United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
FS-8 Grade Salary
Foreign Service Class 8 — support staff.
2026 salary range
$40,094 – $57,164
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $40,094 | $3,341 | $19 |
| 3 | $41,297 | $3,441 | $20 |
| 4 | $42,535 | $3,545 | $20 |
| 5 | $43,812 | $3,651 | $21 |
| 6 | $45,126 | $3,761 | $22 |
| 7 | $46,480 | $3,873 | $22 |
| 8 | $47,874 | $3,990 | $23 |
| 9 | $49,310 | $4,109 | $24 |
| 10 | $50,790 | $4,233 | $24 |
| 11 | $52,313 | $4,359 | $25 |
| 12 | $53,883 | $4,490 | $26 |
| 13 | $55,499 | $4,625 | $27 |
| 14 | $57,164 | $4,764 | $27 |
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-8 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for FS-8, 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% | $53,702 | $76,565 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $55,310 | $78,858 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $58,674 | $83,654 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $54,716 | $78,012 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $52,467 | $74,805 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $46,934 | $66,916 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $48,422 | $69,037 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $47,443 | $67,642 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $49,632 | $70,763 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $48,253 | $68,797 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $47,407 | $67,591 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $47,892 | $68,282 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $53,157 | $75,788 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $49,079 | $69,974 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $47,163 | $67,242 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $48,887 | $69,700 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $49,007 | $69,872 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $48,975 | $69,826 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $48,173 | $68,683 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $47,980 | $68,408 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $48,682 | $69,409 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $52,331 | $74,610 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $51,769 | $73,810 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $51,024 | $72,747 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $47,315 | $67,459 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $47,684 | $67,985 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $47,171 | $67,253 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $52,956 | $75,502 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $47,884 | $68,271 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $48,879 | $69,689 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $54,127 | $77,171 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $47,371 | $67,539 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $47,700 | $68,008 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $48,750 | $69,506 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $47,940 | $68,351 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $49,985 | $71,266 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $49,083 | $69,980 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $51,168 | $72,953 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $47,403 | $67,585 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $47,283 | $67,414 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $51,717 | $73,736 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $48,526 | $69,186 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $50,571 | $72,101 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $49,095 | $69,997 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $49,011 | $69,877 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $49,027 | $69,900 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $47,118 | $67,179 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $47,263 | $67,385 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $52,026 | $74,176 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $53,614 | $76,440 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $52,752 | $75,211 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $48,125 | $68,614 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $47,179 | $67,265 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $47,624 | $67,899 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $47,824 | $68,185 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $47,632 | $67,911 |
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-8 make in the United States federal government?
A FS-8 in the United States federal civil service earns between $40,094 and $57,164 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-8 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.