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Law Enforcement (LEO) Payscale in California for 2026
The Law Enforcement (LEO) payscale is the federal government payscale used to determine the salaries of over 70% of federal civilian employees.
Like the General Schedule (GS) Payscale, under the LEO payscale an employee's base pay depends on two factors - the LEO 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 LEO payscale based on cost-of-living in different areas within the United States.
California has one or more Locality Pay Adjustment areas with special locality pay adjustment rates. This page lists the locality-adjusted yearly LEO pay scales for each area, with starting pay for a LEO-1 broken down by county in the interactive map.
The SAN JOSE-SAN FRANCISCO-OAKLAND, CA General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in San Francisco and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 46.34% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.
| LEO Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEO-3 | $48,661 | $50,013 | $51,365 | $52,718 | $54,070 | $55,422 | $56,774 | $58,126 | $59,478 | $60,831 |
| LEO-4 | $54,621 | $56,139 | $57,656 | $59,174 | $60,692 | $62,209 | $63,727 | $65,244 | $66,762 | $68,279 |
| LEO-5 | $62,808 | $64,505 | $66,203 | $67,900 | $69,598 | $71,295 | $72,993 | $74,690 | $76,388 | $78,086 |
| LEO-6 | $66,228 | $68,120 | $70,012 | $71,904 | $73,796 | $75,689 | $77,581 | $79,473 | $81,365 | $83,257 |
| LEO-7 | $71,493 | $73,596 | $75,699 | $77,802 | $79,905 | $82,007 | $84,110 | $86,213 | $88,316 | $90,419 |
| LEO-8 | $74,516 | $76,845 | $79,173 | $81,501 | $83,829 | $86,158 | $88,486 | $90,814 | $93,142 | $95,471 |
| LEO-9 | $79,733 | $82,306 | $84,879 | $87,451 | $90,024 | $92,597 | $95,169 | $97,742 | $100,315 | $102,887 |
| LEO-10 | $87,803 | $90,634 | $93,466 | $96,298 | $99,129 | $101,961 | $104,793 | $107,624 | $110,456 | $113,288 |
The San Francisco locality pay rates also apply to federal workers in the following major cities: Alameda, Antioch, Berkeley, Concord, Daly City, Dublin, Fairfield, Fremont, Hayward, Modesto, Monterey, Oakland, Petaluma, Richmond, Salinas, San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Sunnyvale, Vallejo, Fort Hunter Liggett, and other areas within the region.
The LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH, CA General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 36.47% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.
| LEO Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEO-3 | $45,379 | $46,640 | $47,901 | $49,162 | $50,423 | $51,684 | $52,945 | $54,206 | $55,467 | $56,728 |
| LEO-4 | $50,937 | $52,353 | $53,768 | $55,183 | $56,598 | $58,013 | $59,429 | $60,844 | $62,259 | $63,674 |
| LEO-5 | $58,572 | $60,155 | $61,738 | $63,321 | $64,904 | $66,487 | $68,070 | $69,653 | $71,236 | $72,819 |
| LEO-6 | $61,761 | $63,525 | $65,290 | $67,055 | $68,819 | $70,584 | $72,348 | $74,113 | $75,877 | $77,642 |
| LEO-7 | $66,671 | $68,632 | $70,593 | $72,554 | $74,515 | $76,476 | $78,437 | $80,399 | $82,360 | $84,321 |
| LEO-8 | $69,491 | $71,662 | $73,833 | $76,004 | $78,175 | $80,347 | $82,518 | $84,689 | $86,860 | $89,032 |
| LEO-9 | $74,356 | $76,755 | $79,154 | $81,553 | $83,952 | $86,351 | $88,751 | $91,150 | $93,549 | $95,948 |
| LEO-10 | $81,881 | $84,521 | $87,162 | $89,803 | $92,443 | $95,084 | $97,725 | $100,365 | $103,006 | $105,647 |
The Los Angeles locality pay rates also apply to federal workers in the following major cities: Anaheim, Bakersfield, Barstow, Burbank, Corona, Costa Mesa, Downey, El Centro, El Monte, El Segundo, Fontana, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Glendale, Huntington Beach, Inglewood, Irvine, Lancaster, Lompoc, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Los Angeles, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Norwalk, Ontario, Orange, Oxnard, Palmdale, Pasadena, Pomona, Port Hueneme, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, Ridgecrest, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Buenaventura (Ventura), San Luis Obispo, Santa Ana, Santa Clarita, Santa Maria, Seal Beach, Simi Valley, Temecula, Thousand Oaks, Torrance, Twentynine Palms, Victorville, West Covina, Niland, Edwards, and other areas within the region.
The SAN DIEGO-CHULA VISTA-CARLSBAD, CA General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in San Diego and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 33.72% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.
| LEO Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEO-3 | $44,465 | $45,700 | $46,936 | $48,171 | $49,407 | $50,642 | $51,878 | $53,114 | $54,349 | $55,585 |
| LEO-4 | $49,911 | $51,298 | $52,684 | $54,071 | $55,458 | $56,844 | $58,231 | $59,618 | $61,004 | $62,391 |
| LEO-5 | $57,391 | $58,942 | $60,494 | $62,045 | $63,596 | $65,147 | $66,698 | $68,249 | $69,801 | $71,352 |
| LEO-6 | $60,516 | $62,245 | $63,974 | $65,703 | $67,432 | $69,161 | $70,890 | $72,619 | $74,348 | $76,077 |
| LEO-7 | $65,328 | $67,249 | $69,171 | $71,092 | $73,014 | $74,935 | $76,857 | $78,778 | $80,700 | $82,622 |
| LEO-8 | $68,090 | $70,218 | $72,345 | $74,473 | $76,600 | $78,728 | $80,855 | $82,983 | $85,110 | $87,238 |
| LEO-9 | $72,857 | $75,208 | $77,559 | $79,910 | $82,261 | $84,611 | $86,962 | $89,313 | $91,664 | $94,015 |
| LEO-10 | $80,231 | $82,818 | $85,406 | $87,993 | $90,581 | $93,168 | $95,756 | $98,343 | $100,931 | $103,518 |
The San Diego locality pay rates also apply to federal workers in the following major cities: Carlsbad, Chula Vista, Coronado, El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside, San Diego, and other areas within the region.
