United States · Federal pay 2026 · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad GS pay scale 2026
Locality pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad is 33.72% in 2026, so GS pay runs from $30,199 a year (GS-1 step 1) to $197,200 (GS-15 step 10). A GS-12 step 1 earns $102,246, $12,738 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.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad · GS-12 step 1
$102,246 a year
$8,520.50 a month · $3,932.54 every two weeks, before tax
$25,783 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 | $30,199 | $31,212 | $32,216 | $33,216 | $34,218 | $34,805 | $35,798 | $36,798 | $36,840 | $37,773 |
| GS-2 | $33,956 | $34,763 | $35,889 | $36,840 | $37,252 | $38,347 | $39,442 | $40,537 | $41,632 | $42,728 |
| GS-3 | $37,051 | $38,287 | $39,522 | $40,758 | $41,993 | $43,229 | $44,465 | $45,700 | $46,936 | $48,171 |
| GS-4 | $41,591 | $42,978 | $44,364 | $45,751 | $47,138 | $48,524 | $49,911 | $51,298 | $52,684 | $54,071 |
| GS-5 | $46,533 | $48,084 | $49,636 | $51,187 | $52,738 | $54,289 | $55,840 | $57,391 | $58,942 | $60,494 |
| GS-6 | $51,871 | $53,600 | $55,329 | $57,058 | $58,787 | $60,516 | $62,245 | $63,974 | $65,703 | $67,432 |
| GS-7 | $57,641 | $59,563 | $61,484 | $63,406 | $65,328 | $67,249 | $69,171 | $71,092 | $73,014 | $74,935 |
| GS-8 | $63,835 | $65,963 | $68,090 | $70,218 | $72,345 | $74,473 | $76,600 | $78,728 | $80,855 | $82,983 |
| GS-9 | $70,507 | $72,857 | $75,208 | $77,559 | $79,910 | $82,261 | $84,611 | $86,962 | $89,313 | $91,664 |
| GS-10 | $77,643 | $80,231 | $82,818 | $85,406 | $87,993 | $90,581 | $93,168 | $95,756 | $98,343 | $100,931 |
| GS-11 | $85,307 | $88,151 | $90,995 | $93,839 | $96,684 | $99,528 | $102,372 | $105,216 | $108,060 | $110,905 |
| GS-12 | $102,246 | $105,655 | $109,063 | $112,472 | $115,880 | $119,289 | $122,697 | $126,106 | $129,515 | $132,923 |
| GS-13 | $121,585 | $125,638 | $129,691 | $133,744 | $137,797 | $141,850 | $145,903 | $149,956 | $154,009 | $158,062 |
| GS-14 | $143,677 | $148,467 | $153,256 | $158,046 | $162,836 | $167,626 | $172,416 | $177,206 | $181,996 | $186,785 |
| GS-15 | $169,001 | $174,634 | $180,268 | $185,902 | $191,535 | $197,169 | $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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad GS pay compare?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has the 6th 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 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Base table | Rest of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-5 | $46,533 | $34,799 | $40,736 |
| GS-7 | $57,641 | $43,106 | $50,460 |
| GS-9 | $70,507 | $52,727 | $61,722 |
| GS-11 | $85,307 | $63,795 | $74,678 |
| GS-12 | $102,246 | $76,463 | $89,508 |
| GS-13 | $121,585 | $90,925 | $106,437 |
| GS-14 | $143,677 | $107,446 | $125,776 |
| GS-15 | $169,001 | $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 33.72%.
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%
- Richmond 22.28%
- Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls 17.88%
- Sacramento-Roseville 29.76%
- San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall 18.78%
- 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad.
- 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
What is the locality pay for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad in 2026?
33.72%, for the area OPM calls “San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA”. That ranks 6 of the 58 locality areas. It is added to the base table, so a GS-9 step 1 earns $70,507 here against $52,727 on the base table.
How much does a GS-12 make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
From $102,246 a year at step 1 to $132,923 at step 10 in 2026. Step 5 is $115,880.
What is GS-13 pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
$121,585 at step 1, $137,797 at step 5 and $158,062 at step 10, a year.
What does a GS-7 earn in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
$57,641 a year at step 1 ($2,216.96 every two weeks before tax) and $74,935 at step 10.
Is GS pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 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 33.72%.
Will GS pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 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.