United States · Federal pay 2026 · Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL
Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs GS pay scale 2026
Locality pay in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs is 23.79% in 2026, so GS pay runs from $27,957 a year (GS-1 step 1) to $197,200 (GS-15 step 10). A GS-12 step 1 earns $94,654, $5,146 more than in the Rest of U.S. area.
Pick a grade and step, or read the whole table below. Every figure is OPM’s own for this locality.
Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs · GS-12 step 1
$94,654 a year
$7,887.83 a month · $3,640.54 every two weeks, before tax
$18,191 of it is locality pay on top of the $76,463 base.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $27,957 | $28,894 | $29,823 | $30,749 | $31,677 | $32,220 | $33,140 | $34,066 | $34,104 | $34,968 |
| GS-2 | $31,434 | $32,182 | $33,224 | $34,104 | $34,485 | $35,499 | $36,513 | $37,527 | $38,541 | $39,555 |
| GS-3 | $34,300 | $35,444 | $36,587 | $37,731 | $38,875 | $40,019 | $41,163 | $42,306 | $43,450 | $44,594 |
| GS-4 | $38,502 | $39,786 | $41,070 | $42,354 | $43,637 | $44,921 | $46,205 | $47,488 | $48,772 | $50,056 |
| GS-5 | $43,078 | $44,514 | $45,950 | $47,386 | $48,822 | $50,258 | $51,693 | $53,129 | $54,565 | $56,001 |
| GS-6 | $48,019 | $49,620 | $51,221 | $52,821 | $54,422 | $56,022 | $57,623 | $59,224 | $60,824 | $62,425 |
| GS-7 | $53,361 | $55,140 | $56,919 | $58,698 | $60,476 | $62,255 | $64,034 | $65,813 | $67,592 | $69,371 |
| GS-8 | $59,095 | $61,064 | $63,034 | $65,003 | $66,973 | $68,942 | $70,912 | $72,881 | $74,851 | $76,820 |
| GS-9 | $65,271 | $67,447 | $69,623 | $71,799 | $73,976 | $76,152 | $78,328 | $80,504 | $82,681 | $84,857 |
| GS-10 | $71,877 | $74,273 | $76,668 | $79,063 | $81,459 | $83,854 | $86,249 | $88,645 | $91,040 | $93,435 |
| GS-11 | $78,972 | $81,605 | $84,238 | $86,871 | $89,504 | $92,137 | $94,770 | $97,403 | $100,036 | $102,669 |
| GS-12 | $94,654 | $97,809 | $100,964 | $104,120 | $107,275 | $110,431 | $113,586 | $116,741 | $119,897 | $123,052 |
| GS-13 | $112,556 | $116,308 | $120,060 | $123,812 | $127,564 | $131,316 | $135,069 | $138,821 | $142,573 | $146,325 |
| GS-14 | $133,007 | $137,442 | $141,876 | $146,310 | $150,744 | $155,178 | $159,612 | $164,047 | $168,481 | $172,915 |
| GS-15 | $156,451 | $161,666 | $166,881 | $172,097 | $177,312 | $182,527 | $187,742 | $192,958 | $197,200* | $197,200* |
* Held at the 2026 pay cap of $197,200 (level IV of the Executive Schedule).
How does Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs GS pay compare?
Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs has the 20th highest locality pay of the 58 areas. Step 1 of some grades, beside the base table and the Rest of U.S. area:
| Grade, step 1 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs | Base table | Rest of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-5 | $43,078 | $34,799 | $40,736 |
| GS-7 | $53,361 | $43,106 | $50,460 |
| GS-9 | $65,271 | $52,727 | $61,722 |
| GS-11 | $78,972 | $63,795 | $74,678 |
| GS-12 | $94,654 | $76,463 | $89,508 |
| GS-13 | $112,556 | $90,925 | $106,437 |
| GS-14 | $133,007 | $107,446 | $125,776 |
| GS-15 | $156,451 | $126,384 | $147,945 |
2 cells are held at the $197,200 cap: GS-15 step 9, GS-15 step 10. They get less than the full 23.79%.
