2026 GS Pay: Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA
The Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA locality pay area adds 33.94% locality pay to the GS base table. Figures are from OPM's Salary Table 2026-DCB, effective January 2026.
- Locality pay
- 33.94%
- Annual pay range
- $30,249 to $197,200
- GS-1 step 1 to GS-15 step 10
- Capped cells
- 5 of 150
Annual pay by grade and step
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $30,249 | $31,263 | $32,269 | $33,271 | $34,274 | $34,862 | $35,857 | $36,859 | $36,900 | $37,835 |
| GS-2 | $34,011 | $34,820 | $35,948 | $36,900 | $37,313 | $38,410 | $39,507 | $40,604 | $41,701 | $42,798 |
| GS-3 | $37,112 | $38,350 | $39,587 | $40,825 | $42,063 | $43,300 | $44,538 | $45,775 | $47,013 | $48,251 |
| GS-4 | $41,659 | $43,048 | $44,437 | $45,826 | $47,215 | $48,604 | $49,993 | $51,382 | $52,771 | $54,160 |
| GS-5 | $46,610 | $48,163 | $49,717 | $51,271 | $52,825 | $54,378 | $55,932 | $57,486 | $59,039 | $60,593 |
| GS-6 | $51,957 | $53,689 | $55,420 | $57,152 | $58,884 | $60,616 | $62,348 | $64,080 | $65,811 | $67,543 |
| GS-7 | $57,736 | $59,661 | $61,586 | $63,510 | $65,435 | $67,360 | $69,284 | $71,209 | $73,134 | $75,059 |
| GS-8 | $63,940 | $66,071 | $68,202 | $70,333 | $72,464 | $74,595 | $76,726 | $78,857 | $80,988 | $83,119 |
| GS-9 | $70,623 | $72,977 | $75,332 | $77,687 | $80,041 | $82,396 | $84,751 | $87,105 | $89,460 | $91,815 |
| GS-10 | $77,771 | $80,363 | $82,954 | $85,546 | $88,138 | $90,730 | $93,321 | $95,913 | $98,505 | $101,097 |
| GS-11 | $85,447 | $88,296 | $91,145 | $93,994 | $96,843 | $99,692 | $102,540 | $105,389 | $108,238 | $111,087 |
| GS-12 | $102,415 | $105,829 | $109,243 | $112,657 | $116,071 | $119,485 | $122,899 | $126,313 | $129,728 | $133,142 |
| GS-13 | $121,785 | $125,845 | $129,904 | $133,964 | $138,024 | $142,084 | $146,143 | $150,203 | $154,263 | $158,322 |
| GS-14 | $143,913 | $148,711 | $153,509 | $158,306 | $163,104 | $167,902 | $172,700 | $177,497 | $182,295 | $187,093 |
| GS-15 | $169,279 | $174,922 | $180,565 | $186,207 | $191,850 | $197,200Capped | $197,200Capped | $197,200Capped | $197,200Capped | $197,200Capped |
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $14.49 | $14.98 | $15.46 | $15.94 | $16.42 | $16.70 | $17.18 | $17.66 | $17.68 | $18.13 |
| GS-2 | $16.30 | $16.68 | $17.22 | $17.68 | $17.88 | $18.40 | $18.93 | $19.46 | $19.98 | $20.51 |
| GS-3 | $17.78 | $18.38 | $18.97 | $19.56 | $20.15 | $20.75 | $21.34 | $21.93 | $22.53 | $23.12 |
| GS-4 | $19.96 | $20.63 | $21.29 | $21.96 | $22.62 | $23.29 | $23.95 | $24.62 | $25.29 | $25.95 |
| GS-5 | $22.33 | $23.08 | $23.82 | $24.57 | $25.31 | $26.06 | $26.80 | $27.54 | $28.29 | $29.03 |
| GS-6 | $24.90 | $25.73 | $26.55 | $27.38 | $28.21 | $29.04 | $29.87 | $30.70 | $31.53 | $32.36 |
| GS-7 | $27.66 | $28.59 | $29.51 | $30.43 | $31.35 | $32.28 | $33.20 | $34.12 | $35.04 | $35.97 |
| GS-8 | $30.64 | $31.66 | $32.68 | $33.70 | $34.72 | $35.74 | $36.76 | $37.78 | $38.81 | $39.83 |
| GS-9 | $33.84 | $34.97 | $36.10 | $37.22 | $38.35 | $39.48 | $40.61 | $41.74 | $42.87 | $43.99 |
| GS-10 | $37.26 | $38.51 | $39.75 | $40.99 | $42.23 | $43.47 | $44.72 | $45.96 | $47.20 | $48.44 |
| GS-11 | $40.94 | $42.31 | $43.67 | $45.04 | $46.40 | $47.77 | $49.13 | $50.50 | $51.86 | $53.23 |
| GS-12 | $49.07 | $50.71 | $52.34 | $53.98 | $55.62 | $57.25 | $58.89 | $60.52 | $62.16 | $63.80 |
| GS-13 | $58.35 | $60.30 | $62.24 | $64.19 | $66.14 | $68.08 | $70.03 | $71.97 | $73.92 | $75.86 |
| GS-14 | $68.96 | $71.26 | $73.55 | $75.85 | $78.15 | $80.45 | $82.75 | $85.05 | $87.35 | $89.65 |
| GS-15 | $81.11 | $83.82 | $86.52 | $89.22 | $91.93 | $94.49Capped | $94.49Capped | $94.49Capped | $94.49Capped | $94.49Capped |
Compare Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA with other locality pay areas
Where this locality pay area is
OPM's 2026 definitions list 55 places in this area, in DC, MD, PA, VA, WV. The legal definition is in 5 CFR 531.603.
