Issue Briefs

It's unclear whether the recommendations would take effect as soon as 2023 at this stage. Image: Rainer Lesniewski/Shutterstock.com

Following are lists of areas in which federal employees would get immediate pay boosts—by moving from the lowest-paid rest of the U.S. locality into either a new or an existing locality with higher pay—under the Federal Salary Council’s latest recommendations.

Those recommendations included creating four new localities plus three changes regarding boundaries of locality pay areas: adopting the latest definitions of metropolitan areas, easing the rules for attaching outlying areas to existing localities, and adding to localities areas that are surrounded or nearly surrounded by existing localities.

The recommendations now go to the President’s Pay Agent for review; it currently is unclear whether the recommendations would take effect as soon as 2023 even if approved by that body.


The Working Group recommends:

Establishing Fresno, CA, and Spokane, WA, as new locality pay areas. This recommendation would impact roughly 11,400 GS employees in those two Rest of US research areas.

Establishing Reno, NV, and Rochester, NY, as new locality pay areas, based on pay disparities calculated using NCS/OEWS salary estimates. This recommendation would impact roughly 4,800 GS employees in the Reno, NV, and Rochester, NY, areas.

Locations Added to Locality Pay Areas Resulting from Use of CBSA Updates

Albuquerque, NM Mora County, NM

Atlanta, GA

Floyd County, GA

Habersham County, GA

Stephens County, GA

Burlington, VT Washington County, VT

Charlotte, NC Anson County, NC

Cleveland, OH Wayne County, OH

Corpus Christ, TX Duval County, TX

Des Moines, IA

Mahaska County, IA

Marion County, IA

Minneapolis, MN Steele County, MN

Phoenix, AZ Gila County, AZ

San Jose, CA

Merced County, CA

Stanislaus County, CA

Virginia Beach, VA

Franklin City, VA 0

Southampton County, VA

Washington, DC Madison County, VA

Total GS Employees Impacted: 1,294

Multi-County CBSAs Proposed as Areas of Application

Atlanta, GA Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL CSA

Birmingham, AL Tuscaloosa, AL MSA

Boston, MA Lebanon, NH-VT Micropolitan Area

Charlotte, NC Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA

Chicago, IL Rockford-Freeport-Rochelle, IL CSA

Cleveland, OH Mansfield-Ashland-Bucyrus, OH CSA

Cleveland, OH Youngstown-Warren, OH-PA CSA

Dallas, TX Ardmore, OK Micropolitan Area

Davenport, IA Dixon-Sterling, IL CSA

Dayton, OH Lima-Van Wert-Celina, OH CSA

Detroit, MI Lansing-East Lansing, MI MSA

Huntsville, AL Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL MSA

Indianapolis, IN Bloomington-Bedford, IN CSA

Indianapolis, IN Lafayette-West Lafayette-Frankfort, IN CSA

Indianapolis, IN Richmond-Connersville, IN CSA

Minneapolis, MN Mankato-New Ulm, MN CSA

Minneapolis, MN Rochester-Austin, MN CSA

Philadelphia, PA Salisbury-Cambridge, MD-DE CSA (excludes portion already in

Washington-Baltimore locality pay area)

Pittsburgh, PA Johnstown-Somerset, PA CSA

Pittsburgh, PA Wheeling, WV-OH MSA

Raleigh, NC Fayetteville, NC MSA (all but Moore County, NC,

is already in the Raleigh locality pay area and will remain there).

Raleigh, NC Rocky Mount-Wilson-Roanoke Rapids, NC CSA

San Antonio, TX Kerrville-Fredericksburg, TX CSA

Washington, DC Cumberland, MD-WV MSA

Total GS Employees Impacted: 11,589

2022 GS Locality Pay Tables

Single-County CBSAs Proposed as Areas of Application

Pay Area | Place Name | Single-County MSA

Birmingham, AL | Etowah Co. AL | Gadsden, AL MSA

Detroit, MI | Jackson Co. MI | Jackson, MI MSA

Milwaukee, WI | Fond du Lac Co | Fond du Lac, WI        MSA

Milwaukee, WI | Sheboygan Co. WI | Sheboygan, WI MSA

Sacramento, CA | Butte Co. CA | Chico, CA MSA

Total GS Employees Impacted: 477

Locations completely or almost completely bordered by higher paying locality pay areas