What is the locality pay in other areas?
- Alaska 32.36%
- Albany-Schenectady 20.77%
- Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas 18.33%
- Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown 20.35%
- Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega 18.24%
- Boston-Worcester-Providence 32.58%
- Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean 22.41%
- Burlington-South Burlington-Barre 19.45%
- Charlotte-Concord 19.67%
- Chicago-Naperville 30.86%
- Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville 21.93%
- Cleveland-Akron-Canton 22.23%
- Colorado Springs 20.15%
- Columbus-Marion-Zanesville 22.15%
- Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice 17.63%
- Dallas-Fort Worth 27.26%
- Davenport-Moline 18.93%
- Dayton-Springfield-Kettering 21.42%
- Denver-Aurora 30.52%
- Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines 18.01%
- Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor 29.12%
- Fresno-Madera-Hanford 17.65%
- Harrisburg-Lebanon 19.43%
- Hartford-East Hartford 32.08%
- Hawaii 22.21%
- Houston-The Woodlands 35%
- Huntsville-Decatur 21.91%
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie 18.15%
- Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City 18.97%
- Laredo 21.59%
- Las Vegas-Henderson 19.57%
- Los Angeles-Long Beach 36.47%
- Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale 24.67%
- Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha 22.42%
- Minneapolis-St. Paul 27.62%
- New York-Newark 37.95%
- Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont 18.23%
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville 17.93%
- Philadelphia-Reading-Camden 28.99%
- Phoenix-Mesa 22.45%
- Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton 21.03%
- Portland-Vancouver-Salem 26.13%
- Raleigh-Durham-Cary 22.24%
- Reno-Fernley 17.52%
- Richmond 22.28%
- Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls 17.88%
- Sacramento-Roseville 29.76%
- San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall 18.78%
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 33.72%
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland 46.34%
- Seattle-Tacoma 31.57%
- Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene 17.67%
- St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington 20.03%
- Tucson-Nogales 19.28%
- Virginia Beach-Norfolk 18.8%
- Washington-Baltimore-Arlington 33.94%
- Rest of U.S. 17.06%
What does this leave out?
- Special rates for some jobs (such as law enforcement officers) and other pay plans.
- Which counties are in this locality: check with your agency.
- Tax and deductions: the GS pay calculator works out take-home pay.
What else can I work out?
- GS pay calculator Salary and take-home pay for any grade and step in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs.
- GS pay scale 2026 The General Schedule base table and every locality’s own table.
- Military pay calculator Basic pay, BAH, BAS and take-home pay for your rank, years of service, ZIP code and home state.
- Military and federal pay Every military and federal pay calculator and chart in one place.
Questions about GS pay in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs
What is the locality pay for Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs in 2026?
23.79%, for the area OPM calls “Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL”. That ranks 20 of the 58 locality areas. It is added to the base table, so a GS-9 step 1 earns $65,271 here against $52,727 on the base table.
How much does a GS-12 make in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs?
From $94,654 a year at step 1 to $123,052 at step 10 in 2026. Step 5 is $107,275.
What is GS-13 pay in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs?
$112,556 at step 1, $127,564 at step 5 and $146,325 at step 10, a year.
What does a GS-7 earn in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs?
$53,361 a year at step 1 ($2,052.35 every two weeks before tax) and $69,371 at step 10.
Is GS pay in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs capped?
2 cells are held at the $197,200 cap: GS-15 step 9, GS-15 step 10. They get less than the full 23.79%.
Will GS pay in Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs change in 2027?
Not decided yet. The President’s plan proposes a pay freeze for 2027, with base and locality pay staying at their 2026 rates: “I have determined that for 2027, base pay and locality pay for civilian Federal employees will not change from the 2026 rates.” That is a proposal, not final.