The General Schedule (GS) pay scale is a system used by the U.S. federal government to determine the salaries of its civilian employees. The GS pay scale is divided into 15 grades, with each grade having 10 steps. The grade and step of an employee’s position determine their salary. Locality pay is a type of pay adjustment that is added to the base salary of federal employees who work in certain high-cost areas. The locality pay adjustment is based on the cost of living in the employee’s duty station.
The GS pay scale is important because it helps to ensure that federal employees are paid fairly and equitably. The locality pay adjustment is also important because it helps to ensure that federal employees who work in high-cost areas are able to maintain a reasonable standard of living.
