2026 Federal Law Enforcement Pay – Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA

By: FEDweek Staff

Salary Table 2026-DCB (LEO)
Including Special Base Rates at GS-3 through GS-10 and
Incorporating the 1% General Schedule Increase and a Locality Payment of 33.94%
For the Locality Pay Area of Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA
Total Increase: 1%
Effective January 2026
Annual Rates by Grade and Step

Grade	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 5	Step 6	Step 7	Step 8	Step 9	Step 10
1	30249	31263	32269	33271	34274	34862	35857	36859	36900	37835
2	34011	34820	35948	36900	37313	38410	39507	40604	41701	42798
3	44538	45775	47013	48251	49488	50726	51963	53201	54439	55676
4	49993	51382	52771	54160	55549	56938	58327	59716	61105	62494
5	57486	59039	60593	62147	63701	65254	66808	68362	69915	71469
6	60616	62348	64080	65811	67543	69275	71007	72739	74471	76202
7	65435	67360	69284	71209	73134	75059	76983	78908	80833	82758
8	68202	70333	72464	74595	76726	78857	80988	83119	85250	87381
9	72977	75332	77687	80041	82396	84751	87105	89460	91815	94169
10	80363	82954	85546	88138	90730	93321	95913	98505	101097	103688
11	85447	88296	91145	93994	96843	99692	102540	105389	108238	111087
12	102415	105829	109243	112657	116071	119485	122899	126313	129728	133142
13	121785	125845	129904	133964	138024	142084	146143	150203	154263	158322
14	143913	148711	153509	158306	163104	167902	172700	177497	182295	187093
15	169279	174922	180565	186207	191850	197200 *	197200 *	197200 *	197200 *	197200 *

* Rate limited to the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)).
Note: Locality rates for “law enforcement officers” (LEOs) (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5541(3) and 5 CFR 550.103) are computed using special base rates for LEOs at grades 3 through 10, as authorized by section 403 of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990, as amended. The LEO annual locality rates at other grades match the rates for other (non-LEO) employees.

See also,

Conversions to Schedule P/C Pending; Acknowledgement Form Draws Attention

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Retirement calculators – easy, instant:

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Locality raises are determined by comparisons of local private sector salary rates, not by cost of living. An individual’s rate is based on where he or she works, not where he or she lives.

Federal Pay Systems
The general schedule salary system for white collar federal employees is what is generally referred to the “civil service” pay system even though it now covers only just more than half of the workforce. The wage system for blue collar employees is the next largest while numerous other special salary systems make up the rest.

Separate salary systems are maintained for Senior Executive Service members, the U.S. Postal Service, the Foreign Service, law enforcement officers, most medical personnel of the Veterans Health Administration and high-level officials including administrative law judges, Board of Contract Appeal members, and certain senior professional employees.

Presidential appointees are paid under the Executive Schedule system while federal judges and members of Congress also have separate pay schedules.

2026 FERS Retirement & Thrift Savings Plan Handbook