2015 GS-3 Pay in Rest of U.S.

Locality-adjusted GS-3 rates for Rest of U.S..

14.16% locality adjustment

$25,434 step 1 annual salary

$33,068 step 10 annual salary

Step	Annual salary	Biweekly pay	Hourly rate	Locality add-on
Step 1	$25,434	$978.23	$12.19	+$3,155
Step 2	$26,282	$1,010.85	$12.59	+$3,260
Step 3	$27,130	$1,043.46	$13.00	+$3,365
Step 4	$27,978	$1,076.08	$13.41	+$3,470
Step 5	$28,827	$1,108.73	$13.81	+$3,576
Step 6	$29,675	$1,141.35	$14.22	+$3,681
Step 7	$30,523	$1,173.96	$14.63	+$3,786
Step 8	$31,371	$1,206.58	$15.03	+$3,891
Step 9	$32,219	$1,239.19	$15.44	+$3,996
Step 10	$33,068	$1,271.85	$15.84	+$4,102

2015 GS-3 pay table for Rest of U.S.

Each step below already includes the 14.16% locality adjustment. The "Locality add-on" column shows how much locality pay is adding compared with the base GS-3 table.

Step	Annual salary	Biweekly pay	Hourly rate	Locality add-on
Step 1	$25,434	$978.23	$12.19	+$3,155
Step 2	$26,282	$1,010.85	$12.59	+$3,260
Step 3	$27,130	$1,043.46	$13.00	+$3,365
Step 4	$27,978	$1,076.08	$13.41	+$3,470
Step 5	$28,827	$1,108.73	$13.81	+$3,576
Step 6	$29,675	$1,141.35	$14.22	+$3,681
Step 7	$30,523	$1,173.96	$14.63	+$3,786
Step 8	$31,371	$1,206.58	$15.03	+$3,891
Step 9	$32,219	$1,239.19	$15.44	+$3,996
Step 10	$33,068	$1,271.85	$15.84	+$4,102

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Base vs. locality comparison

How much more Rest of U.S. pays

Base GS-3 Step 1 $22,279
Rest of U.S. GS-3 Step 1 $25,434
Locality add-on +$3,155
Adjustment percent 14.16%
Base GS-3 Step 10 $28,966
Rest of U.S. GS-3 Step 10 $33,068

Step-increase waiting periods

Step 1 → Step 2 52 weeks
Step 2 → Step 3 52 weeks
Step 3 → Step 4 52 weeks
Step 4 → Step 5 104 weeks
Step 5 → Step 6 104 weeks
Step 6 → Step 7 104 weeks
Step 7 → Step 8 156 weeks
Step 8 → Step 9 156 weeks
Step 9 → Step 10 156 weeks

GS-3 in Rest of U.S.: what to expect

Routine clerical, office assistant and technician-support roles. Common entry grade for recent high school graduates.

For 2015, the Rest of U.S. pay area adds a 14.16% locality adjustment on top of the nationwide base GS schedule. Every GS-3 employee assigned to this area benefits from that same percentage, regardless of step or series.

Qualifications and career path

Minimum qualifications. One year of general experience or one year of post-secondary education.

Promotion path. Non-competitive promotion to GS-4 after one year of satisfactory performance.

The rough military equivalent for GS-3 is E-4 Specialist, useful for comparing GS roles against enlisted and officer ranks when looking at pay or authority level.

Biweekly take-home for GS-3 in Rest of U.S.

Before taxes and deductions, a GS-3 Step 1 employee in Rest of U.S. earns roughly $978 per biweekly pay period. At Step 10 that rises to $1,272. Actual take-home will be lower after federal tax, state tax, TSP contributions, retirement and health insurance deductions.

Note. This is the archived 2015 table. For current pay, open the latest GS-3 Rest of U.S. page.

Other grades in Rest of U.S.

GS-1 $20,733 GS-2 $23,310 GS-3 $25,434 GS-4 $28,553 GS-5 $31,944 GS-6 $35,609 GS-7 $39,570 GS-8 $43,823 GS-9 $48,403 GS-10 $53,302 GS-11 $58,562 GS-12 $70,192 GS-13 $83,468 GS-14 $98,633 GS-15 $116,021

GS-3 in Rest of U.S. questions

How much does a GS-3 make in Rest of U.S.?

In 2015, a GS-3 Step 1 employee in Rest of U.S. earns $25,434 per year. At Step 10 the salary reaches $33,068. This is 14.16% higher than the base GS-3 salary.
What is the locality adjustment for GS-3 in Rest of U.S.?

The locality adjustment is the same for every grade and step within a pay area. For Rest of U.S. in 2015, it is 14.16%. On a GS-3 Step 1 salary that translates to an extra $3,155 per year.
What is the biweekly pay for GS-3 in Rest of U.S.?

Biweekly pay is annual salary divided by 26. A GS-3 Step 1 employee in Rest of U.S. earns roughly $978 per pay period before tax and retirement deductions.