If you’ve applied for a federal job and seen “GS-12” on one posting and “GG-12” on another, you might assume they’re the same thing with different labels. The grade numbers are identical. The base pay rates are numerically the same. But the systems behind them are different — and for cleared workers in designated DCIPS cyber and STEM roles, targeted pay supplements can produce compensation that far exceeds a comparable standard GS salary.
Here’s how GS and GG actually work.
The General Schedule (GS)
The General Schedule is the pay system most federal civilian employees are on. Established in Title 5 of the U.S. Code, it covers a broad range of competitive service agencies — the VA, HHS, DoD civilians in non-intelligence roles, and many others.
The structure is straightforward: 15 grades (GS-1 through GS-15), each with 10 steps. Grades represent job complexity and responsibility. Steps represent seniority within a grade. Moving from Step 1 to Step 10 at the standard pace takes about 18 years.
2026 base pay at key grades (before locality):
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 5 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 | $52,727 | $59,760 | $68,549 |
| GS-11 | $63,793 | $72,304 | $82,942 |
| GS-12 | $76,463 | $86,661 | $99,402 |
| GS-13 | $90,925 | $103,048 | $118,206 |
| GS-14 | $107,451 | $121,776 | $139,686 |
| GS-15 | $126,384 | $143,242 | $164,302 |
Base pay isn’t your actual pay. Most GS employees also receive locality pay.
Locality Pay
Locality pay is added on top of base pay based on where you work — not where you live. OPM divides the country into 47 locality areas and publishes the percentage supplement for each. It’s not a bonus; it’s part of basic pay for most purposes.
2026 selected locality rates:
| Area | Rate |
|---|---|
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington (DC area) | 33.94% |
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 46.34% |
| Rest of United States (RUS) | 17.06% |
A GS-12 Step 1 in the DC area earns approximately $102,415 with locality applied. The same grade and step in a Rest of U.S. area earns about $89,508.
GS pay has a ceiling. Base pay plus locality is capped at Executive Schedule Level IV — $197,200 in 2026. GS-15 Step 10 in high-cost areas hits that cap.
Step Increases
Step advancement under GS is time-based, provided your performance rating is satisfactory:
- Steps 1–3: one step every 52 weeks
- Steps 4–6: one step every 104 weeks
- Steps 7–10: one step every 156 weeks
Managers can grant a Quality Step Increase (QSI) for outstanding performance, which advances a step ahead of schedule. But standard advancement is driven by time, not performance.
For more on how GS promotions, career ladders, and time-in-grade rules work in practice, see How Federal Pay Works.
The GG Pay Scale
GG is a pay plan code that appears in federal job postings and personnel records. The grade and step numbers are identical to GS — GG-1 through GG-15, with 10 steps each — and the base pay rates at each grade and step match GS numbers.
What’s different is everything behind those numbers.
GG positions are in the excepted service — appointed under agency-specific statutory authority outside OPM’s standard competitive service rules. For most DoD intelligence components, that authority comes from 10 U.S.C. § 1601 and Chapter 83 of Title 10, which established the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel System (DCIPS). The CIA operates under its own excepted service authority through the CIA Act and handles pay similarly, though separately from DCIPS.
DCIPS agencies include NSA, DIA, NGA, NRO, and DCSA — but they don’t all implement GG the same way. For how clearance levels, SCI access, and polygraph requirements differ across these same agencies, see Security Clearance Levels Explained. Two compensation models exist within DCIPS.
Model 1: Graded GG (Step-Based)
Some DCIPS agencies, including DCSA, retain a grade-and-step structure that looks like GS on the surface. Compensation includes a Local Market Supplement (LMS) that corresponds to federal locality pay areas — DCIPS LMS rates track GS locality adjustments, so baseline pay for a graded GG position lands close to its GS equivalent in the same location.
The key difference from GS: there are no automatic within-grade step increases. Advancement is performance-based. A GG employee who performs satisfactorily doesn’t advance on a fixed timeline the way a GS employee does.
Model 2: Pay Banded DCIPS (NGA and Others)
Other agencies have moved fully to DCIPS pay bands, replacing the 15-grade, 10-step table with broad bands covering ranges of GS-equivalent grades. NGA publicly presents this structure:
| DCIPS Band | GS Equivalent | DC Area Min | DC Area Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | GS-1 to GS-7 | ~$22,584 | ~$58,913 |
| Band 2 | GS-7 to GS-10 | ~$43,106 | ~$79,349 |
| Band 3 | GS-11 to GS-13 | ~$63,795 | ~$124,266 |
| Band 4 | GS-13 to GS-14 | ~$90,925 | ~$146,848 |
| Band 5 | GS-15 | ~$126,384 | ~$172,727 |
In banded agencies, there are no step numbers and no grade-to-grade promotions within a band. Salary moves within the band based on annual performance ratings. A promotion to a higher band means at least a 6% base pay increase, or the band minimum, whichever is greater.
