2026 GS pay in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL locality pay area
In 2026, General Schedule employees in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL locality pay area receive a locality payment of 18.24% on top of base pay, the 48th highest of OPM's 58 areas. GS-12 step 1 is $90,410 a year here against $76,463 in the base table, and GS-15 step 10 is $194,270. The table incorporates the 1% General Schedule increase and is effective January 2026 (first pay period ).
Source: OPM, Salary Table 2026-BH (XML, SHA-256 072079897fc0…) and locality pay area definitions, fetched .
At a glance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| OPM table code | BH |
| Locality payment, 2026 | 18.24% (rank 48 of 58) |
| GS-5 step 1 | $41,146 a year, $19.72 an hour |
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 a year, $29.87 an hour |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 a year, $51.51 an hour |
| Cells at the statutory cap | none |
| States in the area | AL |
Annual rates, 2026
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $26,703 | $27,598 | $28,486 | $29,371 | $30,256 | $30,776 | $31,654 | $32,538 | $32,575 | $33,400 |
| GS-2 | $30,025 | $30,739 | $31,734 | $32,575 | $32,939 | $33,908 | $34,876 | $35,844 | $36,813 | $37,781 |
| GS-3 | $32,762 | $33,854 | $34,947 | $36,040 | $37,132 | $38,225 | $39,317 | $40,410 | $41,502 | $42,595 |
| GS-4 | $36,776 | $38,002 | $39,228 | $40,455 | $41,681 | $42,907 | $44,133 | $45,359 | $46,585 | $47,812 |
| GS-5 | $41,146 | $42,518 | $43,890 | $45,261 | $46,633 | $48,004 | $49,376 | $50,747 | $52,119 | $53,491 |
| GS-6 | $45,866 | $47,395 | $48,924 | $50,453 | $51,982 | $53,511 | $55,040 | $56,568 | $58,097 | $59,626 |
| GS-7 | $50,969 | $52,668 | $54,367 | $56,066 | $57,765 | $59,464 | $61,163 | $62,862 | $64,561 | $66,261 |
| GS-8 | $56,445 | $58,327 | $60,208 | $62,089 | $63,970 | $65,851 | $67,733 | $69,614 | $71,495 | $73,376 |
| GS-9 | $62,344 | $64,423 | $66,502 | $68,580 | $70,659 | $72,738 | $74,816 | $76,895 | $78,974 | $81,052 |
| GS-10 | $68,655 | $70,943 | $73,231 | $75,519 | $77,807 | $80,095 | $82,383 | $84,670 | $86,958 | $89,246 |
| GS-11 | $75,431 | $77,946 | $80,461 | $82,976 | $85,491 | $88,006 | $90,521 | $93,036 | $95,551 | $98,066 |
| GS-12 | $90,410 | $93,424 | $96,438 | $99,452 | $102,466 | $105,480 | $108,493 | $111,507 | $114,521 | $117,535 |
| GS-13 | $107,510 | $111,094 | $114,677 | $118,261 | $121,845 | $125,429 | $129,013 | $132,597 | $136,181 | $139,764 |
| GS-14 | $127,044 | $131,280 | $135,515 | $139,750 | $143,986 | $148,221 | $152,456 | $156,692 | $160,927 | $165,162 |
| GS-15 | $149,436 | $154,418 | $159,399 | $164,381 | $169,362 | $174,344 | $179,325 | $184,307 | $189,288 | $194,270 |
Hourly rates, 2026
Hourly basic rates as OPM publishes them (annual rate divided by 2,087, rounded to the cent).
