2026 GS Pay: Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA
The Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA locality pay area adds 18.01% locality pay to the GS base table. Figures are from OPM's Salary Table 2026-DM, effective January 2026.
- Locality pay
- 18.01%
- Annual pay range
- $26,651 to $193,892
- GS-1 step 1 to GS-15 step 10
- Capped cells
- 0 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 | $26,651 | $27,545 | $28,431 | $29,314 | $30,198 | $30,716 | $31,592 | $32,475 | $32,512 | $33,335 |
| GS-2 | $29,966 | $30,679 | $31,673 | $32,512 | $32,875 | $33,842 | $34,808 | $35,775 | $36,741 | $37,708 |
| GS-3 | $32,698 | $33,789 | $34,879 | $35,969 | $37,060 | $38,150 | $39,241 | $40,331 | $41,422 | $42,512 |
| GS-4 | $36,705 | $37,928 | $39,152 | $40,376 | $41,600 | $42,823 | $44,047 | $45,271 | $46,495 | $47,719 |
| GS-5 | $41,066 | $42,435 | $43,804 | $45,173 | $46,542 | $47,911 | $49,280 | $50,649 | $52,018 | $53,387 |
| GS-6 | $45,777 | $47,303 | $48,829 | $50,355 | $51,881 | $53,407 | $54,932 | $56,458 | $57,984 | $59,510 |
| GS-7 | $50,869 | $52,565 | $54,261 | $55,957 | $57,653 | $59,348 | $61,044 | $62,740 | $64,436 | $66,132 |
| GS-8 | $56,336 | $58,213 | $60,091 | $61,968 | $63,846 | $65,723 | $67,601 | $69,478 | $71,356 | $73,233 |
| GS-9 | $62,223 | $64,298 | $66,372 | $68,447 | $70,522 | $72,596 | $74,671 | $76,745 | $78,820 | $80,895 |
| GS-10 | $68,521 | $70,805 | $73,088 | $75,372 | $77,655 | $79,939 | $82,222 | $84,506 | $86,789 | $89,073 |
| GS-11 | $75,284 | $77,795 | $80,305 | $82,815 | $85,325 | $87,835 | $90,345 | $92,855 | $95,365 | $97,875 |
| GS-12 | $90,234 | $93,242 | $96,250 | $99,258 | $102,266 | $105,274 | $108,282 | $111,291 | $114,299 | $117,307 |
| GS-13 | $107,301 | $110,877 | $114,454 | $118,031 | $121,608 | $125,185 | $128,762 | $132,339 | $135,916 | $139,493 |
| GS-14 | $126,797 | $131,024 | $135,251 | $139,478 | $143,705 | $147,933 | $152,160 | $156,387 | $160,614 | $164,841 |
| GS-15 | $149,146 | $154,118 | $159,089 | $164,061 | $169,033 | $174,005 | $178,976 | $183,948 | $188,920 | $193,892 |
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $12.77 | $13.20 | $13.62 | $14.05 | $14.47 | $14.72 | $15.14 | $15.56 | $15.58 | $15.97 |
| GS-2 | $14.36 | $14.70 | $15.18 | $15.58 | $15.75 | $16.22 | $16.68 | $17.14 | $17.60 | $18.07 |
| GS-3 | $15.67 | $16.19 | $16.71 | $17.23 | $17.76 | $18.28 | $18.80 | $19.32 | $19.85 | $20.37 |
| GS-4 | $17.59 | $18.17 | $18.76 | $19.35 | $19.93 | $20.52 | $21.11 | $21.69 | $22.28 | $22.86 |
| GS-5 | $19.68 | $20.33 | $20.99 | $21.64 | $22.30 | $22.96 | $23.61 | $24.27 | $24.92 | $25.58 |
| GS-6 | $21.93 | $22.67 | $23.40 | $24.13 | $24.86 | $25.59 | $26.32 | $27.05 | $27.78 | $28.51 |
| GS-7 | $24.37 | $25.19 | $26.00 | $26.81 | $27.62 | $28.44 | $29.25 | $30.06 | $30.87 | $31.69 |
| GS-8 | $26.99 | $27.89 | $28.79 | $29.69 | $30.59 | $31.49 | $32.39 | $33.29 | $34.19 | $35.09 |
| GS-9 | $29.81 | $30.81 | $31.80 | $32.80 | $33.79 | $34.78 | $35.78 | $36.77 | $37.77 | $38.76 |
| GS-10 | $32.83 | $33.93 | $35.02 | $36.11 | $37.21 | $38.30 | $39.40 | $40.49 | $41.59 | $42.68 |
| GS-11 | $36.07 | $37.28 | $38.48 | $39.68 | $40.88 | $42.09 | $43.29 | $44.49 | $45.69 | $46.90 |
| GS-12 | $43.24 | $44.68 | $46.12 | $47.56 | $49.00 | $50.44 | $51.88 | $53.33 | $54.77 | $56.21 |
| GS-13 | $51.41 | $53.13 | $54.84 | $56.56 | $58.27 | $59.98 | $61.70 | $63.41 | $65.13 | $66.84 |
| GS-14 | $60.76 | $62.78 | $64.81 | $66.83 | $68.86 | $70.88 | $72.91 | $74.93 | $76.96 | $78.98 |
| GS-15 | $71.46 | $73.85 | $76.23 | $78.61 | $80.99 | $83.38 | $85.76 | $88.14 | $90.52 | $92.90 |
Compare Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA with other locality pay areas
Where this locality pay area is
OPM's 2026 definitions list 17 places in this area, in IA. The legal definition is in 5 CFR 531.603.
