Federal Pay Systems 2026: GS, LEO GL, SES & More
Every major federal civilian pay system in one place — General Schedule, LEO special base rates, Senior Executive Service, Executive Schedule, Federal Wage System, and military pay. OPM-sourced 2026 tables and calculators.
Federal pay systems at a glance (2026)
Which schedule covers you — and where to find the right table or calculator.
| System | Who it covers | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| General Schedule (GS) | White-collar civilian employees, GS-1 through GS-15 | GS Pay Calculator → |
| LEO GL Schedule | Law enforcement officers, GL-3 through GL-10 (FEPCA § 403) | LEO Pay Tables → |
| Senior Executive Service (SES) | Career senior executives; no locality pay; $151,661–$228,000 range | SES Pay Scale → |
| Executive Schedule (ES) | Cabinet Secretaries and top political appointees, Levels I–V | SES / ES page → |
| Federal Wage System (FWS) | Trade, craft, and labor (blue-collar) employees; rates set by local surveys | OPM FWS tables (external) ↗ |
| Military Pay | Active-duty enlisted (E-1–E-9), warrant officers (W-1–W-5), officers (O-1–O-10) | Military Pay Hub → |
Sources: OPM Salary Tables 2026, effective January 11, 2026. View all OPM pay tables →
Pay tables and calculators
FedTools publishes full pay tables and interactive calculators for the most-used federal pay systems. Each hub includes year-over-year data, locality pay examples, and links to OPM's official sources.
Federal pay systems — frequently asked questions
What pay system covers most federal civilian employees?
The General Schedule (GS) covers the majority of white-collar federal civilian employees — approximately 1.5 million workers at grades GS-1 through GS-15, each with 10 within-grade steps. Total pay equals base pay multiplied by a locality factor that ranges from 17.06% (Rest of U.S.) to 46.34% (San Jose/San Francisco). GS pay tables are set annually by OPM and take effect in January.
What is the GL pay schedule and who does it cover?
The GL schedule (Law Enforcement Officer special base rates) applies to federal law enforcement officers at grades GL-3 through GL-10, authorized by Section 403 of FEPCA (Pub. L. 101-509). GL rates are higher than the equivalent GS base at the same grade — in 2026, GL-3 Step 1 is $33,252 versus GS-3 Step 1 at $27,708. Locality pay is then added on top of the GL base. Officers at GL-11 and above return to the standard GS table.
Does the Senior Executive Service receive locality pay?
No. SES members do not receive locality pay. Their pay is set within the SES pay band ($151,661–$209,600 for the standard cap; up to $228,000 for agencies with OPM-certified performance appraisal systems). The Executive Schedule (ES) levels I–V are fixed salaries ranging from $184,900 (Level V) to $253,100 (Level I), also without locality adjustments.
What is the Federal Wage System (FWS)?
The Federal Wage System covers trade, craft, and labor (blue-collar) federal employees — for example, maintenance workers, mechanics, and electricians at DoD installations. FWS rates are set by local wage surveys and vary by location. Unlike GS, FWS does not use a single national table; instead, OPM publishes wage schedules by wage area. FedTools does not currently have a dedicated FWS calculator, but OPM publishes wage schedules at opm.gov.
Data Accuracy Notice: Pay rates shown are from OPM official salary tables effective January 11, 2026. Rates are updated annually in January. Verify current rates at OPM Salaries & Wages. FedTools does not fabricate or estimate official government figures.