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $12.79 | $13.22 | $13.65 | $14.07 | $14.50 | $14.75 | $15.17 | $15.59 | $15.61 | $16.00 |
| GS-2 | $14.39 | $14.73 | $15.21 | $15.61 | $15.78 | $16.25 | $16.71 | $17.17 | $17.64 | $18.10 |
| GS-3 | $15.70 | $16.22 | $16.75 | $17.27 | $17.79 | $18.32 | $18.84 | $19.36 | $19.89 | $20.41 |
| GS-4 | $17.62 | $18.21 | $18.80 | $19.38 | $19.97 | $20.56 | $21.15 | $21.73 | $22.32 | $22.91 |
| GS-5 | $19.72 | $20.37 | $21.03 | $21.69 | $22.34 | $23.00 | $23.66 | $24.32 | $24.97 | $25.63 |
| GS-6 | $21.98 | $22.71 | $23.44 | $24.17 | $24.91 | $25.64 | $26.37 | $27.10 | $27.84 | $28.57 |
| GS-7 | $24.42 | $25.24 | $26.05 | $26.86 | $27.68 | $28.49 | $29.31 | $30.12 | $30.93 | $31.75 |
| GS-8 | $27.05 | $27.95 | $28.85 | $29.75 | $30.65 | $31.55 | $32.45 | $33.36 | $34.26 | $35.16 |
| GS-9 | $29.87 | $30.87 | $31.86 | $32.86 | $33.86 | $34.85 | $35.85 | $36.84 | $37.84 | $38.84 |
| GS-10 | $32.90 | $33.99 | $35.09 | $36.19 | $37.28 | $38.38 | $39.47 | $40.57 | $41.67 | $42.76 |
| GS-11 | $36.14 | $37.35 | $38.55 | $39.76 | $40.96 | $42.17 | $43.37 | $44.58 | $45.78 | $46.99 |
| GS-12 | $43.32 | $44.76 | $46.21 | $47.65 | $49.10 | $50.54 | $51.99 | $53.43 | $54.87 | $56.32 |
| GS-13 | $51.51 | $53.23 | $54.95 | $56.67 | $58.38 | $60.10 | $61.82 | $63.53 | $65.25 | $66.97 |
| GS-14 | $60.87 | $62.90 | $64.93 | $66.96 | $68.99 | $71.02 | $73.05 | $75.08 | $77.11 | $79.14 |
| GS-15 | $71.60 | $73.99 | $76.38 | $78.76 | $81.15 | $83.54 | $85.92 | $88.31 | $90.70 | $93.09 |
Law enforcement officer (LEO) table, 2026
OPM's Salary Table 2026-BH (LEO) applies the same 18.24% locality payment to the special base rates for law enforcement officers at grades 3 to 10: GS-3 step 1 is $39,317 for an LEO here against $32,762 on the GS table, and GS-10 step 1 is $70,943 against $68,655. Grades 1, 2 and 11 to 15 are the same figures as the GS table above. Source: OPM, BH (LEO).xml (37,006 bytes, SHA-256 3c7939612283…), fetched .
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $26,703 | $27,598 | $28,486 | $29,371 | $30,256 | $30,776 | $31,654 | $32,538 | $32,575 | $33,400 |
| GS-2 | $30,025 | $30,739 | $31,734 | $32,575 | $32,939 | $33,908 | $34,876 | $35,844 | $36,813 | $37,781 |
| GS-3 | $39,317 | $40,410 | $41,502 | $42,595 | $43,687 | $44,780 | $45,872 | $46,965 | $48,057 | $49,150 |
| GS-4 | $44,133 | $45,359 | $46,585 | $47,812 | $49,038 | $50,264 | $51,490 | $52,716 | $53,942 | $55,168 |
| GS-5 | $50,747 | $52,119 | $53,491 | $54,862 | $56,234 | $57,605 | $58,977 | $60,349 | $61,720 | $63,092 |
| GS-6 | $53,511 | $55,040 | $56,568 | $58,097 | $59,626 | $61,155 | $62,684 | $64,213 | $65,741 | $67,270 |
| GS-7 | $57,765 | $59,464 | $61,163 | $62,862 | $64,561 | $66,261 | $67,960 | $69,659 | $71,358 | $73,057 |
| GS-8 | $60,208 | $62,089 | $63,970 | $65,851 | $67,733 | $69,614 | $71,495 | $73,376 | $75,257 | $77,139 |
| GS-9 | $64,423 | $66,502 | $68,580 | $70,659 | $72,738 | $74,816 | $76,895 | $78,974 | $81,052 | $83,131 |
| GS-10 | $70,943 | $73,231 | $75,519 | $77,807 | $80,095 | $82,383 | $84,670 | $86,958 | $89,246 | $91,534 |
