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2025 GS-5 Pay by Locality Pay Area

GS-5 base pay runs from $34,454 at step 1 to $44,786 at step 10 in OPM's 2025 tables, effective January 2025. Each locality pay area adds its locality pay to those amounts.

GS-5 annual pay in each locality pay area

GS-5 annual pay by step in 2025, from the highest locality pay to the lowest
Locality pay areaStep 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5Step 6Step 7Step 8Step 9Step 10
San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA46.34% locality pay$50,420$52,100$53,780$55,460$57,140$58,820$60,500$62,180$63,860$65,540
New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA37.95% locality pay$47,529$49,113$50,697$52,280$53,864$55,448$57,031$58,615$60,199$61,782
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA36.47% locality pay$47,019$48,586$50,153$51,719$53,286$54,853$56,419$57,986$59,553$61,119
Houston-The Woodlands, TX35.00% locality pay$46,513$48,063$49,613$51,162$52,712$54,262$55,812$57,362$58,911$60,461
Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA33.94% locality pay$46,148$47,685$49,223$50,761$52,298$53,836$55,373$56,911$58,449$59,986
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA33.72% locality pay$46,072$47,607$49,142$50,677$52,212$53,747$55,283$56,818$58,353$59,888
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT32.58% locality pay$45,679$47,201$48,723$50,245$51,767$53,289$54,811$56,333$57,855$59,377
State of Alaska32.36% locality pay$45,603$47,123$48,642$50,162$51,681$53,201$54,720$56,240$57,759$59,279
Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA32.08% locality pay$45,507$47,023$48,539$50,056$51,572$53,088$54,605$56,121$57,637$59,153
Seattle-Tacoma, WA31.57% locality pay$45,331$46,842$48,352$49,862$51,373$52,883$54,394$55,904$57,415$58,925
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI30.86% locality pay$45,087$46,589$48,091$49,593$51,096$52,598$54,100$55,602$57,105$58,607
Denver-Aurora, CO30.52% locality pay$44,969$46,468$47,966$49,464$50,963$52,461$53,960$55,458$56,956$58,455
Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV29.76% locality pay$44,708$46,197$47,687$49,176$50,666$52,156$53,645$55,135$56,625$58,114
Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI29.12% locality pay$44,487$45,969$47,452$48,934$50,416$51,898$53,381$54,863$56,345$57,828
Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD28.99% locality pay$44,442$45,923$47,404$48,885$50,365$51,846$53,327$54,808$56,289$57,769
Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI27.62% locality pay$43,970$45,435$46,900$48,365$49,831$51,296$52,761$54,226$55,691$57,156
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK27.26% locality pay$43,846$45,307$46,768$48,229$49,690$51,151$52,612$54,073$55,534$56,995
Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA26.13% locality pay$43,457$44,905$46,353$47,801$49,249$50,697$52,145$53,593$55,041$56,489
Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL24.67% locality pay$42,954$44,385$45,816$47,247$48,679$50,110$51,541$52,972$54,403$55,835
Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL23.79% locality pay$42,651$44,072$45,493$46,914$48,335$49,756$51,177$52,598$54,019$55,441
Phoenix-Mesa, AZ22.45% locality pay$42,189$43,595$45,000$46,406$47,812$49,218$50,623$52,029$53,435$54,840
Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI22.42% locality pay$42,179$43,584$44,989$46,395$47,800$49,205$50,611$52,016$53,422$54,827
Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY22.41% locality pay$42,175$43,580$44,986$46,391$47,796$49,201$50,607$52,012$53,417$54,823
Richmond, VA22.28% locality pay$42,130$43,534$44,938$46,342$47,745$49,149$50,553$51,957$53,361$54,764
Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC22.24% locality pay$42,117$43,520$44,923$46,327$47,730$49,133$50,536$51,940$53,343$54,746
Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA22.23% locality pay$42,113$43,516$44,920$46,323$47,726$49,129$50,532$51,936$53,339$54,742
State of Hawaii22.21% locality pay$42,106$43,509$44,912$46,315$47,718$49,121$50,524$51,927$53,330$54,733
Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH22.15% locality pay$42,086$43,488$44,890$46,292$47,695$49,097$50,499$51,902$53,304$54,706
Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN21.93% locality pay$42,010$43,410$44,809$46,209$47,609$49,009$50,408$51,808$53,208$54,608
Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN21.91% locality pay$42,003$43,402$44,802$46,201$47,601$49,001$50,400$51,800$53,199$54,599
Laredo, TX21.59% locality pay$41,893$43,288$44,684$46,080$47,476$48,872$50,268$51,664$53,059$54,455
Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH21.42% locality pay$41,834$43,228$44,622$46,016$47,410$48,804$50,197$51,591$52,985$54,379
Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV21.03% locality pay$41,700$43,089$44,479$45,868$47,257$48,647$50,036$51,426$52,815$54,204
Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA20.77% locality pay$41,610$42,997$44,383$45,769$47,156$48,542$49,929$51,315$52,702$54,088
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX20.35% locality pay$41,465$42,847$44,229$45,610$46,992$48,373$49,755$51,137$52,518$53,900
Colorado Springs, CO20.15% locality pay$41,396$42,776$44,155$45,534$46,914$48,293$49,672$51,052$52,431$53,810
St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL20.03% locality pay$41,355$42,733$44,111$45,489$46,867$48,245$49,623$51,001$52,379$53,757
Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC19.67% locality pay$41,231$42,605$43,979$45,353$46,726$48,100$49,474$50,848$52,222$53,595
Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ19.57% locality pay$41,197$42,569$43,942$45,315$46,687$48,060$49,433$50,805$52,178$53,551
Burlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT19.45% locality pay$41,155$42,527$43,898$45,269$46,640$48,012$49,383$50,754$52,126$53,497
Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA19.43% locality pay$41,148$42,519$43,891$45,262$46,633$48,004$49,375$50,746$52,117$53,488
Tucson-Nogales, AZ19.28% locality pay$41,097$42,466$43,835$45,205$46,574$47,943$49,313$50,682$52,051$53,421
Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS18.97% locality pay$40,990$42,356$43,721$45,087$46,453$47,819$49,185$50,550$51,916$53,282
Davenport-Moline, IA-IL18.93% locality pay$40,976$42,341$43,707$45,072$46,437$47,803$49,168$50,533$51,899$53,264
Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC18.80% locality pay$40,931$42,295$43,659$45,023$46,387$47,750$49,114$50,478$51,842$53,206
San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX18.78% locality pay$40,924$42,288$43,652$45,015$46,379$47,742$49,106$50,470$51,833$53,197
Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM18.33% locality pay$40,769$42,128$43,486$44,845$46,203$47,562$48,920$50,278$51,637$52,995
Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL18.24% locality pay$40,738$42,096$43,453$44,811$46,168$47,525$48,883$50,240$51,598$52,955
Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA18.23% locality pay$40,735$42,092$43,450$44,807$46,164$47,521$48,879$50,236$51,593$52,950
Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN18.15% locality pay$40,707$42,064$43,420$44,776$46,133$47,489$48,846$50,202$51,558$52,915
Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA18.01% locality pay$40,659$42,014$43,369$44,723$46,078$47,433$48,788$50,142$51,497$52,852
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL17.93% locality pay$40,632$41,985$43,339$44,693$46,047$47,401$48,755$50,108$51,462$52,816
Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY17.88% locality pay$40,614$41,968$43,321$44,674$46,027$47,381$48,734$50,087$51,440$52,794
Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID17.67% locality pay$40,542$41,893$43,244$44,595$45,945$47,296$48,647$49,998$51,349$52,700
Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA17.65% locality pay$40,535$41,886$43,236$44,587$45,938$47,288$48,639$49,989$51,340$52,691
Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX17.63% locality pay$40,528$41,879$43,229$44,579$45,930$47,280$48,631$49,981$51,331$52,682
Reno-Fernley, NV17.52% locality pay$40,490$41,839$43,189$44,538$45,887$47,236$48,585$49,934$51,283$52,633
Rest of U.S.17.06% locality pay$40,332$41,676$43,020$44,363$45,707$47,051$48,395$49,739$51,083$52,426
Base payBefore locality pay$34,454$35,602$36,750$37,898$39,046$40,194$41,342$42,490$43,638$44,786

