United States · Federal pay 2026 · Richmond, VA
Richmond GS pay scale 2026
Locality pay in Richmond is 22.28% in 2026, so GS pay runs from $27,616 a year (GS-1 step 1) to $197,200 (GS-15 step 10). A GS-12 step 1 earns $93,499, $3,991 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.
Richmond · GS-12 step 1
$93,499 a year
$7,791.58 a month · $3,596.12 every two weeks, before tax
$17,036 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 | $27,616 | $28,541 | $29,460 | $30,374 | $31,290 | $31,827 | $32,736 | $33,650 | $33,688 | $34,542 |
| GS-2 | $31,051 | $31,789 | $32,819 | $33,688 | $34,065 | $35,066 | $36,068 | $37,069 | $38,071 | $39,072 |
| GS-3 | $33,881 | $35,011 | $36,141 | $37,271 | $38,401 | $39,531 | $40,661 | $41,790 | $42,920 | $44,050 |
| GS-4 | $38,033 | $39,301 | $40,569 | $41,837 | $43,105 | $44,373 | $45,641 | $46,909 | $48,177 | $49,445 |
| GS-5 | $42,552 | $43,971 | $45,389 | $46,808 | $48,226 | $49,644 | $51,063 | $52,481 | $53,900 | $55,318 |
| GS-6 | $47,434 | $49,015 | $50,596 | $52,177 | $53,758 | $55,339 | $56,920 | $58,501 | $60,082 | $61,663 |
| GS-7 | $52,710 | $54,467 | $56,224 | $57,982 | $59,739 | $61,496 | $63,253 | $65,010 | $66,767 | $68,524 |
| GS-8 | $58,374 | $60,320 | $62,265 | $64,210 | $66,156 | $68,101 | $70,047 | $71,992 | $73,938 | $75,883 |
| GS-9 | $64,475 | $66,624 | $68,774 | $70,924 | $73,073 | $75,223 | $77,373 | $79,522 | $81,672 | $83,822 |
| GS-10 | $71,001 | $73,367 | $75,733 | $78,099 | $80,465 | $82,831 | $85,197 | $87,563 | $89,930 | $92,296 |
| GS-11 | $78,009 | $80,609 | $83,210 | $85,811 | $88,412 | $91,013 | $93,614 | $96,215 | $98,816 | $101,417 |
| GS-12 | $93,499 | $96,616 | $99,733 | $102,850 | $105,967 | $109,084 | $112,200 | $115,317 | $118,434 | $121,551 |
| GS-13 | $111,183 | $114,889 | $118,596 | $122,302 | $126,008 | $129,715 | $133,421 | $137,127 | $140,834 | $144,540 |
| GS-14 | $131,385 | $135,765 | $140,145 | $144,525 | $148,905 | $153,285 | $157,665 | $162,045 | $166,426 | $170,806 |
| GS-15 | $154,542 | $159,694 | $164,846 | $169,997 | $175,149 | $180,301 | $185,452 | $190,604 | $195,756 | $197,200* |
* Held at the 2026 pay cap of $197,200 (level IV of the Executive Schedule).
How does Richmond GS pay compare?
Richmond has the 24th 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 | Richmond | Base table | Rest of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-5 | $42,552 | $34,799 | $40,736 |
| GS-7 | $52,710 | $43,106 | $50,460 |
| GS-9 | $64,475 | $52,727 | $61,722 |
| GS-11 | $78,009 | $63,795 | $74,678 |
| GS-12 | $93,499 | $76,463 | $89,508 |
| GS-13 | $111,183 | $90,925 | $106,437 |
| GS-14 | $131,385 | $107,446 | $125,776 |
| GS-15 | $154,542 | $126,384 | $147,945 |
1 cell is held at the $197,200 cap: GS-15 step 10. It gets less than the full 22.28%.
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%
- 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%
- 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 Richmond.
- 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 Richmond
What is the locality pay for Richmond in 2026?
22.28%, for the area OPM calls “Richmond, VA”. That ranks 24 of the 58 locality areas. It is added to the base table, so a GS-9 step 1 earns $64,475 here against $52,727 on the base table.
How much does a GS-12 make in Richmond?
From $93,499 a year at step 1 to $121,551 at step 10 in 2026. Step 5 is $105,967.
What is GS-13 pay in Richmond?
$111,183 at step 1, $126,008 at step 5 and $144,540 at step 10, a year.
What does a GS-7 earn in Richmond?
$52,710 a year at step 1 ($2,027.31 every two weeks before tax) and $68,524 at step 10.
Is GS pay in Richmond capped?
1 cell is held at the $197,200 cap: GS-15 step 10. It gets less than the full 22.28%.
Will GS pay in Richmond 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.