How GS pay works (base + locality)
General Schedule pay is a two-part number: a base pay from the nationwide GS table and a locality pay add-onthat varies by geographic area. Base pay is the same everywhere in the country — $90,925 for GS-13 Step 1 in 2026. Locality pay is a percentage of that base, added on top. In the Rest of U.S. (RUS) area, that's 17.06%, bringing the total to $106,437. In San Jose-San Francisco, the 46.34% locality rate pushes the same position to $133,060.
Your SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) shows both the base pay rate and the locality-adjusted total. The locality-adjusted figure is what you are paid and what counts as “basic pay” for FERS retirement purposes, including your High-3 average salary calculation.
The 2026 raise — 1% base, frozen locality
The 2026 General Schedule adjustment applied a 1.0% across-the-board raise to base pay, effective January 11, 2026. Locality pay percentages were frozen at 2025 levels— no new locality areas were added, and no existing area received an increase to its percentage rate. This means the total raise for most federal employees was approximately 1.0%, with no locality component in the 2026 adjustment.
The Executive Schedule pay cap
Federal white-collar pay is capped at Executive Schedule Level IV ($197,200 in 2026). When your locality-adjusted pay exceeds this limit, you are paid $197,200 regardless of grade, step, or locality percentage. This cap most commonly affects GS-15 employees in high-locality areas — in San Francisco, a GS-15 Step 3 already hits the ceiling. The cap does not affect your retirement calculation directly, but the years you spend at the cap limit what your High-3 can be.
Locality areas
OPM defines 47 locality pay areas for 2026. This calculator covers the 24 largest areas; employees in areas not listed are covered by the Rest of U.S. (RUS) rate of 17.06%. Your locality pay area is determined by your official duty station, not your home address. OPM publishes the full list of counties and municipalities included in each locality area on its website.