The SACRAMENTO-ROSEVILLE, CA-NV General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Sacramento and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 29.76% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.
| LEO Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEO-3 | $43,148 | $44,347 | $45,546 | $46,745 | $47,944 | $49,143 | $50,342 | $51,541 | $52,740 | $53,939 |
| LEO-4 | $48,433 | $49,779 | $51,124 | $52,470 | $53,815 | $55,161 | $56,507 | $57,852 | $59,198 | $60,543 |
| LEO-5 | $55,692 | $57,197 | $58,702 | $60,207 | $61,713 | $63,218 | $64,723 | $66,228 | $67,733 | $69,239 |
| LEO-6 | $58,724 | $60,402 | $62,080 | $63,758 | $65,435 | $67,113 | $68,791 | $70,469 | $72,147 | $73,824 |
| LEO-7 | $63,393 | $65,258 | $67,122 | $68,987 | $70,852 | $72,716 | $74,581 | $76,446 | $78,310 | $80,175 |
| LEO-8 | $66,074 | $68,138 | $70,203 | $72,267 | $74,332 | $76,396 | $78,461 | $80,525 | $82,590 | $84,654 |
| LEO-9 | $70,700 | $72,981 | $75,262 | $77,543 | $79,824 | $82,106 | $84,387 | $86,668 | $88,949 | $91,230 |
| LEO-10 | $77,855 | $80,366 | $82,876 | $85,387 | $87,898 | $90,409 | $92,920 | $95,431 | $97,942 | $100,452 |
The Sacramento locality pay rates also apply to federal workers in the following major cities: Elk Grove, Marysville, Roseville, Sacramento, McClellan, and other areas within the region.
The FRESNO-MADERA-HANFORD, CA General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Fresno and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 17.65% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.
| LEO Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEO-3 | $39,121 | $40,208 | $41,295 | $42,382 | $43,469 | $44,556 | $45,643 | $46,731 | $47,818 | $48,905 |
| LEO-4 | $43,913 | $45,133 | $46,353 | $47,573 | $48,793 | $50,013 | $51,233 | $52,453 | $53,673 | $54,893 |
| LEO-5 | $50,494 | $51,859 | $53,224 | $54,588 | $55,953 | $57,318 | $58,683 | $60,047 | $61,412 | $62,777 |
| LEO-6 | $53,244 | $54,765 | $56,286 | $57,807 | $59,329 | $60,850 | $62,371 | $63,892 | $65,413 | $66,935 |
| LEO-7 | $57,477 | $59,167 | $60,858 | $62,549 | $64,239 | $65,930 | $67,621 | $69,311 | $71,002 | $72,692 |
| LEO-8 | $59,907 | $61,779 | $63,651 | $65,523 | $67,395 | $69,266 | $71,138 | $73,010 | $74,882 | $76,754 |
| LEO-9 | $64,102 | $66,170 | $68,238 | $70,306 | $72,375 | $74,443 | $76,511 | $78,580 | $80,648 | $82,716 |
| LEO-10 | $70,589 | $72,865 | $75,142 | $77,418 | $79,695 | $81,971 | $84,248 | $86,525 | $88,801 | $91,078 |
The Fresno locality pay rates also apply to federal workers in the following major cities: Clovis, Fresno, Lemoore, San Joaquin, Visalia, and other areas within the region.
Any federal employees in California 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).
| LEO Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEO-3 | $38,925 | $40,006 | $41,088 | $42,170 | $43,251 | $44,333 | $45,415 | $46,496 | $47,578 | $48,660 |
| LEO-4 | $43,693 | $44,907 | $46,120 | $47,334 | $48,548 | $49,762 | $50,976 | $52,190 | $53,404 | $54,618 |
| LEO-5 | $50,241 | $51,599 | $52,957 | $54,315 | $55,673 | $57,030 | $58,388 | $59,746 | $61,104 | $62,462 |
| LEO-6 | $52,977 | $54,490 | $56,004 | $57,517 | $59,031 | $60,545 | $62,058 | $63,572 | $65,085 | $66,599 |
| LEO-7 | $57,188 | $58,871 | $60,553 | $62,235 | $63,917 | $65,599 | $67,281 | $68,964 | $70,646 | $72,328 |
| LEO-8 | $59,607 | $61,469 | $63,332 | $65,194 | $67,057 | $68,919 | $70,781 | $72,644 | $74,506 | $76,369 |
| LEO-9 | $63,780 | $65,838 | $67,896 | $69,954 | $72,012 | $74,070 | $76,128 | $78,186 | $80,243 | $82,301 |
| LEO-10 | $70,235 | $72,500 | $74,765 | $77,030 | $79,295 | $81,560 | $83,825 | $86,091 | $88,356 | $90,621 |
The Rest of U.S. locality pay rates also apply to federal workers in the following major cities: Bridgeport, Herlong, and other areas within the region.
* For some high-paygrade workers, pay under the GS scale may be capped at $197,200 the SES (Senior Executive Scale)'s Level 4 pay for the current year (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)).
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