DCIPS and OPM: Who Sets the Pay
DCIPS is a DoD-governed personnel system — pay plans, rates, ranges, and supplements are set by the Secretary of Defense and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, not OPM. However, DCIPS pay plans are designed to adjust alongside GS increases: when Congress or the President adjusts GS rates via Executive Order, DCIPS rates adjust in parallel. The two systems run on separate tracks that are calibrated to move together.
For non-TLMS positions, this means a graded GG employee in the DC area will typically see compensation comparable to their GS equivalent in the same location. The grade numbers are the same. The locality mechanism is different, but the outcome is similar.
Where the systems diverge significantly is in targeted supplements.
The STEM/Cyber TLMS — The Number Most People Don’t Know
This is not standard GG pay. It applies only to covered DCIPS STEM/Cyber work roles designated by the agency.
In 2023, the Pentagon approved a Targeted Local Market Supplement (TLMS) for STEM and cybersecurity work roles across DCIPS agencies — NSA, DIA, NGA, NRO, and others. For covered roles, the TLMS sets adjusted basic pay at the base GG rate plus the TLMS percentage, subject to the overall pay cap of $197,200.
2026 DCIPS TLMS rates for covered STEM/Cyber positions:
| Grade | TLMS Rate |
|---|---|
| GG-7 | +90% |
| GG-9 | +80% |
| GG-11 | +65% |
| GG-12 | +54% |
| GG-13 | +46% |
| GG-14 | +38% |
| GG-15 | +32.49% |
For covered STEM/Cyber roles, adjusted basic pay is substantially higher than standard GG or comparable GS pay. A GS-12 cybersecurity analyst at a standard DoD agency working under OPM locality tables does not receive anything equivalent. The TLMS was designed specifically to address IC agencies losing technical talent to private sector employers offering significantly higher compensation.
Position classification determines eligibility. Not every GG-12 position at an IC agency is covered — the TLMS applies to defined STEM and Cyber work roles, and agencies designate which positions qualify.
Above GS-15: SES and DISES
Both systems have a senior executive tier above GS-15/GG-15.
Senior Executive Service (SES) covers most civilian agencies. In 2026, SES pay runs from $151,661 to $228,000 depending on whether the agency has an OPM-certified performance appraisal system. No grades or steps — pay is set individually within the range.
Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service (DISES) is the DoD IC equivalent, covering NSA, DIA, NGA, and other DCIPS agencies under Title 10 authority. DISES is tiered: $151,661 minimum, with maximums of $209,600, $219,000, or $228,000 depending on tier. DISES members are not entitled to locality pay.
What This Means for Cleared IT Workers
The comparison that matters most for most people reading this: a standard GG position at an IC agency pays close to what a GS position at the same grade pays. The locality mechanisms differ but track each other. The advancement model differs — performance-based rather than time-based, which introduces variability.
The significant compensation difference only appears for workers in covered DCIPS STEM/Cyber roles. If your position qualifies, you’re operating under a pay supplement that doesn’t exist in the standard GS world.
For strong performers in designated technical roles, DCIPS compensation at an IC agency will typically outpace what a comparable GS position offers by a meaningful margin. For those who prefer predictable, time-based advancement or are in non-STEM roles, GS and standard GG look more similar than different.
Key Takeaways
- GS (General Schedule) covers most federal civilian workers — 15 grades, 10 steps each, OPM-governed, with locality pay set by annual Executive Order.
- GG designates excepted service appointments under agency-specific authority. NSA, DIA, NGA, NRO, and DCSA all use GG under DCIPS, but implementation differs by agency.
- Some DCIPS agencies (DCSA) use a graded GG step structure. Others (NGA) use full pay bands with no step numbers. Knowing which model your agency uses matters.
- DCIPS uses Local Market Supplements instead of OPM locality pay. LMS rates track GS locality adjustments, producing similar baseline compensation.
- DCIPS is DoD-governed, not OPM-governed — but pay plans are calibrated to move alongside GS adjustments.
- The TLMS for covered STEM/Cyber roles is the major differentiator: supplements ranging from +32% to +90% apply to designated positions, producing compensation that standard GS positions cannot match.
- DISES is the senior executive equivalent at IC agencies — tiered from $151,661 to $228,000 under Title 10 authority, with no locality pay entitlement.
Sources
- OPM — General Schedule Overview and 2026 Pay Tables. Base pay and locality rate tables for all GS positions.
- OPM — Maximum GS Pay Limitations. EX-IV cap and GS pay ceiling documentation.
- DCIPS — 2026 Pay Rates and Ranges. Official DCIPS pay structure, LMS, and TLMS documentation.
- DCIPS — 2026 STEM/Cyber TLMS Pay Charts. TLMS supplement rates by grade for covered DCIPS positions.
- NGA — Benefits and Pay. NGA’s public pay band structure and DISES/DISL tier information.
- 10 U.S.C. Chapter 83 — Civilian Defense Intelligence Personnel. Statutory authority for DCIPS and GG appointments.
For a full breakdown of GS grades, locality pay, step increases, and career ladders, see How Federal Pay Works. For how clearance levels and SCI access work at the IC agencies covered here, see Security Clearance Levels Explained.
This article is informational. Pay structures are subject to change — verify current figures against OPM, DCIPS, and official agency publications before making career or compensation decisions.