Calculate Federal Pay Raise 2019
Use this premium GS pay raise calculator to estimate your 2019 federal salary based on 2018 basic pay and optional locality rates. It applies the 2019 across-the-board increase of 1.4% and lets you compare total compensation before and after a locality adjustment change.
Your 2019 Pay Raise Estimate
Enter your salary details and click Calculate 2019 Raise to view your personalized estimate.
Expert Guide: How to Calculate the Federal Pay Raise for 2019
If you want to calculate the federal pay raise for 2019, the key is understanding that federal compensation often includes more than one moving part. For most General Schedule employees, the 2019 pay adjustment involved a 1.4% across-the-board increase to base pay plus locality pay changes that varied by geographic area. That means your actual year-over-year raise could be different from a simple 1.4% estimate, especially if your duty station changed locality categories or your locality percentage increased from 2018 to 2019.
This calculator is designed to help you estimate both scenarios. You can look at base pay only, which is the simplest approach, or include old and new locality percentages to estimate total GS salary. That makes the result more realistic for employees in local pay areas such as Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, San Francisco, New York, Houston, and Rest of U.S.
Quick formula: 2019 base pay = 2018 base pay × 1.014. If you also want to estimate total GS pay including locality, then 2019 estimated salary = 2019 base pay × (1 + 2019 locality rate).
What Was the 2019 Federal Pay Raise?
The 2019 federal civilian pay adjustment generally included an across-the-board basic pay increase of 1.4%. In addition, locality pay amounts were updated, producing an average total increase of roughly 1.9% across the federal workforce. The reason you often see two numbers mentioned is that one number refers to the nationwide basic pay schedule and the other reflects the combined impact of basic pay and locality adjustments.
For example, a federal employee with no locality differential would typically look only at the 1.4% figure. But a General Schedule employee in a locality pay area would usually compare total 2018 salary to total 2019 salary, because locality rates changed from one year to the next. That is why this page gives you the option to enter both your 2018 and 2019 locality percentages.
Why Basic Pay and Locality Pay Are Different
Basic pay is the underlying salary tied to your grade and step on the General Schedule or another federal pay table. Locality pay is an additional percentage applied to that basic rate to reflect labor market conditions in different geographic areas. If your duty station falls under a locality pay area, your paycheck is based on the adjusted salary, not just the base table rate.
- Basic pay is the national pay table amount.
- Locality pay is the regional percentage added to basic pay.
- Total adjusted salary is the figure most employees care about for budgeting and paycheck planning.
Because locality rates differ by location, two employees with the same grade and step can receive different total salaries. That is why your personal federal pay raise in 2019 may not match the governmentwide average.
Step-by-Step: How to Calculate Federal Pay Raise 2019
- Find your 2018 annual basic pay. This should be your salary before locality is added.
- Multiply the 2018 basic pay by 1.014. That applies the 1.4% 2019 across-the-board increase.
- If applicable, identify your 2018 locality percentage and your 2019 locality percentage. Enter these as percentages such as 16.37 or 30.48.
- Calculate your 2018 adjusted salary. Multiply 2018 base pay by 1 plus the 2018 locality rate expressed as a decimal.
- Calculate your 2019 adjusted salary. Multiply your new 2019 base pay by 1 plus the 2019 locality rate expressed as a decimal.
- Subtract the old amount from the new amount. The result is your estimated annual raise.
- Convert to monthly or biweekly if needed. Divide annual salary by 12 for monthly or by 26 for biweekly.
Example Calculation
Suppose your 2018 annual basic pay was $50,000. If we apply only the basic pay increase, your 2019 basic pay would be:
$50,000 × 1.014 = $50,700
Now assume your 2018 locality rate was 16.37% and your 2019 locality rate was 16.67%. Then:
- 2018 adjusted salary = $50,000 × 1.1637 = $58,185
- 2019 adjusted salary = $50,700 × 1.1667 = $59,151.69
- Estimated annual raise = $59,151.69 – $58,185 = $966.69
This example shows why total raise estimates often exceed the pure 1.4% base increase. Once you include locality changes, the net difference can be larger.
