2026 GS pay in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA locality pay area
In 2026, General Schedule employees in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA locality pay area receive a locality payment of 18.01% on top of base pay, the 51th highest of OPM's 58 areas. GS-12 step 1 is $90,234 a year here against $76,463 in the base table, and GS-15 step 10 is $193,892. The table incorporates the 1% General Schedule increase and is effective January 2026 (first pay period ).
Source: OPM, Salary Table 2026-DM (XML, SHA-256 52bf9c235141…) and locality pay area definitions, fetched .
At a glance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| OPM table code | DM |
| Locality payment, 2026 | 18.01% (rank 51 of 58) |
| GS-5 step 1 | $41,066 a year, $19.68 an hour |
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 a year, $29.81 an hour |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 a year, $51.41 an hour |
| Cells at the statutory cap | none |
| States in the area | IA |
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 | $26,651 | $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 |
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 | $12.77 | $13.20 | $13.62 | $14.05 | $14.47 | $14.72 | $15.14 | $15.56 | $15.58 | $15.97 |
| GS-2 | $14.36 | $14.70 | $15.18 | $15.58 | $15.75 | $16.22 | $16.68 | $17.14 | $17.60 | $18.07 |
| GS-3 | $15.67 | $16.19 | $16.71 | $17.23 | $17.76 | $18.28 | $18.80 | $19.32 | $19.85 | $20.37 |
| GS-4 | $17.59 | $18.17 | $18.76 | $19.35 | $19.93 | $20.52 | $21.11 | $21.69 | $22.28 | $22.86 |
| GS-5 | $19.68 | $20.33 | $20.99 | $21.64 | $22.30 | $22.96 | $23.61 | $24.27 | $24.92 | $25.58 |
| GS-6 | $21.93 | $22.67 | $23.40 | $24.13 | $24.86 | $25.59 | $26.32 | $27.05 | $27.78 | $28.51 |
| GS-7 | $24.37 | $25.19 | $26.00 | $26.81 | $27.62 | $28.44 | $29.25 | $30.06 | $30.87 | $31.69 |
| GS-8 | $26.99 | $27.89 | $28.79 | $29.69 | $30.59 | $31.49 | $32.39 | $33.29 | $34.19 | $35.09 |
| GS-9 | $29.81 | $30.81 | $31.80 | $32.80 | $33.79 | $34.78 | $35.78 | $36.77 | $37.77 | $38.76 |
| GS-10 | $32.83 | $33.93 | $35.02 | $36.11 | $37.21 | $38.30 | $39.40 | $40.49 | $41.59 | $42.68 |
| GS-11 | $36.07 | $37.28 | $38.48 | $39.68 | $40.88 | $42.09 | $43.29 | $44.49 | $45.69 | $46.90 |
| GS-12 | $43.24 | $44.68 | $46.12 | $47.56 | $49.00 | $50.44 | $51.88 | $53.33 | $54.77 | $56.21 |
| GS-13 | $51.41 | $53.13 | $54.84 | $56.56 | $58.27 | $59.98 | $61.70 | $63.41 | $65.13 | $66.84 |
| GS-14 | $60.76 | $62.78 | $64.81 | $66.83 | $68.86 | $70.88 | $72.91 | $74.93 | $76.96 | $78.98 |
| GS-15 | $71.46 | $73.85 | $76.23 | $78.61 | $80.99 | $83.38 | $85.76 | $88.14 | $90.52 | $92.90 |
Law enforcement officer (LEO) table, 2026
OPM's Salary Table 2026-DM (LEO) applies the same 18.01% locality payment to the special base rates for law enforcement officers at grades 3 to 10: GS-3 step 1 is $39,241 for an LEO here against $32,698 on the GS table, and GS-10 step 1 is $70,805 against $68,521. Grades 1, 2 and 11 to 15 are the same figures as the GS table above. Source: OPM, DM (LEO).xml (37,014 bytes, SHA-256 58d295313395…), fetched .
