United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
FS-6 Grade Salary
Foreign Service Class 6 — entry-level FSO.
2026 salary range
$50,169 – $71,529
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $50,169 | $4,181 | $24 |
| 3 | $51,674 | $4,306 | $25 |
| 4 | $53,225 | $4,435 | $26 |
| 5 | $54,821 | $4,568 | $26 |
| 6 | $56,466 | $4,706 | $27 |
| 7 | $58,160 | $4,847 | $28 |
| 8 | $59,905 | $4,992 | $29 |
| 9 | $61,702 | $5,142 | $30 |
| 10 | $63,553 | $5,296 | $31 |
| 11 | $65,459 | $5,455 | $31 |
| 12 | $67,423 | $5,619 | $32 |
| 13 | $69,446 | $5,787 | $33 |
| 14 | $71,529 | $5,961 | $34 |
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-6 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for FS-6, 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% | $67,196 | $95,806 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $69,208 | $98,674 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $73,417 | $104,676 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $68,466 | $97,616 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $65,651 | $93,603 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $58,728 | $83,732 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $60,589 | $86,386 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $59,365 | $84,640 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $62,104 | $88,546 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $60,378 | $86,085 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $59,320 | $84,576 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $59,927 | $85,441 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $66,514 | $94,833 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $61,412 | $87,559 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $59,014 | $84,140 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $61,171 | $87,215 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $61,322 | $87,430 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $61,281 | $87,373 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $60,278 | $85,942 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $60,037 | $85,599 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $60,915 | $86,851 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $65,481 | $93,360 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $64,778 | $92,358 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $63,845 | $91,028 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $59,204 | $84,411 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $59,666 | $85,069 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $59,024 | $84,154 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $66,263 | $94,476 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $59,917 | $85,427 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $61,161 | $87,201 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $67,728 | $96,564 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $59,275 | $84,512 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $59,686 | $85,098 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $61,000 | $86,972 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $59,987 | $85,527 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $62,546 | $89,175 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $61,417 | $87,566 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $64,026 | $91,285 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $59,315 | $84,569 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $59,164 | $84,354 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $64,713 | $92,265 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $60,720 | $86,572 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $63,278 | $90,220 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $61,432 | $87,587 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $61,327 | $87,437 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $61,347 | $87,466 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $58,959 | $84,061 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $59,139 | $84,318 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $65,099 | $92,816 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $67,086 | $95,649 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $66,007 | $94,111 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $60,218 | $85,856 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $59,034 | $84,168 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $59,591 | $84,962 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $59,842 | $85,320 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $59,601 | $84,976 |
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-6 make in the United States federal government?
A FS-6 in the United States federal civil service earns between $50,169 and $71,529 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-6 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.