2018 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2018 is $23,045 at Step 1, rising to $29,957 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 2018.
2018 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2018.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $23,045 | $886.35 | $11.04 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,813 | $915.88 | $11.41 | - |
| Step 3 | $24,581 | $945.42 | $11.78 | - |
| Step 4 | $25,349 | $974.96 | $12.15 | - |
| Step 5 | $26,117 | $1,004.50 | $12.51 | - |
| Step 6 | $26,885 | $1,034.04 | $12.88 | - |
| Step 7 | $27,653 | $1,063.58 | $13.25 | - |
| Step 8 | $28,421 | $1,093.12 | $13.62 | - |
| Step 9 | $29,189 | $1,122.65 | $13.99 | - |
| Step 10 | $29,957 | $1,152.19 | $14.35 | - |
2018 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2018, 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 | $23,045 | $886.35 | $11.04 | - |
| Step 2 | $23,813 | $915.88 | $11.41 | - |
| Step 3 | $24,581 | $945.42 | $11.78 | - |
| Step 4 | $25,349 | $974.96 | $12.15 | - |
| Step 5 | $26,117 | $1,004.50 | $12.51 | - |
| Step 6 | $26,885 | $1,034.04 | $12.88 | - |
| Step 7 | $27,653 | $1,063.58 | $13.25 | - |
| Step 8 | $28,421 | $1,093.12 | $13.62 | - |
| Step 9 | $29,189 | $1,122.65 | $13.99 | - |
| Step 10 | $29,957 | $1,152.19 | $14.35 | - |
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 2018, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 39.28% | $32,097 | $41,724 |
| New York-Newark | 32.13% | $30,449 | $39,582 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 31.74% | $30,359 | $39,465 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 30.57% | $30,090 | $39,115 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 28.22% | $29,548 | $38,411 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.21% | $29,546 | $38,408 |
| State of Alaska | 28.02% | $29,502 | $38,351 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 27.88% | $29,470 | $38,309 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 27.48% | $29,378 | $38,189 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 27.47% | $29,375 | $38,186 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.25% | $29,094 | $37,821 |
| Denver-Aurora | 25.47% | $28,915 | $37,587 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 25.11% | $28,832 | $37,479 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 24.86% | $28,774 | $37,404 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 24.59% | $28,712 | $37,323 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 23.40% | $28,438 | $36,967 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 23.37% | $28,431 | $36,958 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 22.64% | $28,262 | $36,739 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 22.53% | $28,237 | $36,706 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.16% | $27,921 | $36,296 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.14% | $27,686 | $35,990 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.08% | $27,672 | $35,972 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 19.87% | $27,624 | $35,909 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.52% | $27,543 | $35,805 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.18% | $27,465 | $35,703 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.09% | $27,444 | $35,676 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 18.97% | $27,417 | $35,640 |
| Richmond | 18.79% | $27,375 | $35,586 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 18.49% | $27,306 | $35,496 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.43% | $27,292 | $35,478 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.35% | $27,274 | $35,454 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.11% | $27,218 | $35,382 |
| Laredo | 17.40% | $27,055 | $35,170 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 16.71% | $26,896 | $34,963 |
| Colorado Springs | 16.59% | $26,868 | $34,927 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 16.50% | $26,847 | $34,900 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 16.49% | $26,845 | $34,897 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 16.47% | $26,841 | $34,891 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.23% | $26,785 | $34,819 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.21% | $26,781 | $34,813 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.17% | $26,771 | $34,801 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.15% | $26,767 | $34,795 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.10% | $26,755 | $34,780 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.08% | $26,751 | $34,774 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 15.93% | $26,716 | $34,729 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 15.76% | $26,677 | $34,678 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.37% | $26,587 | $34,561 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2018
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2018 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 2018
GS-3 questions for 2018
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2018?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2018 is $23,045 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2018 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 39.28%), 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.