GS-12 Pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI

$99,509 โ€“ $129,364 per year • 30.14% locality adjustment

2026 rates • $11,335 more than Rest of US at Step 5

GS-12 Salary Summary โ€” Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI

Entry (Step 1) $99,509/yr $3,827 biweekly
Mid (Step 5) $112,778/yr $4,338 biweekly
Top (Step 10) $129,364/yr $4,976 biweekly
Locality Adj. +30.14% +$26,119 at Step 5

Complete GS-12 Pay Table โ€” Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (2026)

Step Annual Monthly Biweekly Hourly Base Pay Locality Add
Step 1 $99,509 $8,292 $3,827 $47.68 $76,463 +$23,046
Step 2 $102,826 $8,569 $3,955 $49.27 $79,012 +$23,814
Step 3 $106,143 $8,845 $4,082 $50.86 $81,561 +$24,582
Step 4 $109,461 $9,122 $4,210 $52.45 $84,110 +$25,351
Step 5 $112,778 $9,398 $4,338 $54.04 $86,659 +$26,119
Step 6 $116,095 $9,675 $4,465 $55.63 $89,208 +$26,887
Step 7 $119,413 $9,951 $4,593 $57.22 $91,757 +$27,656
Step 8 $122,730 $10,228 $4,720 $58.81 $94,306 +$28,424
Step 9 $126,047 $10,504 $4,848 $60.40 $96,855 +$29,192
Step 10 $129,364 $10,780 $4,976 $61.99 $99,404 +$29,960

Compare Nearby Grades in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI

How does GS-12 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?

GS-11
$94,090
GS-12
$112,778
GS-13
$134,124

Promotion from GS-11 to GS-12 at Step 5 in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI is a raise of $18,688 per year.

GS-12 Federal Jobs in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI

Federal employees at GS-12 in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI locality area earn between $99,509 and $129,364 annually in 2026. This includes a 30.14% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-12 base pay of $76,463 to $99,404.

The Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI locality area covers Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin. At Step 5, a GS-12 employee here earns $11,335 more per year than the same grade and step under the "Rest of United States" rate (17.06%).

As one of the higher-paying locality areas, Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI compensates for the higher cost of living in the region. Federal employees considering a move should compare not just the salary difference but also housing costs, state income taxes, and commuting expenses.

The biweekly pay for a GS-12 Step 1 in this area is $3,827, or approximately $47.68 per hour based on the standard 2,087-hour work year. Step increases are automatic with acceptable performance โ€” it takes 18 years to progress from Step 1 to Step 10.

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