United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
AAJ-AA-1 Grade Salary
Administrative Appeals Judge AA-1 — lowest rate (entry AAJ).
2026 salary range
$131,700 – $131,700
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $131,700 | $10,975 | $63 |
Hourly computed assuming 2,080 annual working hours. Actual hourly rates on official tables may differ slightly.
Locality pay — total after geographic adjustment
Most US federal employees receive locality pay on top of the AAJ-AA-1 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for AAJ-AA-1, applied to base step 1 and step 10 respectively.
| Locality Area | Adjustment | Step 1 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCBWashington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | +33.94% | $176,399 | $176,399 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $181,680 | $181,680 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $192,730 | $192,730 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $179,731 | $179,731 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $172,343 | $172,343 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $154,168 | $154,168 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $159,054 | $159,054 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $155,841 | $155,841 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $163,031 | $163,031 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $158,501 | $158,501 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $155,722 | $155,722 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $157,316 | $157,316 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $174,608 | $174,608 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $161,214 | $161,214 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $154,919 | $154,919 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $160,582 | $160,582 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $160,977 | $160,977 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $160,872 | $160,872 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $158,238 | $158,238 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $157,605 | $157,605 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $159,910 | $159,910 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $171,895 | $171,895 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $170,051 | $170,051 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $167,601 | $167,601 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $155,419 | $155,419 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $156,631 | $156,631 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $154,945 | $154,945 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $173,949 | $173,949 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $157,289 | $157,289 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $160,555 | $160,555 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $177,795 | $177,795 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $155,604 | $155,604 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $156,683 | $156,683 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $160,134 | $160,134 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $157,474 | $157,474 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $164,190 | $164,190 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $161,227 | $161,227 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $168,076 | $168,076 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $155,709 | $155,709 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $155,314 | $155,314 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $169,880 | $169,880 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $159,397 | $159,397 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $166,113 | $166,113 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $161,267 | $161,267 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $160,990 | $160,990 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $161,043 | $161,043 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $154,774 | $154,774 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $155,248 | $155,248 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $170,894 | $170,894 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $176,109 | $176,109 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $173,278 | $173,278 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $158,080 | $158,080 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $154,971 | $154,971 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $156,433 | $156,433 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $157,092 | $157,092 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $156,460 | $156,460 |
Locality data sourced from U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Locality Pay XML tables. Last refreshed 2026-04-20. RUS ("Rest of U.S.") is the default for areas not otherwise listed. Law-enforcement, special-rate, and capped schedules not shown — see the OPM tables for specifics.
Frequently asked
How much does a AAJ-AA-1 make in the United States federal government?
A AAJ-AA-1 in the United States federal civil service earns between $131,700 and $131,700 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the AAJ-AA-1 grade the same in every agency?
The base pay scale is set centrally by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and applied uniformly across eligible federal employers, but agency-specific supplements, locality pay, and bargaining agreements can produce meaningful differences in take-home pay.
Where does this data come from?
Directly from U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/. Each page on FedSalary carries the retrieval date and a link back to the primary source.