The 2020 pay raise for the federal workforce is now final and, for most federal employees, the new rates will become effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2020.
The GS scale 2020 pay raise has an increase of 2.6% in base pay with an additional .5% distributed to locality pay areas. This results in higher or lower pay in cities throughout the United States.
The tables below show the 2020 locality pay raise in two ways: alphabetical order by city and the total 2020 pay raise with locality pay from highest to lowest to illustrate which areas fared better in 2020 in the federal pay process.
Biggest Winners in Locality Pay for 2020
The Washington, DC metropolitan area came out on top with a locality raise of 3.52%. The San Francisco-San Jose, CA and Seattle, WA areas came in second with a raise of 3.40%.
At the other end of the scale, the Rest of the US came in at 2.85%. The Cincinnati, OH area will receive the lowest raise of any of the cities in the locality pay arena with a raise of 2.89%. Indianapolis will receive 2.91% and Milwaukee and Cleveland, OH will both get 2.92%
Here are the tables reflecting the raise by city and also sorted from the highest to the lowest locality pay rates.
Total GS Scale 2020 Pay Raise by Locality
| Locality | Locality Raise |
| Albany | 3.20% |
| Albuquerque | 3.02% |
| Atlanta | 3.04% |
| Austin | 3.22% |
| Boston | 3.27% |
| Birmingham | 3.03% |
| Buffalo | 3.05% |
| Burlington | 3.23% |
| Charlotte | 3.17% |
| Chicago | 3.03% |
| Cincinnati | 2.89% |
| Cleveland | 2.92% |
| Colorado Springs | 3.12% |
| Columbus | 3.07% |
| Dallas | 3.24% |
| Davenport | 3.08% |
| Dayton | 3.09% |
| Denver | 3.27% |
| Detroit | 3.01% |
| Harrisburg | 3.08% |
| Hartford | 3.09% |
| Houston | 3.00% |
| Huntsville | 3.18% |
| Indianapolis | 2.91% |
| Kansas City | 3.07% |
| Laredo | 3.17% |
| Las Vegas | 3.16% |
| Los Angeles | 3.33% |
| Miami | 2.93% |
| Milwaukee | 2.92% |
| Minneapolis | 3.15% |
| New York | 3.31% |
| Omaha | 3.01% |
| Palm Bay | 2.95% |
| Philadelphia | 3.21% |
| Phoenix | 3.05% |
| Pittsburgh | 3.07% |
| Portland | 3.11% |
| Raleigh | 3.03% |
| Richmond | 3.09% |
| Sacramento | 3.24% |
| San Antonio | 3.22% |
| San Diego | 3.37% |
| San Francisco | 3.40% |
| Seattle | 3.40% |
| St. Louis | 3.13% |
| Tucscon | 3.05% |
| Virginia Beach | 3.13% |
| Washington, DC | 3.52% |
| Alaska | 3.22% |
| Hawaii | 3.10% |
| Rest of US | 2.85% |
| Average | 3.1% |
Total GS Scale 2020 Pay Raise by Amount
| Locality | Locality Raise |
| Washington, DC | 3.52% |
| San Francisco | 3.40% |
| Seattle | 3.40% |
| San Diego | 3.37% |
| Los Angeles | 3.33% |
| New York | 3.31% |
| Boston | 3.27% |
| Denver | 3.27% |
| Dallas | 3.24% |
| Sacramento | 3.24% |
| Burlington | 3.23% |
| Austin | 3.22% |
| San Antonio | 3.22% |
| Alaska | 3.22% |
| Philadelphia | 3.21% |
| Albany | 3.20% |
| Huntsville | 3.18% |
| Charlotte | 3.17% |
| Laredo | 3.17% |
| Las Vegas | 3.16% |
| Minneapolis | 3.15% |
| St. Louis | 3.13% |
| Virginia Beach | 3.13% |
| Colorado Springs | 3.12% |
| Portland | 3.11% |
| Hawaii | 3.10% |
| Average | 3.1% |
| Dayton | 3.09% |
| Hartford | 3.09% |
| Richmond | 3.09% |
| Davenport | 3.08% |
| Harrisburg | 3.08% |
| Columbus | 3.07% |
| Pittsburgh | 3.07% |
| Kansas City | 3.07% |
| Buffalo | 3.05% |
| Phoenix | 3.05% |
| Tucscon | 3.05% |
| Atlanta | 3.04% |
| Birmingham | 3.03% |
| Chicago | 3.03% |
| Raleigh | 3.03% |
| Albuquerque | 3.02% |
| Detroit | 3.01% |
| Omaha | 3.01% |
| Houston | 3.00% |
| Palm Bay | 2.95% |
| Miami | 2.93% |
| Cleveland | 2.92% |
| Milwaukee | 2.92% |
| Indianapolis | 2.91% |
| Cincinnati | 2.89% |
| Rest of US | 2.85% |
