2026 GS pay in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA locality pay area

In 2026, General Schedule employees in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA locality pay area receive a locality payment of 20.77% on top of base pay, the 34th highest of OPM's 58 areas. GS-12 step 1 is $92,344 a year here against $76,463 in the base table, and GS-15 step 10 is $197,200, limited to Executive Schedule level IV. The table incorporates the 1% General Schedule increase and is effective January 2026 (first pay period ).

Source: OPM, Salary Table 2026-AL (XML, SHA-256 5f6954feabde…) and locality pay area definitions, fetched .

At a glance

Key facts for the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA locality pay area
ItemValue
OPM table codeAL
Locality payment, 202620.77% (rank 34 of 58)
GS-5 step 1$42,027 a year, $20.14 an hour
GS-9 step 1$63,678 a year, $30.51 an hour
GS-13 step 1$109,810 a year, $52.62 an hour
Cells at the statutory cap1 (GS-15; $197,200)
States in the areaNY, MA

Annual rates, 2026

2026 GS annual rates by grade and step, Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA
GradeStep 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5Step 6Step 7Step 8Step 9Step 10
GS-1$27,275$28,189$29,096$29,999$30,904$31,434$32,331$33,235$33,272$34,115
GS-2$30,667$31,397$32,413$33,272$33,644$34,633$35,622$36,611$37,601$38,590
GS-3$33,463$34,579$35,695$36,811$37,927$39,043$40,158$41,274$42,390$43,506
GS-4$37,563$38,815$40,068$41,320$42,573$43,825$45,077$46,330$47,582$48,835
GS-5$42,027$43,428$44,829$46,230$47,630$49,031$50,432$51,833$53,234$54,635
GS-6$46,848$48,409$49,971$51,533$53,094$54,656$56,217$57,779$59,340$60,902
GS-7$52,059$53,795$55,530$57,266$59,001$60,736$62,472$64,207$65,943$67,678
GS-8$57,653$59,575$61,496$63,418$65,339$67,260$69,182$71,103$73,025$74,946
GS-9$63,678$65,802$67,925$70,048$72,171$74,294$76,417$78,540$80,663$82,787
GS-10$70,124$72,461$74,798$77,135$79,471$81,808$84,145$86,482$88,819$91,156
GS-11$77,045$79,614$82,183$84,752$87,320$89,889$92,458$95,027$97,595$100,164
GS-12$92,344$95,423$98,501$101,580$104,658$107,737$110,815$113,893$116,972$120,050
GS-13$109,810$113,471$117,131$120,792$124,452$128,113$131,773$135,434$139,094$142,755
GS-14$129,763$134,089$138,414$142,740$147,066$151,392$155,718$160,044$164,370$168,696
GS-15$152,634$157,722$162,810$167,898$172,986$178,074$183,162$188,250$193,338$197,200*

OPM's note: * Rate limited to the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)).

Hourly rates, 2026

Hourly basic rates as OPM publishes them (annual rate divided by 2,087, rounded to the cent).

2026 GS hourly rates by grade and step, Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA
GradeStep 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5Step 6Step 7Step 8Step 9Step 10
GS-1$13.07$13.51$13.94$14.37$14.81$15.06$15.49$15.92$15.94$16.35
GS-2$14.69$15.04$15.53$15.94$16.12$16.59$17.07$17.54$18.02$18.49
GS-3$16.03$16.57$17.10$17.64$18.17$18.71$19.24$19.78$20.31$20.85
GS-4$18.00$18.60$19.20$19.80$20.40$21.00$21.60$22.20$22.80$23.40
GS-5$20.14$20.81$21.48$22.15$22.82$23.49$24.16$24.84$25.51$26.18
GS-6$22.45$23.20$23.94$24.69$25.44$26.19$26.94$27.69$28.43$29.18
GS-7$24.94$25.78$26.61$27.44$28.27$29.10$29.93$30.77$31.60$32.43
GS-8$27.62$28.55$29.47$30.39$31.31$32.23$33.15$34.07$34.99$35.91
GS-9$30.51$31.53$32.55$33.56$34.58$35.60$36.62$37.63$38.65$39.67
GS-10$33.60$34.72$35.84$36.96$38.08$39.20$40.32$41.44$42.56$43.68
GS-11$36.92$38.15$39.38$40.61$41.84$43.07$44.30$45.53$46.76$47.99
GS-12$44.25$45.72$47.20$48.67$50.15$51.62$53.10$54.57$56.05$57.52
GS-13$52.62$54.37$56.12$57.88$59.63$61.39$63.14$64.89$66.65$68.40
GS-14$62.18$64.25$66.32$68.39$70.47$72.54$74.61$76.69$78.76$80.83
GS-15$73.14$75.57$78.01$80.45$82.89$85.33$87.76$90.20$92.64$94.49*

OPM's note: * Rate limited to the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)).

Law enforcement officer (LEO) table, 2026

OPM's Salary Table 2026-AL (LEO) applies the same 20.77% locality payment to the special base rates for law enforcement officers at grades 3 to 10: GS-3 step 1 is $40,158 for an LEO here against $33,463 on the GS table, and GS-10 step 1 is $72,461 against $70,124. Grades 1, 2 and 11 to 15 are the same figures as the GS table above, including the 1 GS-15 cells OPM limits to Executive Schedule level IV. Source: OPM, AL (LEO).xml (37,086 bytes, SHA-256 cc455d6f0540…), fetched .

