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Free FERS Tool · 2026
2026 GS Pay Scale — Seattle
Locality-adjusted General Schedule pay for Seattle-Tacoma, WA, the OPM pay area covering Seattle. Every grade and step below is base pay plus the 31.57% locality add-on, computed with OPM's own formula.
Data current as of January 11, 2026 · Sources: OPM · GSA
What Seattle locality pay is worth
Seattle carries a locality rate of 31.57%, which ranks #7 of 24 areas on this site. On a GS-13 Step 1 salary that is worth $13,193 a year more than the same grade and step in the Rest of U.S. area ($119,630 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 — Seattle (31.57%)
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 — 4 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 | $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 |
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 × 0.3157)
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 Seattle, plus the Rest of U.S. baseline.
All 24 pay areas
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