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General Schedule (GS) Payscale in Illinois for 2026

Click any county to view locality pay tables

The General Schedule (GS) payscale is the federal government payscale used to determine the salaries of over 70% of federal civilian employees.

Under the GS payscale, an employee's base pay depends on two factors - the GS Paygrade of their job, and the Paygrade Step they have achieved (depending on seniority or performance). This base pay is then modified based on a "Locality Pay Adjustment", which adjusts the GS payscale based on cost-of-living in different areas within the United States.

Illinois has one or more Locality Pay Adjustment areas with special locality pay adjustment rates. This page lists the locality-adjusted yearly GS pay scales for each area, with starting pay for a GS-1 broken down by county in the interactive map. For a detailed calculation of your pay as a GS employee in Illinois, see our General Schedule Pay Calculator.

CHICAGO-NAPERVILLE, IL-IN-WI

The CHICAGO-NAPERVILLE, IL-IN-WI General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Chicago and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 30.86% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1$29,553$30,544$31,527$32,506$33,486$34,060$35,033$36,011$36,052$36,965
GS-2$33,229$34,020$35,122$36,052$36,455$37,527$38,598$39,670$40,742$41,814
GS-3$36,259$37,468$38,677$39,886$41,095$42,304$43,514$44,723$45,932$47,141
GS-4$40,701$42,058$43,415$44,772$46,129$47,486$48,843$50,201$51,558$52,915
GS-5$45,538$47,056$48,574$50,092$51,610$53,128$54,646$56,164$57,682$59,200
GS-6$50,762$52,454$54,146$55,838$57,530$59,222$60,914$62,606$64,298$65,990
GS-7$56,409$58,289$60,169$62,050$63,930$65,811$67,691$69,572$71,452$73,333
GS-8$62,470$64,552$66,634$68,716$70,798$72,880$74,962$77,044$79,126$81,208
GS-9$68,999$71,299$73,600$75,900$78,201$80,501$82,802$85,102$87,403$89,703
GS-10$75,983$78,515$81,047$83,579$86,111$88,643$91,175$93,708$96,240$98,772
GS-11$83,482$86,266$89,049$91,832$94,616$97,399$100,182$102,966$105,749$108,533
GS-12$100,059$103,395$106,731$110,066$113,402$116,738$120,073$123,409$126,744$130,080
GS-13$118,984$122,951$126,917$130,884$134,850$138,816$142,783$146,749$150,715$154,682
GS-14$140,604$145,291$149,979$154,666$159,353$164,041$168,728$173,416$178,103$182,790
GS-15$165,386$170,899$176,412$181,925$187,439$192,952$197,200*$197,200*$197,200*$197,200*

The Chicago locality pay rate also applies to Aurora, Chicago, Elgin, Joliet, Naperville, Rockford, Great Lakes, and other cities within the region.

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ST. LOUIS-ST. CHARLES-FARMINGTON, MO-IL

The ST. LOUIS-ST. CHARLES-FARMINGTON, MO-IL General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Saint Louis and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 20.03% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1$27,108$28,016$28,918$29,815$30,714$31,241$32,133$33,031$33,068$33,906
GS-2$30,479$31,204$32,215$33,068$33,438$34,421$35,404$36,387$37,370$38,353
GS-3$33,258$34,367$35,476$36,585$37,694$38,803$39,912$41,021$42,131$43,240
GS-4$37,333$38,578$39,822$41,067$42,312$43,556$44,801$46,046$47,291$48,535
GS-5$41,769$43,162$44,554$45,946$47,339$48,731$50,123$51,516$52,908$54,300
GS-6$46,561$48,113$49,665$51,217$52,769$54,321$55,873$57,425$58,977$60,529
GS-7$51,740$53,465$55,190$56,915$58,639$60,364$62,089$63,814$65,539$67,264
GS-8$57,300$59,210$61,119$63,029$64,939$66,848$68,758$70,668$72,577$74,487
GS-9$63,288$65,398$67,508$69,619$71,729$73,839$75,949$78,059$80,169$82,279
GS-10$69,694$72,017$74,339$76,662$78,985$81,307$83,630$85,952$88,275$90,597
GS-11$76,573$79,126$81,679$84,232$86,785$89,338$91,891$94,444$96,997$99,550
GS-12$91,779$94,838$97,898$100,957$104,017$107,076$110,136$113,195$116,255$119,315
GS-13$109,137$112,775$116,413$120,052$123,690$127,328$130,966$134,604$138,242$141,880
GS-14$128,967$133,267$137,566$141,866$146,165$150,465$154,764$159,064$163,363$167,663
GS-15$151,699$156,756$161,812$166,869$171,926$176,983$182,040$187,097$192,154$197,200*

The Saint Louis locality pay rate also applies to Belleville, Granite City, and other cities within the region.

