Cincinnati, OH WG Pay Scale 2026 (Wage Area 104)
In the Cincinnati, Ohio wage area, a WG-10 earns $31.50 at step 1, $32.87 at step 2 and $36.79 at step 5 under schedule 104 (Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN), effective March 22, 2026. Step 2 is about $68,600 a year at 2,087 hours, an estimate.
Below are the WG, WL and WS hourly rates for every grade and step and the counties covered. See WG pay scale 2026 for every wage area.
Maintained by Archie Chang · DCPAS schedules checked October 31, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Cincinnati, OH WG, WL and WS rates, schedule 104
Issued March 17, 2026, effective March 22, 2026, superseding the schedule issued November 25, 2025. GS locality: Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN (CIN). For General Schedule pay in the same locality, see Cincinnati GS pay scale 2026.
WG: nonsupervisory grades 1 to 15
| WG (nonsupervisory) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WG-1 | $15.61$32,578 | $16.22$33,851 | $16.83$35,124 | $17.53$36,585 | $18.14$37,858 |
| WG-2 | $17.55$36,627 | $18.24$38,067 | $18.99$39,632 | $19.73$41,177 | $20.42$42,617 |
| WG-3 | $19.47$40,634 | $20.29$42,345 | $21.12$44,077 | $21.90$45,705 | $22.71$47,396 |
| WG-4 | $21.43$44,724 | $22.37$46,686 | $23.22$48,460 | $24.09$50,276 | $25.02$52,217 |
| WG-5 | $23.44$48,919 | $24.42$50,965 | $25.40$53,010 | $26.37$55,034 | $27.34$57,059 |
| WG-6 | $25.54$53,302 | $26.60$55,514 | $27.66$57,726 | $28.73$59,960 | $29.79$62,172 |
| WG-7 | $27.25$56,871 | $28.40$59,271 | $29.54$61,650 | $30.69$64,050 | $31.80$66,367 |
| WG-8 | $28.94$60,398 | $30.15$62,923 | $31.37$65,469 | $32.59$68,015 | $33.78$70,499 |
| WG-9 | $30.24$63,111 | $31.55$65,845 | $32.81$68,474 | $34.06$71,083 | $35.33$73,734 |
| WG-10 | $31.50$65,741 | $32.87$68,600 | $34.12$71,208 | $35.52$74,130 | $36.79$76,781 |
| WG-11 | $32.60$68,036 | $34.03$71,021 | $35.33$73,734 | $36.69$76,572 | $38.17$79,661 |
| WG-12 | $33.68$70,290 | $35.13$73,316 | $36.53$76,238 | $37.91$79,118 | $39.36$82,144 |
| WG-13 | $34.83$72,690 | $36.33$75,821 | $37.73$78,743 | $39.16$81,727 | $40.66$84,857 |
| WG-14 | $35.92$74,965 | $37.36$77,970 | $38.84$81,059 | $40.49$84,503 | $41.90$87,445 |
| WG-15 | $36.98$77,177 | $38.56$80,475 | $40.05$83,584 | $41.69$87,007 | $43.13$90,012 |
WL: leader grades 1 to 15
| WL (leader) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WL-1 | $17.15$35,792 | $17.84$37,232 | $18.58$38,776 | $19.26$40,196 | $19.95$41,636 |
| WL-2 | $19.32$40,321 | $20.10$41,949 | $20.89$43,597 | $21.66$45,204 | $22.50$46,958 |
| WL-3 | $21.41$44,683 | $22.32$46,582 | $23.20$48,418 | $24.07$50,234 | $24.98$52,133 |
| WL-4 | $23.58$49,211 | $24.52$51,173 | $25.53$53,281 | $26.50$55,306 | $27.49$57,372 |
| WL-5 | $25.77$53,782 | $26.82$55,973 | $27.88$58,186 | $28.99$60,502 | $30.07$62,756 |
| WL-6 | $28.09$58,624 | $29.27$61,086 | $30.44$63,528 | $31.61$65,970 | $32.78$68,412 |
| WL-7 | $29.98$62,568 | $31.23$65,177 | $32.49$67,807 | $33.72$70,374 | $34.97$72,982 |