Compare GS-5 pay between locality pay areas

Step increases in GS-5

The difference between steps can change from step to step, and it's larger in areas with higher locality pay. The table shows the base table's difference and the smallest and largest difference across the locality pay areas.

GS-5 step increases and standard waiting periods in 2025
StepWaiting periodBase payLocality pay areas
Step 1 to 252 weeks+$1,148+$1,344 to +$1,680
Step 2 to 352 weeks+$1,148+$1,344 to +$1,680
Step 3 to 452 weeks+$1,148+$1,343 to +$1,680
Step 4 to 5104 weeks+$1,148+$1,344 to +$1,680
Step 5 to 6104 weeks+$1,148+$1,344 to +$1,680
Step 6 to 7104 weeks+$1,148+$1,344 to +$1,680
Step 7 to 8156 weeks+$1,148+$1,344 to +$1,680
Step 8 to 9156 weeks+$1,148+$1,344 to +$1,680
Step 9 to 10156 weeks+$1,148+$1,343 to +$1,680

Data sources

GS locality pay tables, 58 tables, Salary Table 2025-AK through Salary Table 2025-VB, effective January 2025
From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): 2025 General Schedule tables. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
GS base pay table, Salary Table 2025-GS, effective January 2025
From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): 2025 General Schedule tables, GS.xml. Retrieved October 20, 2026.