2015 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2015 is $22,279 at Step 1, rising to $28,966 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 2015.
2015 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2015.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $22,279 | $856.88 | $10.68 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,022 | $885.46 | $11.03 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,765 | $914.04 | $11.39 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,508 | $942.62 | $11.74 | - |
| Step 5 | $25,251 | $971.19 | $12.10 | - |
| Step 6 | $25,994 | $999.77 | $12.46 | - |
| Step 7 | $26,737 | $1,028.35 | $12.81 | - |
| Step 8 | $27,480 | $1,056.92 | $13.17 | - |
| Step 9 | $28,223 | $1,085.50 | $13.52 | - |
| Step 10 | $28,966 | $1,114.08 | $13.88 | - |
2015 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2015, 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 | $22,279 | $856.88 | $10.68 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,022 | $885.46 | $11.03 | - |
| Step 3 | $23,765 | $914.04 | $11.39 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,508 | $942.62 | $11.74 | - |
| Step 5 | $25,251 | $971.19 | $12.10 | - |
| Step 6 | $25,994 | $999.77 | $12.46 | - |
| Step 7 | $26,737 | $1,028.35 | $12.81 | - |
| Step 8 | $27,480 | $1,056.92 | $13.17 | - |
| Step 9 | $28,223 | $1,085.50 | $13.52 | - |
| Step 10 | $28,966 | $1,114.08 | $13.88 | - |
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 2015, 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% | $30,110 | $39,148 |
| New York-Newark | 28.72% | $28,678 | $37,285 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 28.71% | $28,675 | $37,282 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 27.16% | $28,330 | $36,833 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 25.82% | $28,031 | $36,445 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 25.10% | $27,871 | $36,236 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 24.80% | $27,804 | $36,150 |
| State of Alaska | 24.69% | $27,780 | $36,118 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 24.22% | $27,675 | $35,982 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 24.19% | $27,668 | $35,973 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 24.09% | $27,646 | $35,944 |
| Denver-Aurora | 22.52% | $27,296 | $35,489 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 22.20% | $27,225 | $35,396 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 21.81% | $27,138 | $35,283 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 21.79% | $27,134 | $35,278 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 20.96% | $26,949 | $35,037 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 20.79% | $26,911 | $34,988 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 20.67% | $26,884 | $34,953 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 20.35% | $26,813 | $34,861 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 19.29% | $26,577 | $34,554 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 18.68% | $26,441 | $34,377 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 18.55% | $26,412 | $34,339 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 18.10% | $26,311 | $34,209 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 17.64% | $26,209 | $34,076 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 17.16% | $26,102 | $33,937 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 16.98% | $26,062 | $33,884 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 16.76% | $26,013 | $33,821 |
| State of Hawaii | 16.51% | $25,957 | $33,748 |
| Richmond | 16.47% | $25,948 | $33,737 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 16.37% | $25,926 | $33,708 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 16.24% | $25,897 | $33,670 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 16.02% | $25,848 | $33,606 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 14.68% | $25,550 | $33,218 |
| Rest of U.S. | 14.16% | $25,434 | $33,068 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2015
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2015 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 2015
GS-3 questions for 2015
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2015?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2015 is $22,279 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2015 (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.