2018 vs 2019 Federal Pay Overview
| Category | 2018 | 2019 | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Across-the-board GS base increase | Previous year table in effect | 1.4% | Applies nationally to basic pay schedules for covered employees. |
| Average total increase including locality | Varied by area | About 1.9% | Represents combined base increase and locality updates on average. |
| Locality pay areas | Multiple regional rates | Multiple updated regional rates | Your actual raise depends on your duty station’s percentage. |
| Best use case for a calculator | Manual estimate required | Quick personalized comparison | Helps compare old total pay with new total pay accurately. |
Sample Locality Comparison
The table below illustrates how total salary can differ based on locality assumptions, even when base pay starts at the same level. These values are examples to demonstrate the math rather than a complete list of official locality schedules.
| Example Starting 2018 Basic Pay | 2018 Locality Rate | 2019 Locality Rate | 2019 Basic Pay After 1.4% | Estimated 2019 Adjusted Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | 16.37% | 16.67% | $40,560 | $47,320.15 |
| $60,000 | 28.22% | 29.32% | $60,840 | $78,681.89 |
| $80,000 | 37.63% | 38.25% | $81,120 | $112,152.90 |
Where to Find Official 2019 Federal Pay Data
For official confirmation, always consult federal government sources. The most reliable references include the Office of Personnel Management and official salary table publications. These sources provide the actual 2019 General Schedule base rates, locality tables, and explanatory memoranda.
- Office of Personnel Management salary and wages resources
- OPM 2019 General Schedule pay tables
- Congressional Research Service compensation reports
Important Limitations to Keep in Mind
No online calculator should be treated as a substitute for your agency payroll office or official OPM pay tables. There are several reasons for that. First, some employees are under special salary rates, not the standard General Schedule table. Second, not every federal worker is covered by GS locality pay in the same way. Third, promotions, step increases, changes in duty station, grade changes, retained pay, and premium pay can all affect your actual compensation independently of a general annual raise.
In other words, this calculator works best when you want a fast estimate of the 2019 raise based on a stable grade, step, and locality context. If your employment status changed at the same time, your real increase may differ significantly from the result shown here.
Who Should Use a 2019 Federal Raise Calculator?
This type of calculator is especially useful for:
- Current GS employees comparing 2018 and 2019 compensation
- Retirees reviewing prior salary history for planning purposes
- Job applicants evaluating historical federal pay trends
- Union representatives or HR staff preparing quick pay illustrations
- Researchers and writers summarizing federal compensation changes
Common Mistakes When Estimating the 2019 Raise
- Using adjusted salary as the starting base. If you multiply a locality-adjusted salary by 1.4%, you may overstate the result because the base raise applies to basic pay.
- Ignoring locality changes. If your locality percentage changed between 2018 and 2019, a base-only estimate will not show your likely total pay increase.
- Confusing annual with biweekly salary. Federal employees often think in pay periods, so remember to divide annual totals by 26 if you want an approximate biweekly amount.
- Forgetting other personnel actions. Promotions, within-grade increases, and reassignments can produce larger changes than the annual pay adjustment alone.
How to Interpret Your Result
After entering your numbers, focus on four figures: old annual pay, new 2019 annual pay, annual raise, and percentage increase. The annual raise gives the total dollar gain from one year to the next. The percentage increase helps you compare your personal result with the widely cited average federal pay increase. If your total increase is above 1.4%, that usually means locality updates contributed additional growth. If your result stays close to 1.4%, then your locality change was minimal or you chose base-pay-only mode.
You can also use monthly and biweekly views to estimate budgeting effects. This is helpful if you are trying to predict rent affordability, retirement contribution impacts, or payroll withholding differences. While the calculator does not estimate taxes or deductions, it gives a clear pre-deduction compensation comparison.
Bottom Line
To calculate the federal pay raise for 2019 correctly, start with your 2018 basic pay, apply the 1.4% base increase, and then compare your 2018 and 2019 locality percentages if you want a realistic total salary estimate. For many federal employees, that second step is what turns a rough estimate into a useful one. The calculator above is built for exactly that purpose: a fast, practical way to estimate your 2019 pay increase using straightforward federal pay math.
If you need a payroll-exact figure, verify your numbers against the official 2019 pay tables published by OPM and check your agency-specific salary documentation. For planning, research, and historical salary comparisons, however, this approach offers a reliable and user-friendly estimate.