United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-W1 Grade Salary
Warrant Officer W-1 — entry-level warrant officer (technical specialist).
2026 salary range
$48,679 – $84,121
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $48,679 | $4,057 | $23 |
| 2 | $53,924 | $4,494 | $26 |
| 3 | $55,332 | $4,611 | $27 |
| 4 | $58,309 | $4,859 | $28 |
| 5 | $61,826 | $5,152 | $30 |
| 6 | $67,010 | $5,584 | $32 |
| 7 | $69,433 | $5,786 | $33 |
| 8 | $72,832 | $6,069 | $35 |
| 9 | $76,158 | $6,347 | $37 |
| 10 | $78,779 | $6,565 | $38 |
| 11 | $81,194 | $6,766 | $39 |
| 12 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 13 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 14 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 15 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 16 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 17 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 18 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 19 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 20 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 21 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
| 22 | $84,121 | $7,010 | $40 |
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 MIL-W1 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-W1, 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% | $65,201 | $112,672 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $67,153 | $116,045 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $71,237 | $123,103 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $66,432 | $114,800 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $63,701 | $110,081 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $56,984 | $98,472 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $58,790 | $101,593 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $57,602 | $99,540 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $60,260 | $104,133 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $58,585 | $101,240 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $57,558 | $99,465 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $58,147 | $100,483 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $64,539 | $111,528 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $59,588 | $102,973 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $57,261 | $98,952 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $59,354 | $102,569 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $59,500 | $102,821 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $59,461 | $102,754 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $58,488 | $101,071 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $58,254 | $100,668 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $59,106 | $102,140 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $63,536 | $109,795 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $62,854 | $108,617 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $61,949 | $107,052 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $57,446 | $99,271 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $57,894 | $100,045 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $57,271 | $98,968 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $64,295 | $111,107 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $58,137 | $100,466 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $59,345 | $102,552 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $65,717 | $113,563 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $57,514 | $99,389 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $57,913 | $100,079 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $59,189 | $102,283 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $58,205 | $100,583 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $60,688 | $104,874 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $59,593 | $102,981 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $62,124 | $107,355 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $57,553 | $99,456 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $57,407 | $99,204 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $62,791 | $108,508 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $58,916 | $101,812 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $61,399 | $106,102 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $59,607 | $103,006 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $59,505 | $102,830 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $59,525 | $102,863 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $57,208 | $98,859 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $57,383 | $99,162 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $63,166 | $109,155 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $65,094 | $112,487 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $64,047 | $110,678 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $58,429 | $100,970 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $57,281 | $98,985 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $57,821 | $99,919 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $58,064 | $100,340 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $57,831 | $99,936 |
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 MIL-W1 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-W1 in the United States federal civil service earns between $48,679 and $84,121 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the MIL-W1 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.