What Federal Employees Make in 2026: $26K to $400K

Last Updated: May 31, 2026 Reading Time: 8 min

There is no such thing as "a federal salary." The same government pays a brand-new GS-1 clerk about $26,000 and a VHA chief of surgery up to $400,000. The number that lands on your W-2 comes down to three things: your grade, your step, and your zip code. Here's the full 2026 picture, built from OPM's own pay tables, so you can find exactly where you fall, and where everyone else does.

Key Takeaways

• The average federal civilian salary is about $106,382. About half of feds earn $50,000-$110,000, ~8% earn under $50,000, and ~3% clear $200,000.
• GS pay in 2026 runs from $26,432 (GS-1 Step 1, Rest of U.S.) to the $197,200 cap.
• In DC, a new GS-12 hits six figures on day one. In the Rest of U.S., that's around GS-12 Step 5.
• The highest-paid feds aren't GS at all: VHA physicians reach $400,000, certified SES $228,000, because they're exempt from the GS cap.
• The single most counterintuitive number: a GS-15 Step 10 in DC loses about $22,816 to the pay cap.

The Full 2026 GS Salary Range

This is what every General Schedule grade actually pays in 2026, from the lowest-cost locality (Rest of U.S., +17.06%) to DC (+33.94%) to the highest (San Jose-San Francisco, +46.34%). Built from OPM base rates, audited against the official 2026 tables.

Grade	Step 1 (RUS)	Step 1 (DC)	Step 1 (SF)	Step 10 (RUS)	Step 10 (DC)	Step 10 (SF)
GS-1	$26,432	$30,240	$33,044	$33,076	$37,833	$41,330
GS-2	$29,729	$34,014	$37,157	$37,407	$42,800	$46,765
GS-3	$32,437	$37,118	$40,554	$42,180	$48,262	$52,729
GS-4	$36,404	$41,664	$45,522	$47,342	$54,173	$59,200
GS-5	$40,737	$46,633	$50,955	$52,966	$60,611	$66,238
GS-6	$45,413	$51,966	$56,779	$59,031	$67,552	$73,831
GS-7	$50,461	$57,734	$63,103	$65,609	$75,078	$82,049
GS-8	$55,879	$63,960	$69,912	$72,679	$83,161	$90,896
GS-9	$61,703	$70,622	$77,186	$80,260	$91,882	$100,440
GS-10	$67,978	$77,800	$85,072	$88,346	$101,109	$110,524
GS-11	$74,695	$85,487	$93,458	$97,110	$111,170	$121,494
GS-12	$89,502	$102,390	$111,907	$116,329	$133,113	$145,484
GS-13	$106,396	$121,756	$133,072	$138,333	$158,311	$173,059
GS-14	$125,766	$143,908	$157,283	$163,495	$187,098	$197,200*
GS-15	$147,966	$169,289	$184,960	$192,274	$197,200*	$197,200*

*Capped at $197,200 (Executive Schedule Level IV). An uncapped GS-15 Step 10 in DC would be about $220,016.

When You Actually Hit Six Figures

"Six-figure fed" sounds like a senior title. It's really a function of where you live.

• DC metro: a new GS-12 earns $102,390 at Step 1, so you clear $100,000 your first day at grade.
• Rest of U.S.: GS-12 starts at $89,502, and you cross $100,000 around Step 5, roughly four to five years in.
• San Francisco / San Jose: the 46.34% locality pushes a GS-11 over $100,000 mid-grade.

Same grade, same job title, a $20,000-plus swing based purely on your duty station.

The Pay Cap Compression Zone

Here's the most counterintuitive number in federal pay. A GS-15 Step 10 in DC has a calculated salary of about $220,016. They don't get it. Federal law caps GS pay at Executive Schedule Level IV, which is $197,200 in 2026, so about $22,816 of their earned locality pay simply disappears.