| WL-8 | $31.85$66,471 | $33.18$69,247 | $34.51$72,022 | $35.83$74,777 | $37.16$77,553 |
| WL-9 | $33.28$69,455 | $34.71$72,440 | $36.08$75,299 | $37.49$78,242 | $38.86$81,101 |
| WL-10 | $34.73$72,482 | $36.15$75,445 | $37.62$78,513 | $39.08$81,560 | $40.61$84,753 |
| WL-11 | $35.95$75,028 | $37.42$78,096 | $38.84$81,059 | $40.46$84,440 | $41.89$87,424 |
| WL-12 | $37.11$77,449 | $38.68$80,725 | $40.26$84,023 | $41.82$87,278 | $43.43$90,638 |
| WL-13 | $38.30$79,932 | $39.89$83,250 | $41.48$86,569 | $43.05$89,845 | $44.77$93,435 |
| WL-14 | $39.55$82,541 | $41.18$85,943 | $42.85$89,428 | $44.49$92,851 | $46.22$96,461 |
| WL-15 | $40.69$84,920 | $42.41$88,510 | $44.17$92,183 | $45.81$95,605 | $47.53$99,195 |
WS: supervisory grades 1 to 19
| WS (supervisory) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WS-1 | $25.51$53,239 | $26.54$55,389 | $27.61$57,622 | $28.65$59,793 | $29.71$62,005 |
| WS-2 | $27.44$57,267 | $28.61$59,709 | $29.71$62,005 | $30.87$64,426 | $31.99$66,763 |
| WS-3 | $29.45$61,462 | $30.64$63,946 | $31.89$66,554 | $33.12$69,121 | $34.31$71,605 |
| WS-4 | $31.42$65,574 | $32.73$68,308 | $34.04$71,041 | $35.35$73,775 | $36.67$76,530 |
| WS-5 | $33.61$70,144 | $34.99$73,024 | $36.41$75,988 | $37.79$78,868 | $39.19$81,790 |
| WS-6 | $35.28$73,629 | $36.74$76,676 | $38.20$79,723 | $39.68$82,812 | $41.13$85,838 |
| WS-7 | $36.92$77,052 | $38.48$80,308 | $40.01$83,501 | $41.53$86,673 | $43.08$89,908 |
| WS-8 | $38.54$80,433 | $40.17$83,835 | $41.76$87,153 | $43.36$90,492 | $45.00$93,915 |
| WS-9 | $39.84$83,146 | $41.54$86,694 | $43.20$90,158 | $44.87$93,644 | $46.53$97,108 |
| WS-10 | $41.03$85,630 | $42.79$89,303 | $44.44$92,746 | $46.25$96,524 | $47.96$100,093 |
| WS-11 | $42.14$87,946 | $43.90$91,619 | $45.61$95,188 | $47.37$98,861 | $49.21$102,701 |
| WS-12 | $43.46$90,701 | $45.34$94,625 | $47.15$98,402 | $48.95$102,159 | $50.76$105,936 |
| WS-13 | $45.20$94,332 | $47.08$98,256 | $48.95$102,159 | $50.85$106,124 | $52.74$110,068 |
| WS-14 | $46.71$97,484 | $48.64$101,512 | $50.60$105,602 | $52.52$109,609 | $54.47$113,679 |
| WS-15 | $48.35$100,906 | $50.35$105,080 | $52.36$109,275 | $54.39$113,512 | $56.40$117,707 |
| WS-16 | $50.30$104,976 | $52.39$109,338 | $54.49$113,721 | $56.56$118,041 | $58.69$122,486 |
| WS-17 | $52.32$109,192 | $54.47$113,679 | $56.65$118,229 | $58.80$122,716 | $61.00$127,307 |
| WS-18 | $54.43$113,595 | $56.70$118,333 | $58.96$123,050 | $61.24$127,808 | $63.47$132,462 |
| WS-19 | $52.72$110,027 | $54.92$114,618 | $57.12$119,209 | $59.31$123,780 | $61.51$128,371 |
Counties covered by schedule 104
Dearborn County, IN; Franklin County, IN; Ohio County, IN; Ripley County, IN; Switzerland County, IN; Union County, IN; Boone County, KY; Bracken County, KY; Campbell County, KY; Carroll County, KY; Gallatin County, KY; Grant County, KY; Kenton County, KY; Lewis County, KY; Mason County, KY; Owen County, KY; Pendleton County, KY; Robertson County, KY; Adams County, OH; Brown County, OH; Butler County, OH; Clermont County, OH; Clinton County, OH; Hamilton County, OH; Highland County, OH; Warren County, OH
