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Des Moines General Schedule Payscale
The Des Moines Locality Area is a General Schedule locality primarily located within Iowa. Federal employees who work within the Des Moines locality area receive a locality adjustment of 17.68%, which is applied to the base General Schedule payscale.
Locality adjustment rates are set yearly by the OPM to account for higher costs of living within Des Moines, as compared to the Rest of U.S. locality raise (which is applied to all Federal employees not located within any other locality).
The chart below is the 2024 General Schedule pay table, with Des Moines' 17.68% locality raise applied to the base pay rates. These are the yearly pay rates that are applicable to most salaried federal employees within this region, based on their GS Grade and Step.
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $25,873 | $26,742 | $27,601 | $28,459 | $29,316 | $29,819 | $30,671 | $31,529 | $31,563 | $32,364 |
| GS-2 | $29,093 | $29,785 | $30,749 | $31,563 | $31,920 | $32,859 | $33,798 | $34,737 | $35,676 | $36,615 |
| GS-3 | $31,744 | $32,802 | $33,860 | $34,918 | $35,976 | $37,034 | $38,092 | $39,150 | $40,208 | $41,266 |
| GS-4 | $35,634 | $36,821 | $38,008 | $39,196 | $40,383 | $41,570 | $42,758 | $43,945 | $45,133 | $46,320 |
| GS-5 | $39,868 | $41,196 | $42,525 | $43,853 | $45,182 | $46,511 | $47,839 | $49,168 | $50,496 | $51,825 |
| GS-6 | $44,442 | $45,923 | $47,405 | $48,887 | $50,368 | $51,850 | $53,331 | $54,813 | $56,295 | $57,776 |
| GS-7 | $49,386 | $51,032 | $52,678 | $54,325 | $55,971 | $57,617 | $59,264 | $60,910 | $62,556 | $64,203 |
| GS-8 | $54,692 | $56,515 | $58,338 | $60,160 | $61,983 | $63,806 | $65,629 | $67,452 | $69,275 | $71,098 |
| GS-9 | $60,407 | $62,421 | $64,435 | $66,448 | $68,462 | $70,475 | $72,489 | $74,502 | $76,516 | $78,529 |
| GS-10 | $66,522 | $68,739 | $70,956 | $73,173 | $75,391 | $77,608 | $79,825 | $82,042 | $84,259 | $86,476 |
| GS-11 | $73,088 | $75,523 | $77,959 | $80,395 | $82,831 | $85,267 | $87,703 | $90,139 | $92,575 | $95,011 |
| GS-12 | $87,602 | $90,522 | $93,441 | $96,361 | $99,281 | $102,200 | $105,120 | $108,040 | $110,959 | $113,879 |
| GS-13 | $104,170 | $107,643 | $111,116 | $114,589 | $118,061 | $121,534 | $125,007 | $128,479 | $131,952 | $135,425 |
| GS-14 | $123,098 | $127,201 | $131,305 | $135,408 | $139,512 | $143,615 | $147,719 | $151,822 | $155,926 | $160,030 |
| GS-15 | $144,795 | $149,621 | $154,447 | $159,273 | $164,099 | $168,925 | $173,751 | $178,577 | $183,403 | $188,229 |
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $24,596 | $25,422 | $26,238 | $27,054 | $27,870 | $28,348 | $29,157 | $29,972 | $30,005 | $30,774 |
| GS-2 | $27,657 | $28,315 | $29,231 | $30,005 | $30,344 | $31,236 | $32,129 | $33,021 | $33,914 | $34,806 |
| GS-3 | $30,177 | $31,184 | $32,190 | $33,196 | $34,202 | $35,208 | $36,214 | $37,220 | $38,227 | $39,233 |
| GS-4 | $33,875 | $35,004 | $36,133 | $37,263 | $38,392 | $39,521 | $40,650 | $41,779 | $42,908 | $44,037 |
| GS-5 | $37,900 | $39,164 | $40,427 | $41,691 | $42,955 | $44,219 | $45,483 | $46,747 | $48,010 | $49,274 |
| GS-6 | $42,249 | $43,657 | $45,065 | $46,472 | $47,880 | $49,288 | $50,696 | $52,104 | $53,512 | $54,920 |
| GS-7 | $46,948 | $48,513 | $50,078 | $51,643 | $53,207 | $54,772 | $56,337 | $57,902 | $59,467 | $61,032 |