It gets stranger when you line it up against the pay systems that aren't capped:

Category	2026 ceiling
GS-15 Step 10 (capped)	$197,200
SES (non-certified)	$209,600
SES (certified)	$228,000
Executive Schedule Level I	$253,100
VHA Physician (Title 38)	$400,000

The $197,200 cap only applies to GS employees. SES members, Title 38 physicians, and other special pay systems blow right past it. That's why the highest-paid people in any agency often aren't the ones with the highest GS grade.

The Highest-Paid Federal Jobs

If you want the actual top of the pay scale, it's not the GS table at all.

• VHA physicians and specialists (Title 38): $123,077 to $400,000, set by market pay, no GS cap.
• Senior Executive Service: $151,661 to $228,000 (certified), nationwide, no locality pay added.
• Federal law enforcement (FBI, etc.) with LEAP: a GS-13 Step 5 special agent in DC runs around $172,528 once the 25% availability pay is layered on.
• Senior attorneys: SEC enforcement attorneys average around $216,000; Assistant U.S. Attorneys range roughly $72,000 to $183,000.

What the Average Fed Actually Makes

Step back from the extremes and the distribution tells the real story. The average federal salary is $106,382, but averages hide the spread:

• About 8% earn under $50,000
• About half earn between $50,000 and $110,000
• About 3% earn over $200,000

It varies enormously by agency and state. The highest-paying agency by average is the Commodity Futures Trading Commission at about $235,910 (lots of attorneys and economists); the lowest is the Armed Forces Retirement Home at about $75,151. By state, Maryland leads at a roughly $137,624 median (NIH, NSA, federal HQ density), while Wyoming sits lowest near $75,956.

Find Where You Fall

Want your exact number, not a table estimate? Use the free GS Pay Calculator to plug in your grade, step, and locality and see your precise 2026 salary, including how each step increase adds up. For the full reference tables and the locality details, the GS Pay Guide 2026 has every grade and area.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average federal employee salary in 2026?

The average federal civilian salary is about $106,382, based on the most recent OPM workforce data. That number surprises a lot of people, but it reflects a workforce concentrated in higher GS grades. Roughly half of federal employees earn between $50,000 and $110,000, about 8% earn under $50,000, and about 3% earn over $200,000.

What is the highest-paid federal job?

VHA physicians under Title 38 can earn up to $400,000 with market pay, the highest in the regular federal workforce, because they are exempt from the GS cap. Below that, certified SES can reach $228,000, and Executive Schedule Level I is set at $253,100. Most GS employees top out at the $197,200 pay cap.

What grade do federal employees hit six figures?

It depends on locality. In the DC area a brand-new GS-12 clears $100,000 on day one ($102,390 at Step 1). In the Rest of U.S. locality you reach it around GS-12 Step 5 (about $101,493). In high-cost areas like San Francisco, a GS-11 can cross $100,000 mid-grade.

Why are GS-15 salaries capped?

Federal law caps General Schedule pay at Executive Schedule Level IV, which is $197,200 in 2026. A GS-15 Step 10 in DC would otherwise earn about $220,016, so roughly $22,816 of their locality pay is cut off by the cap. The cap only applies to GS employees, not to SES or Title 38 physicians.

Which agency pays the most on average?

By average salary, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission tops the list around $235,910, reflecting its concentration of attorneys and economists. The lowest average belongs to the Armed Forces Retirement Home, around $75,151. By state, Maryland has the highest federal median (about $137,624) and Wyoming the lowest (about $75,956).

Related Resources

• GS Pay Calculator: Your exact 2026 salary by grade, step, and locality.
• GS Pay Guide 2026: Full reference tables for all grades and 58 locality areas.
• GS Pay Cap Explained: How the $197,200 ceiling compresses high-grade pay.
• Executive Schedule Salaries 2026: What the top of government, the SES and EX levels, actually earns.

Sources: OPM Salaries & Wages 2026, Pew Research: what the data says about federal workers, VHA physician pay ranges (FR 2025-14052). GS salary matrix is FedTools 2026 analysis: OPM base rates times 2026 locality percentages, audited against the official tables.