What is a locality pay table?

Locality pay tables listthe current salary rates forcivilian government employees based on their worklocation and pay grade, according to the United States Office of Personnel Management. Locality pay is determined by an annual survey of comparable salaries in the local area.

Locality pay is a salary incentive used to attract U.S.workersto government jobs rather than private sector jobs. Localities are divided into 34 pay areas. Most pay areas typically consist of multiple cities that are not necessarily in the same state, such as the Atlanta, Sandy Springs and Gainesville locality area in Georgia. Alaska and Hawaii are their own pay area. Any location not listedfalls under the Rest of U.S. pay area. Locality pay is not the same as cost of living allowance orpost allowance, which is added to offset the high cost of goods and services inspecificareas.