United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
FS-9 Grade Salary
Foreign Service Class 9 — entry support staff.
2026 salary range
$35,843 – $51,104
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $35,843 | $2,987 | $17 |
| 3 | $36,918 | $3,077 | $18 |
| 4 | $38,026 | $3,169 | $18 |
| 5 | $39,167 | $3,264 | $19 |
| 6 | $40,342 | $3,362 | $19 |
| 7 | $41,552 | $3,463 | $20 |
| 8 | $42,798 | $3,567 | $21 |
| 9 | $44,082 | $3,674 | $21 |
| 10 | $45,405 | $3,784 | $22 |
| 11 | $46,767 | $3,897 | $22 |
| 12 | $48,170 | $4,014 | $23 |
| 13 | $49,615 | $4,135 | $24 |
| 14 | $51,104 | $4,259 | $25 |
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-9 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for FS-9, 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% | $48,008 | $68,449 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $49,445 | $70,498 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $52,453 | $74,786 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $48,915 | $69,742 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $46,904 | $66,875 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $41,958 | $59,822 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $43,288 | $61,718 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $42,413 | $60,471 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $44,370 | $63,262 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $43,137 | $61,504 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $42,381 | $60,425 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $42,814 | $61,044 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $47,521 | $67,754 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $43,875 | $62,556 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $42,162 | $60,114 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $43,703 | $62,311 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $43,811 | $62,464 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $43,782 | $62,424 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $43,065 | $61,401 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $42,893 | $61,156 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $43,521 | $62,050 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $46,782 | $66,701 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $46,280 | $65,985 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $45,614 | $65,035 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $42,298 | $60,308 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $42,628 | $60,778 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $42,169 | $60,124 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $47,341 | $67,498 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $42,807 | $61,034 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $43,696 | $62,301 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $48,388 | $68,990 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $42,349 | $60,379 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $42,642 | $60,798 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $43,582 | $62,137 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $42,857 | $61,105 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $44,685 | $63,711 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $43,879 | $62,562 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $45,743 | $65,219 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $42,377 | $60,420 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $42,270 | $60,267 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $46,234 | $65,919 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $43,381 | $61,851 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $45,209 | $64,457 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $43,890 | $62,577 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $43,814 | $62,470 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $43,829 | $62,490 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $42,123 | $60,057 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $42,252 | $60,241 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $46,510 | $66,313 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $47,929 | $68,336 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $47,159 | $67,238 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $43,022 | $61,340 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $42,176 | $60,134 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $42,574 | $60,701 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $42,754 | $60,957 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $42,581 | $60,712 |
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-9 make in the United States federal government?
A FS-9 in the United States federal civil service earns between $35,843 and $51,104 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-9 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.