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) staff has determined that Emporia City, VA—a U.S. county equivalent contained within Greensville County, VA—would be completely surrounded by Richmond, VA, locality pay if Greensville County is added to the Richmond locality pay area as we recommend. The Pay Agent has agreed that a single county Rest of US location completely surrounded by higher locality pay should be established as an area of application. Thus, if Greensville County is included in the Richmond locality pay area as we recommend, then Emporia City should be included as well.

For the following locations bordered only by water and higher-paying locality pay areas, we recommend they be included in higher-paying locality pay areas because in our view they are similar to locations completely bordered by land that is included in higher-paying locality pay areas:

o Dukes and Nantucket Counties, MA, which would be included in the Boston locality pay area as areas of application;

o Huron County, MI, which would be included in the Detroit locality pay area as an area of application; and

o Pacific and San Juan Counties, WA, which would be included in the Seattle locality pay area as areas of application.

Single Counties Proposed as Areas of Application

Existing Locality/Area Proposed

Albany, NY         Greene Co. NY

Albany, NY         Hamilton Co. NY

Atlanta, GA         Banks Co. GA

Atlanta, GA         Cherokee Co. AL

Atlanta, GA         Cleburne Co. AL

Atlanta, GA         Elbert Co. GA

Atlanta, GA         Franklin Co. GA

Atlanta, GA         Gilmer Co. GA

Atlanta, GA         Greene Co. GA

Atlanta, GA         Lumpkin Co. GA

Atlanta, GA         Putnam Co. GA

Atlanta, GA         Rabun Co. GA

Atlanta, GA         Randolph Co. AL

Atlanta, GA         Taliaferro Co. GA

Atlanta, GA         White Co. GA

Austin, TX          Blanco Co. TX

Austin, TX          Burnet Co. TX

Austin, TX          Lee Co. TX

Austin, TX          Milam Co. TX

Birmingham, AL   Winston Co. AL

Boston, MA        Carroll Co. NH

Boston, MA        Cheshire Co. NH

Buffalo, NY         Wyoming Co. NY

Burlington, VT     Addison Co. VT

Burlington, VT     Lamoille Co. VT

Charlotte, NC      Chesterfield Co. SC

Chicago, IL         Iroquois Co. IL

Chicago, IL         Starke Co. IN

Cincinnati, OH     Adams Co. OH

Cincinnati, OH     Carroll Co. KY

Cincinnati, OH     Fleming Co. KY

Cincinnati, OH     Highland Co. OH

Cincinnati, OH     Lewis Co. KY

Cincinnati, OH     Owen Co. KY

Cincinnati, OH     Ripley Co. IN

Cincinnati, OH     Robertson Co. KY

Cincinnati, OH     Switzerland Co. IN

Cleveland, OH    Holmes Co. OH

Columbus, OH    Coshocton Co. OH

Columbus, OH    Hardin Co. OH

Columbus, OH    Morgan Co. OH

Columbus, OH    Noble Co. OH

Columbus, OH    Pike Co. OH

Columbus, OH    Vinton Co. OH

Corpus Christi, TX            Live Oak Co. TX

Corpus Christi, TX           Refugio Co. TX

Dallas, TX          Hill Co. TX

Dallas, TX          Jack Co. TX

Dallas, TX          Montague Co. TX

Dallas, TX          Rains Co. TX

Dallas, TX          Van Zandt Co. TX

Davenport, IA      Cedar Co. IA

Davenport, IA      Jackson Co. IA

Davenport, IA      Louisa Co. IA

Denver, CO        Lincoln Co. CO

Des Moines        , IA Adair Co. IA

Des Moines,       IA Clarke Co. IA