2026 LEO annual rates by grade and step, Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA
GradeStep 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5Step 6Step 7Step 8Step 9Step 10
GS-1$27,275$28,189$29,096$29,999$30,904$31,434$32,331$33,235$33,272$34,115
GS-2$30,667$31,397$32,413$33,272$33,644$34,633$35,622$36,611$37,601$38,590
GS-3$40,158$41,274$42,390$43,506$44,622$45,738$46,854$47,970$49,086$50,202
GS-4$45,077$46,330$47,582$48,835$50,087$51,339$52,592$53,844$55,096$56,349
GS-5$51,833$53,234$54,635$56,036$57,437$58,838$60,239$61,640$63,041$64,442
GS-6$54,656$56,217$57,779$59,340$60,902$62,463$64,025$65,587$67,148$68,710
GS-7$59,001$60,736$62,472$64,207$65,943$67,678$69,414$71,149$72,885$74,620
GS-8$61,496$63,418$65,339$67,260$69,182$71,103$73,025$74,946$76,868$78,789
GS-9$65,802$67,925$70,048$72,171$74,294$76,417$78,540$80,663$82,787$84,910
GS-10$72,461$74,798$77,135$79,471$81,808$84,145$86,482$88,819$91,156$93,493
GS-11$77,045$79,614$82,183$84,752$87,320$89,889$92,458$95,027$97,595$100,164
GS-12$92,344$95,423$98,501$101,580$104,658$107,737$110,815$113,893$116,972$120,050
GS-13$109,810$113,471$117,131$120,792$124,452$128,113$131,773$135,434$139,094$142,755
GS-14$129,763$134,089$138,414$142,740$147,066$151,392$155,718$160,044$164,370$168,696
GS-15$152,634$157,722$162,810$167,898$172,986$178,074$183,162$188,250$193,338$197,200*

OPM's note: * Rate limited to the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)). Note: Locality rates for “law enforcement officers” (LEOs) (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5541(3) and 5 CFR 550.103) are computed using special base rates for LEOs at grades 3 through 10, as authorized by section 403 of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990, as amended. The LEO annual locality rates at other grades match the rates for other (non-LEO) employees.

LEO hourly rates, 2026

2026 LEO hourly rates by grade and step, Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA
GradeStep 1Step 2Step 3Step 4Step 5Step 6Step 7Step 8Step 9Step 10
GS-1$13.07$13.51$13.94$14.37$14.81$15.06$15.49$15.92$15.94$16.35
GS-2$14.69$15.04$15.53$15.94$16.12$16.59$17.07$17.54$18.02$18.49
GS-3$19.24$19.78$20.31$20.85$21.38$21.92$22.45$22.99$23.52$24.05
GS-4$21.60$22.20$22.80$23.40$24.00$24.60$25.20$25.80$26.40$27.00
GS-5$24.84$25.51$26.18$26.85$27.52$28.19$28.86$29.54$30.21$30.88
GS-6$26.19$26.94$27.69$28.43$29.18$29.93$30.68$31.43$32.17$32.92
GS-7$28.27$29.10$29.93$30.77$31.60$32.43$33.26$34.09$34.92$35.75
GS-8$29.47$30.39$31.31$32.23$33.15$34.07$34.99$35.91$36.83$37.75
GS-9$31.53$32.55$33.56$34.58$35.60$36.62$37.63$38.65$39.67$40.69
GS-10$34.72$35.84$36.96$38.08$39.20$40.32$41.44$42.56$43.68$44.80
GS-11$36.92$38.15$39.38$40.61$41.84$43.07$44.30$45.53$46.76$47.99
GS-12$44.25$45.72$47.20$48.67$50.15$51.62$53.10$54.57$56.05$57.52
GS-13$52.62$54.37$56.12$57.88$59.63$61.39$63.14$64.89$66.65$68.40
GS-14$62.18$64.25$66.32$68.39$70.47$72.54$74.61$76.69$78.76$80.83
GS-15$73.14$75.57$78.01$80.45$82.89$85.33$87.76$90.20$92.64$94.49*

OPM's note: * Rate limited to the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)). Note: Locality rates for “law enforcement officers” (LEOs) (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5541(3) and 5 CFR 550.103) are computed using special base rates for LEOs at grades 3 through 10, as authorized by section 403 of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990, as amended. The LEO annual locality rates at other grades match the rates for other (non-LEO) employees.

What the area covers

OPM's definition lists 13 entries for this area, by state, with the FIPS code OPM prints. The area is a combined statistical area plus the adjacent counties OPM's pay agent added; it is not the same boundary as a BLS metropolitan area.

New York

  • Albany County, NY (36001)
  • Columbia County, NY (36021)
  • Fulton County, NY (36035)
  • Greene County, NY (36039)
  • Hamilton County, NY (36041)
  • Montgomery County, NY (36057)
  • Rensselaer County, NY (36083)
  • Saratoga County, NY (36091)
  • Schenectady County, NY (36093)
  • Schoharie County, NY (36095)
  • Warren County, NY (36113)
  • Washington County, NY (36115)

Massachusetts

  • Berkshire County, MA (25003)

Wages outside government in the same places

Related