GS promotion calculator
Apply the 2026 two-step rule or route a complex case.
- Rule snapshot
- Reviewed
- Primary sources
- OPM promotion rules and exact 2026 GS tables
- Method
- Standard, same locality
Choose a method to calculate or see guidance.
How the standard method works
Step 1
Find two WGIs
Add two within-grade increases to the current base rate—even at step 9 or 10.
Step 2
Find the target step
Choose the lowest target-grade base step that equals or exceeds that threshold.
Step 3
Apply locality
Show the same step on the selected 2026 locality table.
When this calculator must stop
OPM’s order of operations can change the answer when pay schedules, locations, or entitlements change. Use official examples and agency HR for special rates, alternate method, geographic conversion, retained pay, maximum payable rate, LEO or wildland schedules, or simultaneous personnel actions.
Need one exact pay cell instead? Use the GS Pay Calculator.
GS promotion FAQ
What is the GS two-step promotion rule?
For an ordinary promotion under the standard method, OPM adds two within-grade increases to the employee’s current base rate, then finds the lowest rate in the higher grade that equals or exceeds that amount.
Does locality pay affect the promotion step?
The step is selected from the applicable base schedule. This page then shows the matching 2026 locality rate for the same pay area.
Can I use this for a special rate or a move?
No. Special rates, geographic conversion, alternate-method comparisons, retained pay, and other pay-setting sequences need the full OPM rules and agency records. The calculator stops without dollars for those cases.
Is the result an agency pay-setting decision?
No. It is a planning result from the exact 2026 OPM tables. Agency HR controls the official promotion action and effective rate.