2014 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2014 is $22,058 at Step 1, rising to $28,673 at Step 10. Add the locality pay adjustment for your duty station on top. This page shows the base table first, then every locality-adjusted version of GS-3 for 2014.
2014 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2014.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $22,058 | $848.38 | $10.57 | - |
| Step 2 | $22,793 | $876.65 | $10.92 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,528 | $904.92 | $11.27 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,263 | $933.19 | $11.63 | - |
| Step 5 | $24,998 | $961.46 | $11.98 | - |
| Step 6 | $25,733 | $989.73 | $12.33 | - |
| Step 7 | $26,468 | $1,018.00 | $12.68 | - |
| Step 8 | $27,203 | $1,046.27 | $13.03 | - |
| Step 9 | $27,938 | $1,074.54 | $13.39 | - |
| Step 10 | $28,673 | $1,102.81 | $13.74 | - |
2014 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2014, before any locality adjustment. It shows annual salary, biweekly pay and hourly rate for every step.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $22,058 | $848.38 | $10.57 | - |
| Step 2 | $22,793 | $876.65 | $10.92 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,528 | $904.92 | $11.27 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,263 | $933.19 | $11.63 | - |
| Step 5 | $24,998 | $961.46 | $11.98 | - |
| Step 6 | $25,733 | $989.73 | $12.33 | - |
| Step 7 | $26,468 | $1,018.00 | $12.68 | - |
| Step 8 | $27,203 | $1,046.27 | $13.03 | - |
| Step 9 | $27,938 | $1,074.54 | $13.39 | - |
| Step 10 | $28,673 | $1,102.81 | $13.74 | - |
Who is a GS-3?
Typical role. Routine clerical, office assistant and technician-support roles. Common entry grade for recent high school graduates.
Minimum qualifications. One year of general experience or one year of post-secondary education.
Career progression. Non-competitive promotion to GS-4 after one year of satisfactory performance.
Step-increase waiting periods
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable.
GS-3 locality-adjusted salary for every pay area
Most federal employees receive locality pay on top of their base salary. The table below shows GS-3 Step 1 and Step 10 for every OPM locality pay area in 2014, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 35.15% | $29,811 | $38,752 |
| New York-Newark | 28.72% | $28,393 | $36,908 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 28.71% | $28,391 | $36,905 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 27.16% | $28,049 | $36,461 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 25.82% | $27,753 | $36,076 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 25.10% | $27,595 | $35,870 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 24.80% | $27,528 | $35,784 |
| State of Alaska | 24.69% | $27,504 | $35,752 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 24.22% | $27,400 | $35,618 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 24.19% | $27,394 | $35,609 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 24.09% | $27,372 | $35,580 |
| Denver-Aurora | 22.52% | $27,025 | $35,130 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 22.20% | $26,955 | $35,038 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 21.81% | $26,869 | $34,927 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 21.79% | $26,864 | $34,921 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 20.96% | $26,681 | $34,683 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 20.79% | $26,644 | $34,634 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 20.67% | $26,617 | $34,600 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 20.35% | $26,547 | $34,508 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 19.29% | $26,313 | $34,204 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 18.68% | $26,178 | $34,029 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 18.55% | $26,150 | $33,992 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 18.10% | $26,050 | $33,863 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 17.64% | $25,949 | $33,731 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 17.16% | $25,843 | $33,593 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 16.98% | $25,803 | $33,542 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 16.76% | $25,755 | $33,479 |
| State of Hawaii | 16.51% | $25,700 | $33,407 |
| Richmond | 16.47% | $25,691 | $33,395 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 16.37% | $25,669 | $33,367 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 16.24% | $25,640 | $33,329 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 16.02% | $25,592 | $33,266 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 14.68% | $25,296 | $32,882 |
| Rest of U.S. | 14.16% | $25,181 | $32,733 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2014
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2014 General Schedule, the pay system used by roughly 70% of civilian white-collar federal employees. Routine clerical, office assistant and technician-support roles. Common entry grade for recent high school graduates.
How step increases work
Within-grade step increases happen automatically as long as your performance is acceptable. You move from Step 1 to Step 4 one year at a time, from Step 4 to Step 7 every two years, and from Step 7 to Step 10 every three years. Managers can award a one-time quality step increase (QSI) to accelerate progression for employees whose performance is rated outstanding.
Browse other grades in 2014
GS-3 questions for 2014
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2014?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2014 is $22,058 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2014 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.15%), GS-3 Step 1 can reach significantly more. -
How long does it take to reach GS-3 Step 10?
If you never get a quality step increase, it takes roughly 18 years to move from Step 1 to Step 10. Steps 1-4 take one year each, Steps 5-7 take two years each, and Steps 8-10 take three years each. A quality step increase can shorten that timeline by one year per QSI. -
How do I get promoted from GS-3 to GS-4?
Promotion from GS-3 to GS-4 generally requires one year of specialized experience at the GS-3 level, and a competitive selection into a GS-4 vacancy. Open the GS-4 pay scale to see the next grade's salaries. -
What is the military equivalent of GS-3?
GS-3 is roughly equivalent to E-4 Specialist. These equivalents are approximate. The GS and military pay systems do not map one to one.