Tools › GS Pay Calculator › Columbus
Free FERS Tool · 2026
2026 GS Pay Scale — Columbus
Locality-adjusted General Schedule pay for Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH, the OPM pay area covering Columbus. Every grade and step below is base pay plus the 22.15% locality add-on, computed with OPM's own formula.
Data current as of January 11, 2026 · Sources: OPM · GSA
What Columbus locality pay is worth
Columbus carries a locality rate of 22.15%, which ranks #17 of 24 areas on this site. On a GS-13 Step 1 salary that is worth $4,628 a year more than the same grade and step in the Rest of U.S. area ($111,065 against $106,437).
Locality pay is not a bonus — it is part of basic pay. That matters for retirement: it counts toward your High-3 average salary, and therefore toward your FERS pension. A move between pay areas late in your career can move your High-3 in either direction.
2026 pay table — Columbus (22.15%)
Annual locality-adjusted salary by grade and step. Figures are rounded to the dollar. Cells shown in amber are capped at the Executive Schedule Level IV limit of $197,200 — 1 of 150 cells in this area hit that ceiling.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $27,586 | $28,511 | $29,428 | $30,342 | $31,257 | $31,793 | $32,701 | $33,614 | $33,652 | $34,505 |
| GS-2 | $31,018 | $31,755 | $32,784 | $33,652 | $34,029 | $35,029 | $36,029 | $37,030 | $38,030 | $39,031 |
| GS-3 | $33,845 | $34,974 | $36,103 | $37,231 | $38,360 | $39,489 | $40,617 | $41,746 | $42,875 | $44,003 |
| GS-4 | $37,992 | $39,259 | $40,526 | $41,792 | $43,059 | $44,326 | $45,592 | $46,859 | $48,126 | $49,393 |
| GS-5 | $42,507 | $43,924 | $45,341 | $46,758 | $48,175 | $49,592 | $51,009 | $52,426 | $53,842 | $55,259 |
| GS-6 | $47,383 | $48,963 | $50,542 | $52,121 | $53,701 | $55,280 | $56,860 | $58,439 | $60,018 | $61,598 |
| GS-7 | $52,654 | $54,409 | $56,165 | $57,920 | $59,675 | $61,430 | $63,186 | $64,941 | $66,696 | $68,452 |
| GS-8 | $58,312 | $60,255 | $62,199 | $64,142 | $66,086 | $68,029 | $69,972 | $71,916 | $73,859 | $75,803 |
| GS-9 | $64,406 | $66,553 | $68,701 | $70,848 | $72,996 | $75,143 | $77,290 | $79,438 | $81,585 | $83,733 |
| GS-10 | $70,925 | $73,289 | $75,652 | $78,016 | $80,380 | $82,743 | $85,107 | $87,470 | $89,834 | $92,198 |
| GS-11 | $77,926 | $80,524 | $83,122 | $85,720 | $88,318 | $90,916 | $93,514 | $96,113 | $98,711 | $101,309 |
| GS-12 | $93,400 | $96,513 | $99,627 | $102,740 | $105,854 | $108,968 | $112,081 | $115,195 | $118,308 | $121,422 |
| GS-13 | $111,065 | $114,767 | $118,470 | $122,172 | $125,874 | $129,577 | $133,279 | $136,981 | $140,684 | $144,386 |
| GS-14 | $131,245 | $135,621 | $139,996 | $144,372 | $148,747 | $153,122 | $157,498 | $161,873 | $166,249 | $170,624 |
| GS-15 | $154,378 | $159,524 | $164,670 | $169,817 | $174,963 | $180,109 | $185,255 | $190,401 | $195,547 | $197,200 |
How this table is calculated
OPM publishes a base General Schedule table and a locality percentage for each pay area. The locality add-on is the base rate multiplied by the area percentage and rounded to the nearest dollar; the two are then summed and the result capped at Executive Schedule Level IV.
add-on = round(base × 0.2215)
total = min(base + add-on, $197,200)
5 U.S.C. § 5304 · 5 CFR § 531.214
Compare with other pay areas
Areas with a locality rate closest to Columbus, plus the Rest of U.S. baseline.
All 24 pay areas
Your GS pay in Columbus is one input. Your full report combines pension, supplement, survivor election, and FEHB into one decision.
Get my free report →All math runs in your browser — nothing is sent or stored.