| Place | State | FIPS code |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia, DC | DC | 11001 |
| Allegany County, MD | MD | 24001 |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | MD | 24003 |
| Baltimore County, MD | MD | 24005 |
| Calvert County, MD | MD | 24009 |
| Caroline County, MD | MD | 24011 |
| Carroll County, MD | MD | 24013 |
| Charles County, MD | MD | 24017 |
| Dorchester County, MD | MD | 24019 |
| Frederick County, MD | MD | 24021 |
| Harford County, MD | MD | 24025 |
| Howard County, MD | MD | 24027 |
| Kent County, MD | MD | 24029 |
| Montgomery County, MD | MD | 24031 |
| Prince George's County, MD | MD | 24033 |
| Queen Anne's County, MD | MD | 24035 |
| St. Mary's County, MD | MD | 24037 |
| Talbot County, MD | MD | 24041 |
| Washington County, MD | MD | 24043 |
| Baltimore city, MD | MD | 24510 |
| Arlington County, VA | VA | 51013 |
| Caroline County, VA | VA | 51033 |
| Clarke County, VA | VA | 51043 |
| Culpeper County, VA | VA | 51047 |
| Fairfax County, VA | VA | 51059 |
| Fauquier County, VA | VA | 51061 |
| Frederick County, VA | VA | 51069 |
| King George County, VA | VA | 51099 |
| Loudoun County, VA | VA | 51107 |
| Madison County, VA | VA | 51113 |
| Orange County, VA | VA | 51137 |
| Prince William County, VA | VA | 51153 |
| Rappahannock County, VA | VA | 51157 |
| Shenandoah County, VA | VA | 51171 |
| Spotsylvania County, VA | VA | 51177 |
| Stafford County, VA | VA | 51179 |
| Warren County, VA | VA | 51187 |
| Westmoreland County, VA | VA | 51193 |
| Alexandria city, VA | VA | 51510 |
| Fairfax city, VA | VA | 51600 |
| Falls Church city, VA | VA | 51610 |
| Fredericksburg city, VA | VA | 51630 |
| Manassas city, VA | VA | 51683 |
| Manassas Park city, VA | VA | 51685 |
| Winchester city, VA | VA | 51840 |
| Berkeley County, WV | WV | 54003 |
| Hampshire County, WV | WV | 54027 |
| Hardy County, WV | WV | 54031 |
| Jefferson County, WV | WV | 54037 |
| Mineral County, WV | WV | 54057 |
| Morgan County, WV | WV | 54065 |
| Adams County, PA | PA | 42001 |
| Franklin County, PA | PA | 42055 |
| Fulton County, PA | PA | 42057 |
| York County, PA | PA | 42133 |
Changes from 2025
Locality pay was 33.94% in 2025 and is 33.94% in 2026 (0.00 points). The base table went up 1% for 2026.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | +$300+1.0% | +$309+1.0% | +$320+1.0% | +$330+1.0% | +$339+1.0% | +$346+1.0% | +$355+1.0% | +$364+1.0% | +$365+1.0% | +$372+1.0% |
| GS-2 | +$336+1.0% | +$344+1.0% | +$356+1.0% | +$365+1.0% | +$368+1.0% | +$379+1.0% | +$390+1.0% | +$401+1.0% | +$411+1.0% | +$422+1.0% |
| GS-3 | +$367+1.0% | +$381+1.0% | +$393+1.0% | +$407+1.0% | +$421+1.0% | +$434+1.0% | +$448+1.0% | +$460+1.0% | +$474+1.0% | +$488+1.0% |
| GS-4 | +$412+1.0% | +$426+1.0% | +$439+1.0% | +$452+1.0% | +$466+1.0% | +$479+1.0% | +$493+1.0% | +$506+1.0% | +$520+1.0% | +$533+1.0% |