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $26,651 | $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 | $39,241 | $40,331 | $41,422 | $42,512 | $43,602 | $44,693 | $45,783 | $46,874 | $47,964 | $49,054 |
| GS-4 | $44,047 | $45,271 | $46,495 | $47,719 | $48,942 | $50,166 | $51,390 | $52,614 | $53,837 | $55,061 |
| GS-5 | $50,649 | $52,018 | $53,387 | $54,755 | $56,124 | $57,493 | $58,862 | $60,231 | $61,600 | $62,969 |
| GS-6 | $53,407 | $54,932 | $56,458 | $57,984 | $59,510 | $61,036 | $62,562 | $64,088 | $65,614 | $67,139 |
| GS-7 | $57,653 | $59,348 | $61,044 | $62,740 | $64,436 | $66,132 | $67,827 | $69,523 | $71,219 | $72,915 |
| GS-8 | $60,091 | $61,968 | $63,846 | $65,723 | $67,601 | $69,478 | $71,356 | $73,233 | $75,111 | $76,989 |
| GS-9 | $64,298 | $66,372 | $68,447 | $70,522 | $72,596 | $74,671 | $76,745 | $78,820 | $80,895 | $82,969 |
| GS-10 | $70,805 | $73,088 | $75,372 | $77,655 | $79,939 | $82,222 | $84,506 | $86,789 | $89,073 | $91,356 |
| 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 |
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 | $12.77 | $13.20 | $13.62 | $14.05 | $14.47 | $14.72 | $15.14 | $15.56 | $15.58 | $15.97 |
| GS-2 | $14.36 | $14.70 | $15.18 | $15.58 | $15.75 | $16.22 | $16.68 | $17.14 | $17.60 | $18.07 |
| GS-3 | $18.80 | $19.32 | $19.85 | $20.37 | $20.89 | $21.41 | $21.94 | $22.46 | $22.98 | $23.50 |
| GS-4 | $21.11 | $21.69 | $22.28 | $22.86 | $23.45 | $24.04 | $24.62 | $25.21 | $25.80 | $26.38 |
| GS-5 | $24.27 | $24.92 | $25.58 | $26.24 | $26.89 | $27.55 | $28.20 | $28.86 | $29.52 | $30.17 |
| GS-6 | $25.59 | $26.32 | $27.05 | $27.78 | $28.51 | $29.25 | $29.98 | $30.71 | $31.44 | $32.17 |
| GS-7 | $27.62 | $28.44 | $29.25 | $30.06 | $30.87 | $31.69 | $32.50 | $33.31 | $34.13 | $34.94 |
| GS-8 | $28.79 | $29.69 | $30.59 | $31.49 | $32.39 | $33.29 | $34.19 | $35.09 | $35.99 | $36.89 |
| GS-9 | $30.81 | $31.80 | $32.80 | $33.79 | $34.78 | $35.78 | $36.77 | $37.77 | $38.76 | $39.76 |
| GS-10 | $33.93 | $35.02 | $36.11 | $37.21 | $38.30 | $39.40 | $40.49 | $41.59 | $42.68 | $43.77 |
| GS-11 | $36.07 | $37.28 | $38.48 | $39.68 | $40.88 | $42.09 | $43.29 | $44.49 | $45.69 | $46.90 |
| GS-12 | $43.24 | $44.68 | $46.12 | $47.56 | $49.00 | $50.44 | $51.88 | $53.33 | $54.77 | $56.21 |
| GS-13 | $51.41 | $53.13 | $54.84 | $56.56 | $58.27 | $59.98 | $61.70 | $63.41 | $65.13 | $66.84 |
| GS-14 | $60.76 | $62.78 | $64.81 | $66.83 | $68.86 | $70.88 | $72.91 | $74.93 | $76.96 | $78.98 |
| GS-15 | $71.46 | $73.85 | $76.23 | $78.61 | $80.99 | $83.38 | $85.76 | $88.14 | $90.52 | $92.90 |
What the area covers
OPM's definition lists 17 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.
Iowa
- Adair County, IA (19001)
- Boone County, IA (19015)
- Clarke County, IA (19039)
- Dallas County, IA (19049)
- Greene County, IA (19073)
- Guthrie County, IA (19077)
- Hamilton County, IA (19079)
- Jasper County, IA (19099)
- Lucas County, IA (19117)
- Madison County, IA (19121)
- Mahaska County, IA (19123)
- Marion County, IA (19125)
- Monroe County, IA (19135)
- Polk County, IA (19153)
- Poweshiek County, IA (19157)
- Story County, IA (19169)
- Warren County, IA (19181)
Wages outside government in the same places
- Iowa wage profile: what occupations pay statewide, from BLS OEWS.
- Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 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.