United States · Federal pay 2026 · Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI
Chicago-Naperville GS pay scale 2026
Locality pay in Chicago-Naperville is 30.86% in 2026, so GS pay runs from $29,553 a year (GS-1 step 1) to $197,200 (GS-15 step 10). A GS-12 step 1 earns $100,059, $10,551 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.
Chicago-Naperville · GS-12 step 1
$100,059 a year
$8,338.25 a month · $3,848.42 every two weeks, before tax
$23,596 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 | $29,553 | $30,544 | $31,527 | $32,506 | $33,486 | $34,060 | $35,033 | $36,011 | $36,052 | $36,965 |
| GS-2 | $33,229 | $34,020 | $35,122 | $36,052 | $36,455 | $37,527 | $38,598 | $39,670 | $40,742 | $41,814 |
| GS-3 | $36,259 | $37,468 | $38,677 | $39,886 | $41,095 | $42,304 | $43,514 | $44,723 | $45,932 | $47,141 |
| GS-4 | $40,701 | $42,058 | $43,415 | $44,772 | $46,129 | $47,486 | $48,843 | $50,201 | $51,558 | $52,915 |
| GS-5 | $45,538 | $47,056 | $48,574 | $50,092 | $51,610 | $53,128 | $54,646 | $56,164 | $57,682 | $59,200 |
| GS-6 | $50,762 | $52,454 | $54,146 | $55,838 | $57,530 | $59,222 | $60,914 | $62,606 | $64,298 | $65,990 |
| GS-7 | $56,409 | $58,289 | $60,169 | $62,050 | $63,930 | $65,811 | $67,691 | $69,572 | $71,452 | $73,333 |
| GS-8 | $62,470 | $64,552 | $66,634 | $68,716 | $70,798 | $72,880 | $74,962 | $77,044 | $79,126 | $81,208 |
| GS-9 | $68,999 | $71,299 | $73,600 | $75,900 | $78,201 | $80,501 | $82,802 | $85,102 | $87,403 | $89,703 |
| GS-10 | $75,983 | $78,515 | $81,047 | $83,579 | $86,111 | $88,643 | $91,175 | $93,708 | $96,240 | $98,772 |
| GS-11 | $83,482 | $86,266 | $89,049 | $91,832 | $94,616 | $97,399 | $100,182 | $102,966 | $105,749 | $108,533 |
| GS-12 | $100,059 | $103,395 | $106,731 | $110,066 | $113,402 | $116,738 | $120,073 | $123,409 | $126,744 | $130,080 |
| GS-13 | $118,984 | $122,951 | $126,917 | $130,884 | $134,850 | $138,816 | $142,783 | $146,749 | $150,715 | $154,682 |
| GS-14 | $140,604 | $145,291 | $149,979 | $154,666 | $159,353 | $164,041 | $168,728 | $173,416 | $178,103 | $182,790 |
| GS-15 | $165,386 | $170,899 | $176,412 | $181,925 | $187,439 | $192,952 | $197,200* | $197,200* | $197,200* | $197,200* |
* Held at the 2026 pay cap of $197,200 (level IV of the Executive Schedule).
How does Chicago-Naperville GS pay compare?
Chicago-Naperville has the 11th 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 | Chicago-Naperville | Base table | Rest of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-5 | $45,538 | $34,799 | $40,736 |
| GS-7 | $56,409 | $43,106 | $50,460 |
| GS-9 | $68,999 | $52,727 | $61,722 |
| GS-11 | $83,482 | $63,795 | $74,678 |
| GS-12 | $100,059 | $76,463 | $89,508 |
| GS-13 | $118,984 | $90,925 | $106,437 |
| GS-14 | $140,604 | $107,446 | $125,776 |
| GS-15 | $165,386 | $126,384 | $147,945 |
4 cells are held at the $197,200 cap: GS-15 step 7, GS-15 step 8, GS-15 step 9, GS-15 step 10. They get less than the full 30.86%.
What is the locality pay in other areas?
- Alaska 32.36%
- Albany-Schenectady 20.77%
- Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas 18.33%
- Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs 23.79%
- 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%
- 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 Chicago-Naperville.
- 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 Chicago-Naperville
What is the locality pay for Chicago-Naperville in 2026?
30.86%, for the area OPM calls “Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI”. That ranks 11 of the 58 locality areas. It is added to the base table, so a GS-9 step 1 earns $68,999 here against $52,727 on the base table.
How much does a GS-12 make in Chicago-Naperville?
From $100,059 a year at step 1 to $130,080 at step 10 in 2026. Step 5 is $113,402.
What is GS-13 pay in Chicago-Naperville?
$118,984 at step 1, $134,850 at step 5 and $154,682 at step 10, a year.
What does a GS-7 earn in Chicago-Naperville?
$56,409 a year at step 1 ($2,169.58 every two weeks before tax) and $73,333 at step 10.
Is GS pay in Chicago-Naperville capped?
4 cells are held at the $197,200 cap: GS-15 step 7, GS-15 step 8, GS-15 step 9, GS-15 step 10. They get less than the full 30.86%.
Will GS pay in Chicago-Naperville 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.