2016 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2016 is $22,502 at Step 1, rising to $29,252 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 2016.
2016 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2016.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $22,502 | $865.46 | $10.78 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,252 | $894.31 | $11.14 | - |
| Step 3 | $24,002 | $923.15 | $11.50 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,752 | $952.00 | $11.86 | - |
| Step 5 | $25,502 | $980.85 | $12.22 | - |
| Step 6 | $26,252 | $1,009.69 | $12.58 | - |
| Step 7 | $27,002 | $1,038.54 | $12.94 | - |
| Step 8 | $27,752 | $1,067.38 | $13.30 | - |
| Step 9 | $28,502 | $1,096.23 | $13.66 | - |
| Step 10 | $29,252 | $1,125.08 | $14.02 | - |
2016 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2016, 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 | $22,502 | $865.46 | $10.78 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,252 | $894.31 | $11.14 | - |
| Step 3 | $24,002 | $923.15 | $11.50 | - |
| Step 4 | $24,752 | $952.00 | $11.86 | - |
| Step 5 | $25,502 | $980.85 | $12.22 | - |
| Step 6 | $26,252 | $1,009.69 | $12.58 | - |
| Step 7 | $27,002 | $1,038.54 | $12.94 | - |
| Step 8 | $27,752 | $1,067.38 | $13.30 | - |
| Step 9 | $28,502 | $1,096.23 | $13.66 | - |
| Step 10 | $29,252 | $1,125.08 | $14.02 | - |
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 2016, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 35.75% | $30,546 | $39,710 |
| New York-Newark | 29.20% | $29,073 | $37,794 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 29.11% | $29,052 | $37,767 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 27.65% | $28,724 | $37,340 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 26.20% | $28,398 | $36,916 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 25.44% | $28,227 | $36,694 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 25.19% | $28,170 | $36,621 |
| State of Alaska | 25.16% | $28,164 | $36,612 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 24.78% | $28,078 | $36,501 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 24.73% | $28,067 | $36,486 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 24.40% | $27,992 | $36,389 |
| Denver-Aurora | 22.93% | $27,662 | $35,959 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 22.61% | $27,590 | $35,866 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 22.26% | $27,511 | $35,763 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 22.22% | $27,502 | $35,752 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 21.30% | $27,295 | $35,483 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 21.05% | $27,239 | $35,410 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 21.04% | $27,236 | $35,407 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 20.69% | $27,158 | $35,304 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 19.58% | $26,908 | $34,980 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 18.87% | $26,748 | $34,772 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 18.76% | $26,723 | $34,740 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 18.39% | $26,640 | $34,631 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 17.94% | $26,539 | $34,500 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 17.41% | $26,420 | $34,345 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 17.31% | $26,397 | $34,316 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 17.12% | $26,354 | $34,260 |
| State of Hawaii | 16.81% | $26,285 | $34,169 |
| Richmond | 16.76% | $26,273 | $34,155 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 16.68% | $26,255 | $34,131 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 16.50% | $26,215 | $34,079 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 16.37% | $26,186 | $34,041 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 14.92% | $25,859 | $33,616 |
| Laredo | 14.59% | $25,785 | $33,520 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 14.55% | $25,776 | $33,508 |
| Colorado Springs | 14.52% | $25,769 | $33,499 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 14.51% | $25,767 | $33,496 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 14.51% | $25,767 | $33,496 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 14.49% | $25,763 | $33,491 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 14.49% | $25,763 | $33,491 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 14.49% | $25,763 | $33,491 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 14.47% | $25,758 | $33,485 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 14.44% | $25,751 | $33,476 |
| Davenport-Moline | 14.43% | $25,749 | $33,473 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 14.42% | $25,747 | $33,470 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 14.37% | $25,736 | $33,456 |
| Rest of U.S. | 14.35% | $25,731 | $33,450 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2016
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2016 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 2016
GS-3 questions for 2016
-
What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2016?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2016 is $22,502 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2016 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 35.75%), 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.