Des Moines,       IA Greene Co. IA

Des Moines,       IA Hamilton Co. IA

Des Moines,       IA Lucas Co. IA

Des Moines,       IA Monroe Co. IA

Des Moines,       IA Poweshiek Co. IA

Detroit, MI          Sanilac Co. MI

Detroit, MI          Tuscola Co. MI

Harrisburg, PA    Juniata Co. PA

Houston, TX       Colorado Co. TX

Houston, TX       Grimes Co. TX

Houston, TX       Jackson Co. TX

Houston, TX       Madison Co. TX

Huntsville, AL      Lincoln Co. TN

Indianapolis, IN   Blackford Co. IN

Indianapolis, IN   Fountain Co. IN

Indianapolis, IN   Randolph Co. IN

Indianapolis, IN   Rush Co. IN

Indianapolis, IN   Tipton Co. IN

Kansas City, MO Anderson Co. KS

Kansas City, MO Carroll Co. MO

Kansas City, MO Daviess Co. MO

Kansas City, MO Gentry Co. MO

Kansas City, MO Henry Co. MO

Kansas City, MO Holt Co. MO

Laredo, TX         La Salle Co. TX

Minneapolis, MN  Kanabec Co. MN

Minneapolis, MN  Meeker Co. MN

Minneapolis, MN Morrison Co. MN

Minneapolis, MN  Pine Co. MN

Minneapolis, MN  Polk Co. WI

Minneapolis, MN  Waseca Co. MN

New York, NY     Sullivan Co. NY

New York, NY     Wayne Co. PA

Omaha, NE        Burt Co. NE

Omaha, NE        Fremont Co. IA

Omaha, NE        Shelby Co. IA

Pittsburgh, PA     Greene Co. PA

Portland, OR       Wahkiakum Co. WA

Raleigh, NC        Caswell Co. NC

Raleigh, NC        Warren Co. NC

Richmond, VA     Brunswick Co. VA

Richmond, VA     Essex Co. VA

Richmond, VA     Greensville Co. VA

Richmond, VA     Nottoway Co. VA

Sacramento, CA Alpine Co. CA

Sacramento, CA  Amador Co. CA

Sacramento, CA Colusa Co. CA

Sacramento, CA  Sierra Co. CA

San Antonio, TX  Karnes Co. TX

San Antonio, TX  McMullen Co. TX

San Jose, CA      Calaveras Co. CA

Seattle, WA        Grays Harbor Co. WA

St. Louis, MO      Crawford Co. MO

St. Louis, MO      Fayette Co. IL

St. Louis, MO      Gasconade Co. MO

St. Louis, MO      Greene Co. IL

St. Louis, MO      Iron Co. MO

St. Louis, MO      Madison Co. MO

St. Louis, MO      Montgomery Co. IL

St. Louis, MO      Montgomery Co. MO

St. Louis, MO      Pike Co. MO

St. Louis, MO      Randolph Co. IL

St. Louis, MO      Ste. Genevieve Co. MO

St. Louis, MO      Washington Co. IL

St. Louis, MO      Washington Co. MO

Virginia Beach, VA           Chowan Co. NC

Virginia Beach, VA           Hertford Co. NC

Virginia Beach, VA           Middlesex Co. VA

Virginia Beach, VA           Surry Co. VA

Washington, DC  Caroline Co. MD

Washington, DC  Fulton Co. PA

Washington, DC  Hardy Co. WV

Washington, DC Orange Co. VA

Washington, DC Shenandoah Co. VA

Total GS Employees Impacted: 2,742

Locations Adjacent to Multiple Pay Areas Proposed as Areas of Application

Clay County, AL

Schuylkill County, PA

Gonzales County,

Jim Hogg County,

Westmoreland County, VA

Total GS Employees Impacted: 607


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See also,

2022 GS Locality Pay Tables

What Are Desk Audits? Understanding Position Classification Appeals

Key Senate Bill Backs 4.6 Percent Raise, Would Ban Future Schedule F

Newly Offered Bills Show Sharply Differing Visions for Federal Workforce

Your FERS Annuity is Worth More Than You Think

Standard Form 50: Keep Each One in a Safe Place

Retiring from a Federal Job – Getting Started

2022 Federal Employees Handbook