GS-6 Pay in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA
$46,211 – $60,073 per year • 19.12% locality adjustment
GS-6 Salary Summary — Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA
Complete GS-6 Pay Table — Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA (2026)
| Step | Annual | Monthly | Biweekly | Hourly | Base Pay | Locality Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $46,211 | $3,851 | $1,777 | $22.14 | $38,794 | +$7,417 |
| Step 2 | $47,752 | $3,979 | $1,837 | $22.88 | $40,087 | +$7,665 |
| Step 3 | $49,292 | $4,108 | $1,896 | $23.62 | $41,380 | +$7,912 |
| Step 4 | $50,832 | $4,236 | $1,955 | $24.36 | $42,673 | +$8,159 |
| Step 5 | $52,372 | $4,364 | $2,014 | $25.09 | $43,966 | +$8,406 |
| Step 6 | $53,913 | $4,493 | $2,074 | $25.83 | $45,259 | +$8,654 |
| Step 7 | $55,453 | $4,621 | $2,133 | $26.57 | $46,552 | +$8,901 |
| Step 8 | $56,993 | $4,749 | $2,192 | $27.31 | $47,845 | +$9,148 |
| Step 9 | $58,533 | $4,878 | $2,251 | $28.05 | $49,138 | +$9,395 |
| Step 10 | $60,073 | $5,006 | $2,311 | $28.78 | $50,431 | +$9,642 |
Compare Nearby Grades in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA
How does GS-6 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?
Promotion from GS-5 to GS-6 at Step 5 in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA is a raise of $5,392 per year.
GS-6 Federal Jobs in Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA
Federal employees at GS-6 in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA locality area earn between $46,211 and $60,073 annually in 2026. This includes a 19.12% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-6 base pay of $38,794 to $50,431.
The Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA locality area covers Iowa. At Step 5, a GS-6 employee here earns $905 more per year than the same grade and step under the "Rest of United States" rate (17.06%).
The biweekly pay for a GS-6 Step 1 in this area is $1,777, or approximately $22.14 per hour based on the standard 2,087-hour work year. Step increases are automatic with acceptable performance — it takes 18 years to progress from Step 1 to Step 10.
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