Other wage areas in Indiana and Kentucky and Ohio
- Chicago-Naperville, IL WG-10 step 2 $35.15
- Evansville-Henderson, IN WG-10 step 2 $32.07
- Fort Wayne-Marion, IN WG-10 step 2 $33.14
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN WG-10 step 2 $35.61
- Louisville, KY WG-10 step 2 $32.80
- Dayton, OH WG-10 step 2 $34.15
- Lexington, KY WG-10 step 2 $30.32
- Eastern Tennessee WG-10 step 2 $26.70
- Nashville, TN WG-10 step 2 $30.27
- West Virginia WG-10 step 2 $32.23
- Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI WG-10 step 2 $38.29
- Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH WG-10 step 2 $35.93
- Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH WG-10 step 2 $32.67
- Pittsburgh, PA WG-10 step 2 $33.03
Cincinnati, OH WG pay questions
What is the WG-10 rate in Cincinnati, OH?
Under schedule 104 (Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN), WG-10 is $31.50 at step 1, $32.87 at step 2 and $36.79 at step 5. At 2,087 hours a year, step 2 is about $68,600, an estimate.
When did the Cincinnati, OH wage schedule take effect?
DCPAS issued schedule 104 on March 17, 2026 with an effective date of March 22, 2026. It replaced the schedule issued November 25, 2025. New schedules follow each local wage survey, so check DCPAS for a newer one.
Are these the rates paid in Cincinnati, OH?
These are the regular schedule rates. DCPAS marks schedule 104 as impacted by OPM CPM 2022-02 (the $15 per hour minimum pay rate for federal employees) and points to special rate schedule M104 for the payable rates. The rates shown are the regular schedule. Find the special schedules on the DCPAS site under "Special".
Which counties does the Cincinnati, OH wage area cover?
DCPAS lists 26 counties or areas for schedule 104; the full list is on this page. OPM's final rule on wage area criteria took effect on October 1, 2025, and DCPAS says it affects approximately 230 counties, so check the list if your county may have moved.
Sources (checked October 31, 2026): DCPAS Wage and Salary Division, appropriated fund wage schedules · 5 CFR 532.203, structure of regular wage schedules (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.201, definitions (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.211, criteria for appropriated fund wage areas (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.417, within-grade increases (eCFR) · 5 U.S.C. 5343, prevailing rate determinations · 5 U.S.C. 5342, definitions · 5 U.S.C. 5504, biweekly pay periods; computation of pay · Federal Register, January 21, 2025 (90 FR 7428), final rule on wage area criteria · OPM, Facts About the Federal Wage System · OPM CPM 2025-20, Fiscal Year 2026 Prevailing Rate Pay Adjustments · OPM CPM 2026-05, Update to Fiscal Year 2026 Prevailing Rate Pay Adjustments · House Document 119-189, Alternative Plan for Pay Adjustments (January 2027)