United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
FS-4 Grade Salary
Foreign Service Class 4 — junior mid-career diplomat (typical FSO after tenure).
2026 salary range
$69,257 – $98,744
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $69,257 | $5,771 | $33 |
| 3 | $71,335 | $5,945 | $34 |
| 4 | $73,475 | $6,123 | $35 |
| 5 | $75,679 | $6,307 | $36 |
| 6 | $77,950 | $6,496 | $37 |
| 7 | $80,288 | $6,691 | $39 |
| 8 | $82,697 | $6,891 | $40 |
| 9 | $85,178 | $7,098 | $41 |
| 10 | $87,733 | $7,311 | $42 |
| 11 | $90,365 | $7,530 | $43 |
| 12 | $93,076 | $7,756 | $45 |
| 13 | $95,868 | $7,989 | $46 |
| 14 | $98,744 | $8,229 | $47 |
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 FS-4 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for FS-4, 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% | $92,763 | $132,258 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $95,540 | $136,217 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $101,351 | $144,502 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $94,515 | $134,756 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $90,630 | $129,216 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $81,072 | $115,590 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $83,642 | $119,253 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $81,952 | $116,844 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $85,733 | $122,235 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $83,351 | $118,838 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $81,889 | $116,755 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $82,727 | $117,950 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $91,821 | $130,915 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $84,777 | $120,873 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $81,467 | $116,153 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $84,445 | $120,399 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $84,653 | $120,695 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $84,597 | $120,616 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $83,212 | $118,641 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $82,880 | $118,167 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $84,092 | $119,895 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $90,394 | $128,881 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $89,425 | $127,498 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $88,136 | $125,662 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $81,730 | $116,528 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $82,367 | $117,436 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $81,481 | $116,172 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $91,475 | $130,421 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $82,714 | $117,930 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $84,431 | $120,379 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $93,497 | $133,304 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $81,827 | $116,666 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $82,395 | $117,476 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $84,210 | $120,063 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $82,811 | $118,068 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $86,343 | $123,104 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $84,784 | $120,882 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $88,386 | $126,017 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $81,883 | $116,745 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $81,675 | $116,449 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $89,335 | $127,370 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $83,822 | $119,510 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $87,354 | $124,546 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $84,805 | $120,912 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $84,660 | $120,705 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $84,687 | $120,744 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $81,391 | $116,044 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $81,640 | $116,399 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $89,868 | $128,130 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $92,610 | $132,040 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $91,121 | $129,917 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $83,129 | $118,522 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $81,495 | $116,192 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $82,263 | $117,288 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $82,610 | $117,782 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $82,277 | $117,308 |
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 FS-4 make in the United States federal government?
A FS-4 in the United States federal civil service earns between $69,257 and $98,744 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the FS-4 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.