| GS-8 | $51,993 | $53,726 | $55,460 | $57,193 | $58,927 | $60,660 | $62,394 | $64,128 | $65,861 | $67,595 |
| GS-9 | $57,426 | $59,340 | $61,254 | $63,168 | $65,082 | $66,996 | $68,910 | $70,824 | $72,738 | $74,652 |
| GS-10 | $63,238 | $65,347 | $67,455 | $69,564 | $71,672 | $73,780 | $75,889 | $77,997 | $80,105 | $82,214 |
| GS-11 | $69,480 | $71,796 | $74,112 | $76,427 | $78,743 | $81,059 | $83,374 | $85,690 | $88,006 | $90,321 |
| GS-12 | $83,278 | $86,054 | $88,830 | $91,606 | $94,382 | $97,158 | $99,934 | $102,710 | $105,486 | $108,262 |
| GS-13 | $99,029 | $102,329 | $105,630 | $108,931 | $112,232 | $115,532 | $118,833 | $122,134 | $125,435 | $128,735 |
| GS-14 | $117,022 | $120,923 | $124,823 | $128,724 | $132,624 | $136,524 | $140,425 | $144,325 | $148,226 | $152,126 |
| GS-15 | $137,649 | $142,237 | $146,825 | $151,413 | $156,001 | $160,589 | $165,177 | $169,765 | $174,353 | $178,941 |
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $23,504 | $24,293 | $25,074 | $25,852 | $26,633 | $27,090 | $27,863 | $28,642 | $28,673 | $29,403 |
| GS-2 | $26,429 | $27,058 | $27,933 | $28,673 | $28,997 | $29,850 | $30,703 | $31,556 | $32,409 | $33,262 |
| GS-3 | $28,838 | $29,799 | $30,760 | $31,721 | $32,683 | $33,644 | $34,605 | $35,567 | $36,528 | $37,489 |
| GS-4 | $32,372 | $33,451 | $34,530 | $35,609 | $36,687 | $37,766 | $38,845 | $39,924 | $41,003 | $42,082 |
| GS-5 | $36,218 | $37,425 | $38,632 | $39,839 | $41,047 | $42,254 | $43,461 | $44,668 | $45,875 | $47,082 |
| GS-6 | $40,373 | $41,719 | $43,065 | $44,410 | $45,756 | $47,102 | $48,448 | $49,794 | $51,139 | $52,485 |
| GS-7 | $44,864 | $46,359 | $47,854 | $49,349 | $50,844 | $52,338 | $53,833 | $55,328 | $56,823 | $58,318 |
| GS-8 | $49,685 | $51,341 | $52,997 | $54,653 | $56,308 | $57,964 | $59,620 | $61,276 | $62,931 | $64,587 |
| GS-9 | $54,877 | $56,707 | $58,536 | $60,366 | $62,195 | $64,024 | $65,854 | $67,683 | $69,512 | $71,342 |
| GS-10 | $60,432 | $62,447 | $64,461 | $66,476 | $68,490 | $70,505 | $72,520 | $74,534 | $76,549 | $78,564 |
| GS-11 | $66,397 | $68,609 | $70,822 | $73,035 | $75,247 | $77,460 | $79,673 | $81,886 | $84,098 | $86,311 |
| GS-12 | $79,582 | $82,235 | $84,888 | $87,541 | $90,195 | $92,848 | $95,501 | $98,154 | $100,807 | $103,460 |
| GS-13 | $94,633 | $97,787 | $100,941 | $104,095 | $107,250 | $110,404 | $113,558 | $116,712 | $119,866 | $123,021 |
| GS-14 | $111,828 | $115,555 | $119,283 | $123,010 | $126,738 | $130,465 | $134,193 | $137,920 | $141,648 | $145,375 |
| GS-15 | $131,539 | $135,924 | $140,309 | $144,693 | $149,078 | $153,463 | $157,847 | $162,232 | $166,617 | $171,001 |
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $22,886 | $23,654 | $24,414 | $25,172 | $25,932 | $26,377 | $27,130 | $27,888 | $27,918 | $28,628 |
| GS-2 | $25,734 | $26,346 | $27,198 | $27,918 | $28,233 | $29,063 | $29,893 | $30,723 | $31,553 | $32,384 |
| GS-3 | $28,078 | $29,014 | $29,950 | $30,886 | $31,821 | $32,757 | $33,693 | $34,628 | $35,564 | $36,500 |
| GS-4 | $31,520 | $32,570 | $33,621 | $34,671 | $35,722 | $36,772 | $37,823 | $38,873 | $39,924 | $40,974 |
| GS-5 | $35,265 | $36,441 | $37,616 | $38,792 | $39,968 | $41,144 | $42,319 | $43,495 | $44,671 | $45,847 |
| GS-6 | $39,311 | $40,621 | $41,931 | $43,241 | $44,551 | $45,862 | $47,172 | $48,482 | $49,792 | $51,103 |
| GS-7 | $43,683 | $45,139 | $46,596 | $48,052 | $49,508 | $50,965 | $52,421 | $53,877 | $55,334 | $56,790 |