| GS-11 | $75,431 | $77,946 | $80,461 | $82,976 | $85,491 | $88,006 | $90,521 | $93,036 | $95,551 | $98,066 |
| GS-12 | $90,410 | $93,424 | $96,438 | $99,452 | $102,466 | $105,480 | $108,493 | $111,507 | $114,521 | $117,535 |
| GS-13 | $107,510 | $111,094 | $114,677 | $118,261 | $121,845 | $125,429 | $129,013 | $132,597 | $136,181 | $139,764 |
| GS-14 | $127,044 | $131,280 | $135,515 | $139,750 | $143,986 | $148,221 | $152,456 | $156,692 | $160,927 | $165,162 |
| GS-15 | $149,436 | $154,418 | $159,399 | $164,381 | $169,362 | $174,344 | $179,325 | $184,307 | $189,288 | $194,270 |
LEO hourly rates, 2026
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $12.79 | $13.22 | $13.65 | $14.07 | $14.50 | $14.75 | $15.17 | $15.59 | $15.61 | $16.00 |
| GS-2 | $14.39 | $14.73 | $15.21 | $15.61 | $15.78 | $16.25 | $16.71 | $17.17 | $17.64 | $18.10 |
| GS-3 | $18.84 | $19.36 | $19.89 | $20.41 | $20.93 | $21.46 | $21.98 | $22.50 | $23.03 | $23.55 |
| GS-4 | $21.15 | $21.73 | $22.32 | $22.91 | $23.50 | $24.08 | $24.67 | $25.26 | $25.85 | $26.43 |
| GS-5 | $24.32 | $24.97 | $25.63 | $26.29 | $26.94 | $27.60 | $28.26 | $28.92 | $29.57 | $30.23 |
| GS-6 | $25.64 | $26.37 | $27.10 | $27.84 | $28.57 | $29.30 | $30.04 | $30.77 | $31.50 | $32.23 |
| GS-7 | $27.68 | $28.49 | $29.31 | $30.12 | $30.93 | $31.75 | $32.56 | $33.38 | $34.19 | $35.01 |
| GS-8 | $28.85 | $29.75 | $30.65 | $31.55 | $32.45 | $33.36 | $34.26 | $35.16 | $36.06 | $36.96 |
| GS-9 | $30.87 | $31.86 | $32.86 | $33.86 | $34.85 | $35.85 | $36.84 | $37.84 | $38.84 | $39.83 |
| GS-10 | $33.99 | $35.09 | $36.19 | $37.28 | $38.38 | $39.47 | $40.57 | $41.67 | $42.76 | $43.86 |
| GS-11 | $36.14 | $37.35 | $38.55 | $39.76 | $40.96 | $42.17 | $43.37 | $44.58 | $45.78 | $46.99 |
| GS-12 | $43.32 | $44.76 | $46.21 | $47.65 | $49.10 | $50.54 | $51.99 | $53.43 | $54.87 | $56.32 |
| GS-13 | $51.51 | $53.23 | $54.95 | $56.67 | $58.38 | $60.10 | $61.82 | $63.53 | $65.25 | $66.97 |
| GS-14 | $60.87 | $62.90 | $64.93 | $66.96 | $68.99 | $71.02 | $73.05 | $75.08 | $77.11 | $79.14 |
| GS-15 | $71.60 | $73.99 | $76.38 | $78.76 | $81.15 | $83.54 | $85.92 | $88.31 | $90.70 | $93.09 |
What the area covers
OPM's definition lists 19 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.
Alabama
- Bibb County, AL (01007)
- Blount County, AL (01009)
- Calhoun County, AL (01015)
- Chilton County, AL (01021)
- Clay County, AL (01027)
- Coosa County, AL (01037)
- Cullman County, AL (01043)
- Etowah County, AL (01055)
- Greene County, AL (01063)
- Hale County, AL (01065)
- Jefferson County, AL (01073)
- Pickens County, AL (01107)
- St. Clair County, AL (01115)
- Shelby County, AL (01117)
- Talladega County, AL (01121)
- Tallapoosa County, AL (01123)
- Tuscaloosa County, AL (01125)
- Walker County, AL (01127)
- Winston County, AL (01133)
Wages outside government in the same places
- Alabama wage profile: what occupations pay statewide, from BLS OEWS.
- Birmingham, AL metro profile (the BLS metropolitan area that shares this area's first-named city; boundaries differ).
Related
- All 58 locality pay areas and the base table.
- GS pay by locality and step on FastCalc for a particular grade and step; this site computes nothing.
- How federal GS pay works.