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DAVENPORT-MOLINE, IA-IL

The DAVENPORT-MOLINE, IA-IL General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Davenport and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 18.93% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1$26,859$27,759$28,653$29,542$30,433$30,955$31,839$32,728$32,765$33,595
GS-2$30,200$30,918$31,920$32,765$33,132$34,106$35,080$36,054$37,028$38,002
GS-3$32,953$34,052$35,151$36,250$37,349$38,448$39,547$40,646$41,744$42,843
GS-4$36,991$38,224$39,457$40,691$41,924$43,157$44,391$45,624$46,857$48,091
GS-5$41,386$42,766$44,146$45,525$46,905$48,284$49,664$51,044$52,423$53,803
GS-6$46,134$47,672$49,210$50,747$52,285$53,823$55,361$56,898$58,436$59,974
GS-7$51,266$52,975$54,684$56,393$58,102$59,811$61,520$63,229$64,938$66,647
GS-8$56,775$58,667$60,559$62,451$64,344$66,236$68,128$70,020$71,912$73,804
GS-9$62,708$64,799$66,890$68,981$71,071$73,162$75,253$77,344$79,435$81,525
GS-10$69,056$71,357$73,658$75,959$78,261$80,562$82,863$85,165$87,466$89,767
GS-11$75,871$78,401$80,931$83,460$85,990$88,520$91,049$93,579$96,109$98,638
GS-12$90,937$93,969$97,000$100,032$103,064$106,095$109,127$112,158$115,190$118,221
GS-13$108,137$111,742$115,347$118,951$122,556$126,161$129,766$133,370$136,975$140,580
GS-14$127,786$132,046$136,306$140,566$144,826$149,086$153,346$157,606$161,866$166,126
GS-15$150,308$155,319$160,330$165,340$170,351$175,361$180,372$185,382$190,393$195,403

The Davenport locality pay rate also applies to Rock Island, and other cities within the region.

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Rest of Illinois

Any federal employees in Illinois who do not live in an area for which a specific Locality Pay Adjustment has been set will receive the generic "Rest of the United States" locality pay adjustment of 17.06% (shown in the table below).

GS Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10
GS-1$26,437$27,323$28,202$29,078$29,954$30,468$31,338$32,214$32,250$33,067
GS-2$29,725$30,432$31,418$32,250$32,611$33,569$34,528$35,487$36,445$37,404
GS-3$32,435$33,517$34,598$35,680$36,762$37,843$38,925$40,006$41,088$42,170
GS-4$36,409$37,623$38,837$40,051$41,265$42,479$43,693$44,907$46,120$47,334
GS-5$40,736$42,094$43,452$44,809$46,167$47,525$48,883$50,241$51,599$52,957
GS-6$45,409$46,922$48,436$49,950$51,463$52,977$54,490$56,004$57,517$59,031
GS-7$50,460$52,142$53,824$55,506$57,188$58,871$60,553$62,235$63,917$65,599
GS-8$55,882$57,745$59,607$61,469$63,332$65,194$67,057$68,919$70,781$72,644
GS-9$61,722$63,780$65,838$67,896$69,954$72,012$74,070$76,128$78,186$80,243
GS-10$67,970$70,235$72,500$74,765$77,030$79,295$81,560$83,825$86,091$88,356
GS-11$74,678$77,168$79,658$82,148$84,638$87,128$89,618$92,107$94,597$97,087
GS-12$89,508$92,491$95,475$98,459$101,443$104,427$107,411$110,395$113,378$116,362
GS-13$106,437$109,985$113,533$117,081$120,629$124,177$127,725$131,273$134,822$138,370
GS-14$125,776$129,969$134,162$138,356$142,549$146,742$150,935$155,128$159,321$163,514
GS-15$147,945$152,877$157,809$162,740$167,672$172,604$177,536$182,467$187,399$192,331

The Rest of U.S. locality pay rate also applies to Peoria, Springfield, and other cities within the region.

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* For some high-paygrade workers pay under the GS scale may be capped at $197,200, which is the SES (Senior Executive Scale)'s Level 4 pay for the current year (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)).


** This Document Provided By www.FederalPay.org - The Civil Employee's Resource **
Source: www.federalpay.org/gs/2026/illinois