United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
GS-12 Grade Salary
Senior specialist and first-line supervisor level. Most common grade for experienced federal professionals.
2026 salary range
$76,463 – $99,404
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $76,463 | $6,372 | $37 |
| 2 | $79,012 | $6,584 | $38 |
| 3 | $81,561 | $6,797 | $39 |
| 4 | $84,110 | $7,009 | $40 |
| 5 | $86,659 | $7,222 | $42 |
| 6 | $89,208 | $7,434 | $43 |
| 7 | $91,757 | $7,646 | $44 |
| 8 | $94,306 | $7,859 | $45 |
| 9 | $96,855 | $8,071 | $47 |
| 10 | $99,404 | $8,284 | $48 |
Hourly computed assuming 2,080 annual working hours. Actual hourly rates on official tables may differ slightly.
Locality pay — total after geographic adjustment
Most US federal employees receive locality pay on top of the GS-12 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for GS-12, applied to base step 1 and step 10 respectively.
| Locality Area | Adjustment | Step 1 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCBWashington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | +33.94% | $102,415 | $133,142 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $105,481 | $137,128 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $111,896 | $145,468 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $104,349 | $135,657 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $100,059 | $130,080 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $89,508 | $116,362 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $92,344 | $120,050 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $90,479 | $117,625 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $94,654 | $123,052 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $92,023 | $119,633 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $90,410 | $117,535 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $91,335 | $118,738 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $101,375 | $131,790 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $93,598 | $121,680 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $89,943 | $116,929 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $93,231 | $121,203 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $93,461 | $121,502 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $93,400 | $121,422 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $91,870 | $119,434 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $91,503 | $118,957 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $92,841 | $120,696 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $99,800 | $129,742 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $98,729 | $128,350 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $97,307 | $126,502 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $90,234 | $117,307 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $90,937 | $118,221 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $89,959 | $116,949 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $100,992 | $131,293 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $91,320 | $118,718 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $93,216 | $121,183 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $103,225 | $134,195 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $90,341 | $117,446 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $90,968 | $118,261 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $92,971 | $120,865 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $91,427 | $118,857 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $95,326 | $123,927 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $93,606 | $121,690 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $97,582 | $126,859 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $90,402 | $117,525 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $90,173 | $117,227 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $98,630 | $128,221 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $92,543 | $120,309 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $96,443 | $125,378 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $93,629 | $121,720 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $93,468 | $121,511 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $93,499 | $121,551 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $89,859 | $116,820 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $90,135 | $117,177 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $99,218 | $128,987 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $102,246 | $132,923 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $100,602 | $130,786 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $91,779 | $119,315 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $89,974 | $116,969 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $90,823 | $118,072 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $91,205 | $118,569 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $90,838 | $118,092 |
Locality data sourced from U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Locality Pay XML tables. Last refreshed 2026-04-20. RUS ("Rest of U.S.") is the default for areas not otherwise listed. Law-enforcement, special-rate, and capped schedules not shown — see the OPM tables for specifics.
Frequently asked
How much does a GS-12 make in the United States federal government?
A GS-12 in the United States federal civil service earns between $76,463 and $99,404 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the GS-12 grade the same in every agency?
The base pay scale is set centrally by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and applied uniformly across eligible federal employers, but agency-specific supplements, locality pay, and bargaining agreements can produce meaningful differences in take-home pay.
Where does this data come from?
Directly from U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/. Each page on FedSalary carries the retrieval date and a link back to the primary source.