General Schedule and military grades
Comparing distinct compensation systems.
There is no universal conversion between a GS grade and a military rank. But named profiles can reveal a real workforce signal: the selected GS-15 led O-3 by $23,428 in 2001, led by only $3,799 in 2026 actual data, and trails by $1,427 under the 2027 forecast on the selected taxable-equivalent basis.
ActualForecastAssumptionInterpretation
Last reviewed August 22, 2026
What the numbers show
- Use explicit profiles, not a generic GS-to-rank conversion chart.
- Keep geographic assumptions visible: the model uses Rest of U.S. GS pay and Hill AFB BAH.
- Compare growth indexes when testing parity; compare dollars when testing a point-in-time recruiting or retention question.
Profiles available in the model
| Civilian profiles | Military profiles | Private benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| GS-7 step 1; GS-9 step 1 | O-1 under 2; O-2 over 2 | BLS average hourly wage × 2,080 |
| GS-11, GS-12, GS-13, GS-14 step 1 | O-3 over 6; O-4 over 10 | Broad wage context, not occupation matching |
| GS-13 and GS-15 step 10 | O-5 over 16; O-6 over 22 | Actual through 2026 Q1 partial; 2027 forecast |
A defensible comparison has six inputs
- civilian grade and step;
- civilian locality area;
- civilian contribution basis;
- military grade and years of service;
- military housing area and dependent status; and
- whether nontaxable allowances are shown as cash or taxable-salary equivalent.
Source tables
Current civilian rates come from OPM salary tables. Military basic pay comes from DFAS officer tables, and housing allowances come from the official BAH lookup.