 $141,367$146,080$150,792$155,505$160,218$164,931$169,644$174,357$179,069$183,782
GS-15 $166,283$171,826$177,370$182,913$188,456$193,999$197,200$197,200$197,200$197,200

Pay snapshot for popular grades

Grade-level salaries

Open a specific grade in Seattle

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 Seattle locality pay area

The Seattle 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 Washington. 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 31.57%. That means a GS-1 Step 1 employee in Seattle earns $29,714, 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 15 counties and independent cities across Washington. Some of the included jurisdictions include Clallam County, WA, Grays Harbor County, WA, Island County, WA, Jefferson County, WA, King County, WA, Kitsap County, WA, Lewis County, WA, Mason County, WA, Pacific County, WA, Pierce County, WA, San Juan County, WA, Skagit County, WA, and more.

Counties and independent cities in Seattle

Clallam County, WAGrays Harbor County, WAIsland County, WAJefferson County, WAKing County, WAKitsap County, WALewis County, WAMason County, WAPacific County, WAPierce County, WASan Juan County, WASkagit County, WASnohomish County, WAThurston County, WAWhatcom County, WA

Seattle pay questions

  • What is the 2026 locality adjustment for Seattle?
    For 2026, the locality pay adjustment for Seattle-Tacoma, WA is 31.57%. That percentage is added on top of the nationwide base GS table.
  • How much does a GS-12 earn in Seattle?
    In 2026, a GS-12 Step 1 employee in Seattle earns $100,602, rising to $130,786 at Step 10. See the GS-12 Seattle page for the full step breakdown.
  • Who is covered by the Seattle locality area?
    This locality table applies to federal employees whose official duty station is located within the Seattle-Tacoma, WA boundary. It covers 15 counties and independent cities across Washington. 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?
    Seattle 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.