| GS-5 | +$462+1.0% | +$478+1.0% | +$494+1.0% | +$510+1.0% | +$527+1.0% | +$542+1.0% | +$559+1.0% | +$575+1.0% | +$590+1.0% | +$607+1.0% |
| GS-6 | +$515+1.0% | +$532+1.0% | +$549+1.0% | +$566+1.0% | +$584+1.0% | +$602+1.0% | +$619+1.0% | +$637+1.0% | +$653+1.0% | +$671+1.0% |
| GS-7 | +$572+1.0% | +$591+1.0% | +$610+1.0% | +$628+1.0% | +$647+1.0% | +$666+1.0% | +$684+1.0% | +$703+1.0% | +$722+1.0% | +$741+1.0% |
| GS-8 | +$633+1.0% | +$653+1.0% | +$673+1.0% | +$694+1.0% | +$714+1.0% | +$734+1.0% | +$754+1.0% | +$774+1.0% | +$794+1.0% | +$814+1.0% |
| GS-9 | +$700+1.0% | +$723+1.0% | +$748+1.0% | +$772+1.0% | +$795+1.0% | +$820+1.0% | +$844+1.0% | +$868+1.0% | +$892+1.0% | +$917+1.0% |
| GS-10 | +$770+1.0% | +$796+1.0% | +$821+1.0% | +$846+1.0% | +$872+1.0% | +$898+1.0% | +$922+1.0% | +$948+1.0% | +$974+1.0% | +$1,000+1.0% |
| GS-11 | +$846+1.0% | +$876+1.0% | +$906+1.0% | +$935+1.0% | +$965+1.0% | +$994+1.0% | +$1,023+1.0% | +$1,052+1.0% | +$1,082+1.0% | +$1,112+1.0% |
| GS-12 | +$1,014+1.0% | +$1,048+1.0% | +$1,081+1.0% | +$1,114+1.0% | +$1,148+1.0% | +$1,181+1.0% | +$1,215+1.0% | +$1,248+1.0% | +$1,282+1.0% | +$1,316+1.0% |
| GS-13 | +$1,206+1.0% | +$1,246+1.0% | +$1,285+1.0% | +$1,326+1.0% | +$1,366+1.0% | +$1,407+1.0% | +$1,446+1.0% | +$1,487+1.0% | +$1,527+1.0% | +$1,567+1.0% |
| GS-14 | +$1,425+1.0% | +$1,473+1.0% | +$1,522+1.0% | +$1,569+1.0% | +$1,618+1.0% | +$1,666+1.0% | +$1,715+1.0% | +$1,762+1.0% | +$1,811+1.0% | +$1,859+1.0% |
| GS-15 | +$1,676+1.0% | +$1,732+1.0% | +$1,789+1.0% | +$1,844+1.0% | +$1,900+1.0% | +$2,000+1.0%, Cap change | +$2,000+1.0%, Cap change | +$2,000+1.0%, Cap change | +$2,000+1.0%, Cap change | +$2,000+1.0%, Cap change |
Places in the area
The places in this area are the same as in 2025.
Data sources
- GS locality pay table, Salary Table 2026-DCB, effective January 2026
- From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): 2026 General Schedule tables, DCB.xml. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
- Pay cap (level IV of the Executive Schedule), Salary Table No. 2026-EX, effective January 2026
- From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): EX.xml. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
- GS locality pay table, Salary Table 2025-DCB, effective January 2025
- From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): 2025 General Schedule tables, DCB.xml. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
- Pay cap (level IV of the Executive Schedule), Salary Table No. 2025-EX, effective January 2025
- From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): EX.xml. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
- Locality pay area definitions, 2026
- From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): 2026 locality pay area definitions. Retrieved October 18, 2026.