Denver
GS pay, explained.
Look up your grade and step, compare another locality, and check which places the Denver-Aurora, CO pay area covers.
Where does Denver locality pay apply?
Denver-Aurora covers a defined group of Colorado counties. Alongside Denver and the surrounding metro counties, OPM lists Boulder, Larimer, Weld, Lincoln and Park counties.
The county examples here are a starting point, not the full boundary. Verify the exact duty station with OPM and your agency before relying on a rate.
Open the complete OPM coverage list ↗Compare Denver pay
Start with Denver, then change either scenario’s locality, grade or step. Figures include locality pay where applicable.
Difference: B minus A
- Annual rate
- +$2,295
- Hourly rate
- +$1.09
- 80-hour gross period
- +$87.20
3.33% higher in annual rate relative to scenario A.
The gross period is the published hourly rate × 80 hours. It assumes a regular full-time pay period before deductions, excludes premiums and overtime, and is not a take-home estimate. Rates are from the selected 2026 OPM tables; comparing steps does not establish eligibility for a step increase.
Denver versus Chicago
Holding grade and step constant helps isolate the effect of the pay table. It does not account for housing costs, taxes or deductions.
- Base GS, no locality
- $52,727
- Denver (DEN)
- $68,819
- Chicago (CHI)
- $68,999
Denver is $180 lower annually than Chicago at this grade and step. Its difference from base GS is $16,092.
Explore the Chicago table →Use the published rates.
For the Denver GS-9 step 1 example, $32.98 × 80 = $2,638.40 in regular gross biweekly pay. OPM’s rounded hourly rate is the starting point, rather than annual pay divided by 26.
We read annual and hourly values directly from the OPM workbook, preserving its rounding and any capped rates. The comparison excludes overtime, premiums, special salary rates and law enforcement officer schedules.
OPM’s hourly and biweekly calculation method ↗Denver annual GS pay table, 2026
Select your grade down the left and step across the top. These are annual gross rates for the Denver-Aurora, CO locality.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $29,477 | $30,465 | $31,445 | $32,421 | $33,399 | $33,972 | $34,942 | $35,918 | $35,958 | $36,869 |
| GS-2 | $33,143 | $33,931 | $35,030 | $35,958 | $36,360 | $37,429 | $38,498 | $39,567 | $40,636 | $41,705 |
| GS-3 | $36,164 | $37,370 | $38,576 | $39,782 | $40,989 | $42,195 | $43,401 | $44,607 | $45,813 | $47,019 |
| GS-4 | $40,596 | $41,949 | $43,303 | $44,656 | $46,010 | $47,363 | $48,717 | $50,070 | $51,424 | $52,777 |
| GS-5 | $45,420 | $46,934 | $48,448 | $49,962 | $51,476 | $52,990 | $54,504 | $56,018 | $57,532 | $59,046 |
| GS-6 | $50,630 | $52,318 | $54,005 | $55,693 | $57,381 | $59,068 | $60,756 | $62,443 | $64,131 | $65,819 |
| GS-7 | $56,262 | $58,138 | $60,013 | $61,889 | $63,764 | $65,640 | $67,515 | $69,391 | $71,267 | $73,142 |
| GS-8 | $62,308 | $64,384 | $66,461 | $68,537 | $70,614 | $72,691 | $74,767 | $76,844 | $78,920 | $80,997 |
| GS-9 | $68,819 | $71,114 | $73,408 | $75,703 | $77,997 | $80,292 | $82,587 | $84,881 | $87,176 | $89,470 |
| GS-10 | $75,785 | $78,311 | $80,836 | $83,362 | $85,887 | $88,413 | $90,939 | $93,464 | $95,990 | $98,515 |
| GS-11 | $83,265 | $86,041 | $88,818 | $91,594 | $94,370 | $97,146 | $99,922 | $102,698 | $105,475 | $108,251 |
| GS-12 | $99,800 | $103,126 | $106,453 | $109,780 | $113,107 | $116,434 | $119,761 | $123,088 | $126,415 | $129,742 |
| GS-13 | $118,675 | $122,631 | $126,587 | $130,543 | $134,500 | $138,456 | $142,412 | $146,368 | $150,324 | $154,280 |
| GS-14 | $140,239 | $144,914 | $149,589 | $154,264 | $158,939 | $163,615 | $168,290 | $172,965 | $177,640 | $182,316 |
| GS-15 | $164,956 | $170,455 | $175,954 | $181,453 | $186,952 | $192,450 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 | $197,200 |
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally to see all ten steps. To view published hourly rates, choose the grade and step in the calculator above.
Denver GS pay questions
Do Denver and Colorado Springs use the same GS locality table?
No. OPM publishes separate Denver-Aurora and Colorado Springs locality areas. Identify the duty station’s county before comparing the corresponding tables. Check the official definitions.
How much does a GS-9 step 1 earn in Denver in 2026?
The regular DEN table publishes $68,819 annually and $32.98 hourly. An 80-hour regular pay period is $2,638.40 gross. Different grades, steps or special rate schedules can produce different amounts.
Should I add locality pay to the amounts in this table?
No. The DEN rates already include locality pay. Adding a locality percentage again would overstate the result. The base GS table is available separately for comparison.
Is the locality difference the amount I would gain by moving?
It is a comparison of published gross rates at the selected grade and step. Your actual change can depend on the assigned duty station, applicable pay rules, deductions, benefits and a position’s grade and step. Ask your agency to confirm an offer or transfer calculation.
Sources and next steps
Pay data retrieved 2026-09-29 from OPM’s 2026 workbook. Coverage notes checked 2026-09-29. This page is a reference, not an agency pay determination.