2019 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2019 is $23,368 at Step 1, rising to $30,379 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 2019.
2019 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2019.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $23,368 | $898.77 | $11.20 | - |
| Step 2 | $24,147 | $928.73 | $11.57 | - |
| Step 3 | $24,926 | $958.69 | $11.94 | - |
| Step 4 | $25,705 | $988.65 | $12.32 | - |
| Step 5 | $26,484 | $1,018.62 | $12.69 | - |
| Step 6 | $27,263 | $1,048.58 | $13.06 | - |
| Step 7 | $28,042 | $1,078.54 | $13.44 | - |
| Step 8 | $28,821 | $1,108.50 | $13.81 | - |
| Step 9 | $29,600 | $1,138.46 | $14.18 | - |
| Step 10 | $30,379 | $1,168.42 | $14.56 | - |
2019 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2019, 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 | $23,368 | $898.77 | $11.20 | - |
| Step 2 | $24,147 | $928.73 | $11.57 | - |
| Step 3 | $24,926 | $958.69 | $11.94 | - |
| Step 4 | $25,705 | $988.65 | $12.32 | - |
| Step 5 | $26,484 | $1,018.62 | $12.69 | - |
| Step 6 | $27,263 | $1,048.58 | $13.06 | - |
| Step 7 | $28,042 | $1,078.54 | $13.44 | - |
| Step 8 | $28,821 | $1,108.50 | $13.81 | - |
| Step 9 | $29,600 | $1,138.46 | $14.18 | - |
| Step 10 | $30,379 | $1,168.42 | $14.56 | - |
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 2019, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $32,797 | $42,637 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $31,093 | $40,422 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $30,972 | $40,264 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $30,722 | $39,939 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $30,219 | $39,286 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $30,119 | $39,155 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $30,114 | $39,149 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $30,098 | $39,128 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $29,974 | $38,967 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $29,923 | $38,900 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $29,633 | $38,524 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $29,514 | $38,369 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $29,453 | $38,290 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $29,348 | $38,153 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $29,280 | $38,065 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $29,025 | $37,734 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $28,976 | $37,670 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $28,773 | $37,406 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $28,771 | $37,403 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $28,425 | $36,953 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $28,177 | $36,631 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $28,147 | $36,592 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $28,091 | $36,519 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $28,039 | $36,452 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $27,964 | $36,355 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $27,948 | $36,333 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $27,918 | $36,294 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $27,897 | $36,266 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $27,850 | $36,206 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $27,803 | $36,145 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $27,775 | $36,108 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $27,717 | $36,033 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $27,626 | $35,914 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $27,448 | $35,683 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $27,385 | $35,601 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $27,385 | $35,601 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $27,352 | $35,559 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $27,350 | $35,556 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $27,291 | $35,480 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $27,266 | $35,446 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $27,259 | $35,437 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $27,247 | $35,422 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $27,240 | $35,413 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $27,221 | $35,388 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $27,184 | $35,340 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $27,154 | $35,300 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $27,149 | $35,294 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $27,123 | $35,261 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $27,109 | $35,243 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $27,086 | $35,212 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $27,077 | $35,200 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $27,053 | $35,170 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $27,030 | $35,139 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2019
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2019 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 2019
GS-3 questions for 2019
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2019 is $23,368 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2019 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 40.35%), 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.