The highest paying areas in the federal government with GS locality pay. A look at the 2025 general schedule pay scale map for federal employee salary information.
GS Locality Pay Areas for Federal Employee Salaries
Highest Paid GS Locality Pay Areas
The following chart shows which GS designated locations received the highest pay raise in 2024. The 5.2 percent increase was an average, considering the varying areas that receive locality pay. The across the board raise for 2024 was actually 4.7 percent.
Here are the top 10 US locations that received the biggest salary increases due to the high cost of living in the encompassing cities, along with an estimate for the upcoming annual pay raise for federal employees. Note the locality factors are subject to change and are calculated by comparing similar private sector jobs in the same area. The top locality for the past 2 years, Settle, WA, for example, received a 1.05% location-based bump in pay for 2023 but just 1.0% in 2024 despite the base pay increase being less in 2023.
The 2025 federal employee pay raise is most likely going to be 1.7 percent with 2.0 percent being the average after factoring in locality pay. The Washington, DC designated pay area did not make the top 10 for 2024, but is included because it contains the largest number of feds.
Top 10 GS Federal Pay Areas (+ Washington DC)
| General Schedule Designated Locality Area | 2024 Pay Raise | Percentage over Base Pay Raise (4.7%) |
2025 Pay Raise (1.7%) plus Estimated Locality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | 5.7% | +1.0% | 2.7% |
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | 5.62% | +0.92% | 2.62% |
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | 5.53% | +0.83% | 2.53% |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 5.52% | +0.82% | 2.52% |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | 5.46% | +0.76% | 2.46% |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | 5.44% | +0.74% | 2.44% |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | 5.44% | +0.74% | 2.44% |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | 5.4% | +0.70% | 2.4% |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | 5.4% | +0.70% | 2.4% |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | 5.37% | +0.67% | 2.37% |
| Washington, DC (Baltimore, MD) | 5.31% | +.0.61% | 2.31% |
Federal Locality Pay Map – Top 10 and Washington, DC
Here is the federal locality pay map displaying the top pay areas, showing the majority are on the Pacific coast or in the Northeast corner of the United States. And then there’s Colorado.
Knowledge is Confidence!
What Changes are Anticipated in the 2025 Federal Locality Pay Map?
The Federal Salary Council and the OPM regularly evaluate current economic data to recommend adjustments. Although it appears there won’t be any new locations to receive a pay area designation in 2025, the Federal Salary Council has recommended that 22 geographical areas be added to existing locality designations. These changes aim to enhance the fairness and competitiveness of federal salaries across different regions.
Thinking about retirement? Calculate Your FERS Pension now.
The GS Base Pay Scale and How it Affects Federal Employees
The General Schedule Pay Tables Structure and Other Pay Systems
The General Schedule (GS) pay scale is the predominant pay scale for federal employees, encompassing a wide range of pay grades and steps. Structured into 15 grades, each with 10 steps, GS employees can plan out their future base pay increase using the table. Which grades/steps are used for starting salaries is based on their job classification, experience, and tenure. There are some members of the federal workforce who receive their pay from a different pay schedule system such as the Federal Wage System, which has its own special rates of locality pay and different designated areas, but the two differing maps might be standardizing soon. Each system would maintain their distinctive rate of pay for varying occupations, but would use the same location areas for locality pay.
Check out the 2025 Estimate GS Pay Scale table HERE
The 2024 GS Pay Scale and the Impact on Federal Employee Salaries
The GS pay scale directly influences the salaries of federal employees by establishing the base pay and potential for pay increases through step advancements and grade promotions. Federal employees’ salaries are determined by their GS grade and step, with higher GS grades and steps corresponding to higher salaries. Additionally, the GS pay scale impacts federal employee salaries through locality pay adjustments, which provide additional compensation based on the cost of living in specific geographic areas. This ensures that federal employees working in high-cost metropolitan areas receive higher locality pay to offset living expenses.
Need a detailed snapshot of your federal benefits? We offer a 20+ page federal benefits report.
How Does Locality Pay Work in the Federal Government?
What is Locality Pay and Why is it Important?
Locality pay provides additional pay to federal employees based on their geographic location, ensuring that their compensation reflects local economic conditions. Locality pay helps the competitiveness of federal salaries, particularly in high-cost areas, and can assist the government attract and retain skilled employees. By adjusting pay rates according to locality, the federal government ensures that employees are fairly compensated for the economic challenges they face in their respective regions.
How are Locality Pay Areas Determined?
Locality pay areas on the federal locality pay map are determined based on geographic and economic factors, with the goal of accurately reflecting the cost of living in different regions. The Federal Salary Council, the President’s Pay Agent, and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) collaborate to evaluate and designate locality pay areas, considering factors such as population density, housing costs, and labor market conditions. These locality pay areas are then used to calculate locality pay rates, which vary across different regions. The designation of locality pay areas ensures that federal employees receive appropriate compensation that aligns with the economic realities of their location.
Keep in touch! Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Reach Out to Us!
If you have additional federal benefit questions, contact our team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) and Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultants (ChFEBC℠). At PlanWell, we are federal employee financial advisors with a focus on retirement planning. Learn more about our process designed for the career fed.
Preparing for federal retirement? Check out our scheduled federal retirement workshops. Sign up for our no-cost federal retirement webinars here! Make sure to plan ahead and reserve your seat for our FERS webinar, held every three weeks. Want to have PlanWell host a federal retirement seminar for your agency? Reach out, and we’ll collaborate with HR to arrange an on-site FERS seminar.
Want to fast-track your federal retirement plan? Skip the FERS webinar and start a one-on-one conversation with a ChFEBC today. You can schedule a one-on-one meeting here.