| GS-8 | $48,378 | $49,991 | $51,604 | $53,216 | $54,829 | $56,442 | $58,055 | $59,668 | $61,281 | $62,894 |
| GS-9 | $53,433 | $55,214 | $56,995 | $58,776 | $60,557 | $62,338 | $64,119 | $65,900 | $67,681 | $69,462 |
| GS-10 | $58,842 | $60,804 | $62,766 | $64,728 | $66,690 | $68,652 | $70,614 | $72,575 | $74,537 | $76,499 |
| GS-11 | $64,649 | $66,805 | $68,960 | $71,116 | $73,271 | $75,427 | $77,582 | $79,738 | $81,893 | $84,049 |
| GS-12 | $77,488 | $80,072 | $82,655 | $85,238 | $87,822 | $90,405 | $92,988 | $95,572 | $98,155 | $100,739 |
| GS-13 | $92,143 | $95,215 | $98,286 | $101,358 | $104,429 | $107,501 | $110,572 | $113,644 | $116,715 | $119,787 |
| GS-14 | $108,885 | $112,514 | $116,144 | $119,773 | $123,402 | $127,031 | $130,661 | $134,290 | $137,919 | $141,548 |
| GS-15 | $128,078 | $132,348 | $136,617 | $140,886 | $145,155 | $149,425 | $153,694 | $157,963 | $162,233 | $166,502 |
* The 2024 General Schedule payscale is capped at a maximum salary of $191,900 per year, which is Level 4 of the Senior Executive Service payscale.
Des Moines Pay Locality Federal Employment Statistics
This section provides statistics on Federal government employees in the Des Moines pay area, including most common occupations, agencies with the most local employees, and the average paygrade and salary rates of general schedule employees in the area. All data in this section is derived from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)'s most recent available listings of federal employees in the Des Moines pay area.
Common Occupations in Des Moines Locality
| Occupation | Number Employed | Avg. Salary | Avg. Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterans Claims Examining | 109 | $76,874.00 | $0.00 |
This table lists the top one occupations held by the approximately 109 federal employees working in the Des Moines Locality, across all agencies, as well as average yearly compensation for Des Moines Locality based federal employees of that occupation.
Federal Agencies in Des Moines Locality
| Agency | Des Moines Locality Employees | Avg. Salary | Avg. Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veterans Benefits Administration | 109 | $76,874.00 | $0.00 |
There are one Federal agency with a significant workforce in the Des Moines Locality. General Schedule employees at all of the agencies listed below will be paid according to the locality-adjusted GS payscale listed on this page.
There are approximately 109 federal employees on the General Schedule payscale located within the Des Moines pay area. The average federal employee in the Des Moines lcality earns $76,874 per year, and the average yearly bonus is $0.
Based on data provided by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the most common job title for federal employees based in the Des Moines locality is Veterans Claims Examining. The Federal agency with the largest number of employees in the Des Moines locality is the Veterans Benefits Administration, which has total of 109 employees in the area.
The bar graph to the left shows the distribution of employees in the Des Moines pay area by paygrade, from GS-1 to GS-15. To learn more about how paygrades are determined and how they affect a federal employee's salary, see how to calculate GS Pay.
The primary city to which the Des Moines locality area applies is Des Moines.