2017 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2017 is $22,727 at Step 1, rising to $29,549 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 2017.
2017 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2017.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $22,727 | $874.12 | $10.89 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,485 | $903.27 | $11.25 | - |
| Step 3 | $24,243 | $932.42 | $11.62 | - |
| Step 4 | $25,001 | $961.58 | $11.98 | - |
| Step 5 | $25,759 | $990.73 | $12.34 | - |
| Step 6 | $26,517 | $1,019.88 | $12.71 | - |
| Step 7 | $27,275 | $1,049.04 | $13.07 | - |
| Step 8 | $28,033 | $1,078.19 | $13.43 | - |
| Step 9 | $28,791 | $1,107.35 | $13.80 | - |
| Step 10 | $29,549 | $1,136.50 | $14.16 | - |
2017 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2017, 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 | $22,727 | $874.12 | $10.89 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,485 | $903.27 | $11.25 | - |
| Step 3 | $24,243 | $932.42 | $11.62 | - |
| Step 4 | $25,001 | $961.58 | $11.98 | - |
| Step 5 | $25,759 | $990.73 | $12.34 | - |
| Step 6 | $26,517 | $1,019.88 | $12.71 | - |
| Step 7 | $27,275 | $1,049.04 | $13.07 | - |
| Step 8 | $28,033 | $1,078.19 | $13.43 | - |
| Step 9 | $28,791 | $1,107.35 | $13.80 | - |
| Step 10 | $29,549 | $1,136.50 | $14.16 | - |
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 2017, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 38.17% | $31,402 | $40,828 |
| New York-Newark | 31.22% | $29,822 | $38,774 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 30.97% | $29,766 | $38,700 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 29.65% | $29,466 | $38,310 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 27.57% | $28,993 | $37,696 |
| State of Alaska | 27.13% | $28,893 | $37,566 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 27.10% | $28,886 | $37,557 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 26.98% | $28,859 | $37,521 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 26.85% | $28,829 | $37,483 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 26.73% | $28,802 | $37,447 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 25.68% | $28,563 | $37,137 |
| Denver-Aurora | 24.65% | $28,329 | $36,833 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 24.24% | $28,236 | $36,712 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 24.14% | $28,213 | $36,682 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 23.87% | $28,152 | $36,602 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 22.72% | $27,891 | $36,263 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 22.61% | $27,866 | $36,230 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 22.13% | $27,756 | $36,088 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 21.95% | $27,716 | $36,035 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 20.70% | $27,431 | $35,666 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 19.71% | $27,206 | $35,373 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 19.61% | $27,184 | $35,344 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 19.52% | $27,163 | $35,317 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.02% | $27,050 | $35,169 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 18.66% | $26,968 | $35,063 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 18.57% | $26,947 | $35,036 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 18.49% | $26,929 | $35,013 |
| Richmond | 18.19% | $26,861 | $34,924 |
| State of Hawaii | 17.92% | $26,800 | $34,844 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 17.86% | $26,786 | $34,826 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 17.82% | $26,777 | $34,815 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 17.59% | $26,725 | $34,747 |
| Laredo | 16.68% | $26,518 | $34,478 |
| Colorado Springs | 15.99% | $26,361 | $34,274 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 15.97% | $26,357 | $34,268 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 15.93% | $26,347 | $34,256 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 15.85% | $26,329 | $34,233 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 15.85% | $26,329 | $34,233 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 15.83% | $26,325 | $34,227 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 15.66% | $26,286 | $34,176 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 15.65% | $26,284 | $34,173 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 15.63% | $26,279 | $34,168 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 15.59% | $26,270 | $34,156 |
| Davenport-Moline | 15.56% | $26,263 | $34,147 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 15.48% | $26,245 | $34,123 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 15.36% | $26,218 | $34,088 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.06% | $26,150 | $33,999 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2017
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2017 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 2017
GS-3 questions for 2017
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2017?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2017 is $22,727 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2017 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 38.17%), 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.