| Place | State | FIPS code |
|---|---|---|
| Adair County, IA | IA | 19001 |
| Boone County, IA | IA | 19015 |
| Clarke County, IA | IA | 19039 |
| Dallas County, IA | IA | 19049 |
| Greene County, IA | IA | 19073 |
| Guthrie County, IA | IA | 19077 |
| Hamilton County, IA | IA | 19079 |
| Jasper County, IA | IA | 19099 |
| Lucas County, IA | IA | 19117 |
| Madison County, IA | IA | 19121 |
| Mahaska County, IA | IA | 19123 |
| Marion County, IA | IA | 19125 |
| Monroe County, IA | IA | 19135 |
| Polk County, IA | IA | 19153 |
| Poweshiek County, IA | IA | 19157 |
| Story County, IA | IA | 19169 |
| Warren County, IA | IA | 19181 |
Changes from 2025
Locality pay was 18.01% in 2025 and is 18.01% 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 | +$264+1.0% | +$273+1.0% | +$282+1.0% | +$291+1.0% | +$299+1.0% | +$305+1.0% | +$312+1.0% | +$321+1.0% | +$322+1.0% | +$328+1.0% |
| GS-2 | +$296+1.0% | +$303+1.0% | +$314+1.0% | +$322+1.0% | +$324+1.0% | +$334+1.0% | +$343+1.0% | +$353+1.0% | +$362+1.0% | +$372+1.0% |
| GS-3 | +$323+1.0% | +$336+1.0% | +$347+1.0% | +$358+1.0% | +$371+1.0% | +$382+1.0% | +$394+1.0% | +$406+1.0% | +$418+1.0% | +$430+1.0% |
| GS-4 | +$364+1.0% | +$375+1.0% | +$387+1.0% | +$399+1.0% | +$411+1.0% | +$422+1.0% | +$434+1.0% | +$446+1.0% | +$458+1.0% | +$470+1.0% |
| GS-5 | +$407+1.0% | +$421+1.0% | +$435+1.0% | +$450+1.0% | +$464+1.0% | +$478+1.0% | +$492+1.0% | +$507+1.0% | +$521+1.0% | +$535+1.0% |
| GS-6 | +$453+1.0% | +$468+1.0% | +$484+1.0% | +$499+1.0% | +$515+1.0% | +$530+1.0% | +$545+1.0% | +$560+1.0% | +$576+1.0% | +$591+1.0% |
| GS-7 | +$504+1.0% | +$520+1.0% | +$537+1.0% | +$554+1.0% | +$570+1.0% | +$586+1.0% | +$603+1.0% | +$620+1.0% | +$636+1.0% | +$653+1.0% |
| GS-8 | +$559+1.0% | +$576+1.0% | +$594+1.0% | +$611+1.0% | +$629+1.0% | +$646+1.0% | +$665+1.0% | +$682+1.0% | +$700+1.0% | +$717+1.0% |
| GS-9 | +$616+1.0% | +$638+1.0% | +$658+1.0% | +$680+1.0% | +$701+1.0% | +$722+1.0% | +$744+1.0% | +$764+1.0% | +$786+1.0% | +$808+1.0% |
| GS-10 | +$678+1.0% | +$701+1.0% | +$723+1.0% | +$746+1.0% | +$768+1.0% | +$791+1.0% | +$813+1.0% | +$836+1.0% | +$858+1.0% | +$881+1.0% |
| GS-11 | +$745+1.0% | +$772+1.0% | +$798+1.0% | +$824+1.0% | +$850+1.0% | +$876+1.0% | +$902+1.0% | +$928+1.0% | +$953+1.0% | +$979+1.0% |
| GS-12 | +$893+1.0% | +$923+1.0% | +$952+1.0% | +$982+1.0% | +$1,011+1.0% | +$1,040+1.0% | +$1,070+1.0% | +$1,100+1.0% | +$1,130+1.0% | +$1,159+1.0% |
| GS-13 | +$1,062+1.0% | +$1,097+1.0% | +$1,133+1.0% | +$1,168+1.0% | +$1,204+1.0% | +$1,239+1.0% | +$1,275+1.0% | +$1,310+1.0% | +$1,346+1.0% | +$1,381+1.0% |
| GS-14 | +$1,256+1.0% | +$1,298+1.0% | +$1,340+1.0% | +$1,383+1.0% | +$1,425+1.0% | +$1,468+1.0% | +$1,511+1.0% | +$1,553+1.0% | +$1,596+1.0% | +$1,638+1.0% |
| GS-15 | +$1,477+1.0% | +$1,526+1.0% | +$1,575+1.0% | +$1,625+1.0% | +$1,675+1.0% | +$1,725+1.0% | +$1,773+1.0% | +$1,823+1.0% | +$1,873+1.0% | +$1,923+1.0% |
Places in the area
The places in this area are the same as in 2025.
Data sources
- GS locality pay table, Salary Table 2026-DM, effective January 2026
- From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): 2026 General Schedule tables, DM.xml. Retrieved October 18, 2026.
- GS locality pay table, Salary Table 2025-DM, effective January 2025
- From the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM): 2025 General Schedule tables, DM.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.