Annual salary
$26,651
Federal pay · locality table
2026 GS pay scale for Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA
2026 General Schedule annual locality pay for Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA: GS grades 1 through 15 and steps 1 through 10, from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
- OPM's 2026 Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA table runs from $26,651 at grade GS-1, Step 1 to $193,892 at grade GS-15, Step 10.
- OPM lists a 18.01% locality payment for this area and labels the table effective January 2026.
- Coverage depends on the duty station and OPM's locality pay area definitions. Special rates and other pay rules can change the payable amount.
2026 GS locality pay: Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA
| Grade \ Step | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $26,651 | $27,545 | $28,431 | $29,314 | $30,198 | $30,716 | $31,592 | $32,475 | $32,512 | $33,335 |
| GS-2 | $29,966 | $30,679 | $31,673 | $32,512 | $32,875 | $33,842 | $34,808 | $35,775 | $36,741 | $37,708 |
| GS-3 | $32,698 | $33,789 | $34,879 | $35,969 | $37,060 | $38,150 | $39,241 | $40,331 | $41,422 | $42,512 |
| GS-4 | $36,705 | $37,928 | $39,152 | $40,376 | $41,600 | $42,823 | $44,047 | $45,271 | $46,495 | $47,719 |
| GS-5 | $41,066 | $42,435 | $43,804 | $45,173 | $46,542 | $47,911 | $49,280 | $50,649 | $52,018 | $53,387 |
| GS-6 | $45,777 | $47,303 | $48,829 | $50,355 | $51,881 | $53,407 | $54,932 | $56,458 | $57,984 | $59,510 |
| GS-7 | $50,869 | $52,565 | $54,261 | $55,957 | $57,653 | $59,348 | $61,044 | $62,740 | $64,436 | $66,132 |
| GS-8 | $56,336 | $58,213 | $60,091 | $61,968 | $63,846 | $65,723 | $67,601 | $69,478 | $71,356 | $73,233 |
| GS-9 | $62,223 | $64,298 | $66,372 | $68,447 | $70,522 | $72,596 | $74,671 | $76,745 | $78,820 | $80,895 |
| GS-10 | $68,521 | $70,805 | $73,088 | $75,372 | $77,655 | $79,939 | $82,222 | $84,506 | $86,789 | $89,073 |
| GS-11 | $75,284 | $77,795 | $80,305 | $82,815 | $85,325 | $87,835 | $90,345 | $92,855 | $95,365 | $97,875 |
| GS-12 | $90,234 | $93,242 | $96,250 | $99,258 | $102,266 | $105,274 | $108,282 | $111,291 | $114,299 | $117,307 |
| GS-13 | $107,301 | $110,877 | $114,454 | $118,031 | $121,608 | $125,185 | $128,762 | $132,339 | $135,916 | $139,493 |
| GS-14 | $126,797 | $131,024 | $135,251 | $139,478 | $143,705 | $147,933 | $152,160 | $156,387 | $160,614 | $164,841 |
| GS-15 | $149,146 | $154,118 | $159,089 | $164,061 | $169,033 | $174,005 | $178,976 | $183,948 | $188,920 | $193,892 |
highest celllowest cell15 grade rows x 10 step columnshover or tap a cell to trace its row and column
Find my cell
Per month (12)
$2,220.92
Next 5 steps in this step
| Grade | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| GS-2 | $29,966 | +$3,315 |
| GS-3 | $32,698 | +$6,047 |
| GS-4 | $36,705 | +$10,054 |
| GS-5 | $41,066 | +$14,415 |
| GS-6 | $45,777 | +$19,126 |
Worked example as rendered: Step 1, grade GS-1 = $26,651 a year, $2,220.92 a month spread over 12 months. Monthly and daily figures are arithmetic on the published annual cell, before any supplement, stipend or deduction.
This is the 2026 annual General Schedule rate for the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA locality pay area.
Locality pay areas are defined by OPM. Check OPM's locality pay area definitions to determine whether a duty station is covered.
Special rates and other pay rules can replace a lower locality rate; this table shows the annual locality rates OPM published.
Using a locality table
Choose a grade on the left and a step across the top to find OPM's annual locality rate. This is not a job offer or a calculation of total federal compensation.
Check the official locality-pay-area definitions to confirm coverage for a duty station. OPM may publish a special rate or apply another rule instead of a lower locality rate.
Questions people ask
Does this table apply everywhere in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA?
No. OPM defines locality pay areas by duty-station location. Use the official locality-pay-area definitions linked in the source stamp to check a specific duty station.
Does this include special salary rates?
No. This is OPM's published annual locality table. A special rate or another pay rule can replace a lower locality rate.
See all 2026 GS locality pay tables or the 2026 GS base-pay table.