United States · Federal pay 2026 · Seattle-Tacoma, WA
Seattle-Tacoma GS pay scale 2026
Locality pay in Seattle-Tacoma is 31.57% in 2026, so GS pay runs from $29,714 a year (GS-1 step 1) to $197,200 (GS-15 step 10). A GS-12 step 1 earns $100,602, $11,094 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.
Seattle-Tacoma · GS-12 step 1
$100,602 a year
$8,383.50 a month · $3,869.31 every two weeks, before tax
$24,139 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 | $29,714 | $30,710 | $31,698 | $32,682 | $33,667 | $34,245 | $35,223 | $36,207 | $36,248 | $37,166 |
| GS-2 | $33,410 | $34,204 | $35,312 | $36,248 | $36,653 | $37,730 | $38,808 | $39,885 | $40,963 | $42,041 |
| GS-3 | $36,455 | $37,671 | $38,887 | $40,103 | $41,318 | $42,534 | $43,750 | $44,965 | $46,181 | $47,397 |
| GS-4 | $40,922 | $42,287 | $43,651 | $45,015 | $46,380 | $47,744 | $49,109 | $50,473 | $51,837 | $53,202 |
| GS-5 | $45,785 | $47,311 | $48,837 | $50,364 | $51,890 | $53,416 | $54,942 | $56,469 | $57,995 | $59,521 |
| GS-6 | $51,037 | $52,739 | $54,440 | $56,141 | $57,842 | $59,543 | $61,245 | $62,946 | $64,647 | $66,348 |
| GS-7 | $56,715 | $58,605 | $60,496 | $62,387 | $64,277 | $66,168 | $68,059 | $69,949 | $71,840 | $73,731 |
| GS-8 | $62,809 | $64,902 | $66,995 | $69,089 | $71,182 | $73,275 | $75,369 | $77,462 | $79,555 | $81,648 |
| GS-9 | $69,373 | $71,686 | $73,999 | $76,312 | $78,625 | $80,938 | $83,251 | $85,564 | $87,877 | $90,190 |
| GS-10 | $76,395 | $78,941 | $81,487 | $84,032 | $86,578 | $89,124 | $91,670 | $94,216 | $96,762 | $99,308 |
| GS-11 | $83,935 | $86,734 | $89,532 | $92,331 | $95,129 | $97,928 | $100,726 | $103,525 | $106,323 | $109,122 |
| GS-12 | $100,602 | $103,956 | $107,310 | $110,664 | $114,017 | $117,371 | $120,725 | $124,078 | $127,432 | $130,786 |
| GS-13 | $119,630 | $123,618 | $127,606 | $131,594 | $135,582 | $139,569 | $143,557 | $147,545 | $151,533 | $155,521 |
| GS-14 | $141,367 | $146,080 | $150,792 | $155,505 | $160,218 | $164,931 | $169,644 | $174,357 | $179,069 | $183,782 |
| GS-15 | $166,283 | $171,826 | $177,370 | $182,913 | $188,456 | $193,999 | $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 Seattle-Tacoma GS pay compare?
Seattle-Tacoma has the 10th 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 | Seattle-Tacoma | Base table | Rest of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-5 | $45,785 | $34,799 | $40,736 |
| GS-7 | $56,715 | $43,106 | $50,460 |
| GS-9 | $69,373 | $52,727 | $61,722 |
| GS-11 | $83,935 | $63,795 | $74,678 |
| GS-12 | $100,602 | $76,463 | $89,508 |
| GS-13 | $119,630 | $90,925 | $106,437 |
| GS-14 | $141,367 | $107,446 | $125,776 |
| GS-15 | $166,283 | $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 31.57%.
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 Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 33.72%
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland 46.34%
- 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 Seattle-Tacoma.
- 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 Seattle-Tacoma
What is the locality pay for Seattle-Tacoma in 2026?
31.57%, for the area OPM calls “Seattle-Tacoma, WA”. That ranks 10 of the 58 locality areas. It is added to the base table, so a GS-9 step 1 earns $69,373 here against $52,727 on the base table.
How much does a GS-12 make in Seattle-Tacoma?
From $100,602 a year at step 1 to $130,786 at step 10 in 2026. Step 5 is $114,017.
What is GS-13 pay in Seattle-Tacoma?
$119,630 at step 1, $135,582 at step 5 and $155,521 at step 10, a year.
What does a GS-7 earn in Seattle-Tacoma?
$56,715 a year at step 1 ($2,181.35 every two weeks before tax) and $73,731 at step 10.
Is GS pay in Seattle-Tacoma 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 31.57%.
Will GS pay in Seattle-Tacoma 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.