2020 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2020 is $23,976 at Step 1, rising to $31,167 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 2020.
2020 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2020.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $23,976 | $922.15 | $11.49 | - |
| Step 2 | $24,775 | $952.88 | $11.87 | - |
| Step 3 | $25,574 | $983.62 | $12.25 | - |
| Step 4 | $26,373 | $1,014.35 | $12.64 | - |
| Step 5 | $27,172 | $1,045.08 | $13.02 | - |
| Step 6 | $27,971 | $1,075.81 | $13.40 | - |
| Step 7 | $28,770 | $1,106.54 | $13.79 | - |
| Step 8 | $29,569 | $1,137.27 | $14.17 | - |
| Step 9 | $30,368 | $1,168.00 | $14.55 | - |
| Step 10 | $31,167 | $1,198.73 | $14.93 | - |
2020 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2020, 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 | $23,976 | $922.15 | $11.49 | - |
| Step 2 | $24,775 | $952.88 | $11.87 | - |
| Step 3 | $25,574 | $983.62 | $12.25 | - |
| Step 4 | $26,373 | $1,014.35 | $12.64 | - |
| Step 5 | $27,172 | $1,045.08 | $13.02 | - |
| Step 6 | $27,971 | $1,075.81 | $13.40 | - |
| Step 7 | $28,770 | $1,106.54 | $13.79 | - |
| Step 8 | $29,569 | $1,137.27 | $14.17 | - |
| Step 9 | $30,368 | $1,168.00 | $14.55 | - |
| Step 10 | $31,167 | $1,198.73 | $14.93 | - |
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 2020, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 41.44% | $33,912 | $44,083 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $32,123 | $41,758 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $31,965 | $41,552 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $31,747 | $41,268 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $31,284 | $40,667 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $31,114 | $40,445 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $31,090 | $40,414 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $31,047 | $40,358 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $30,955 | $40,240 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $30,831 | $40,078 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $30,526 | $39,682 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $30,481 | $39,623 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $30,454 | $39,588 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $30,298 | $39,386 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $30,219 | $39,283 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $29,965 | $38,953 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $29,888 | $38,853 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $29,668 | $38,566 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $29,613 | $38,494 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $29,289 | $38,074 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $29,001 | $37,700 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $28,968 | $37,656 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $28,903 | $37,572 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $28,889 | $37,553 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $28,819 | $37,463 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $28,800 | $37,438 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $28,776 | $37,407 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $28,759 | $37,385 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $28,735 | $37,354 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $28,666 | $37,263 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $28,627 | $37,213 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $28,575 | $37,145 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $28,503 | $37,051 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $28,332 | $36,830 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $28,263 | $36,740 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $28,239 | $36,708 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $28,215 | $36,677 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $28,208 | $36,668 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $28,157 | $36,603 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $28,100 | $36,528 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $28,097 | $36,525 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $28,083 | $36,506 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $28,062 | $36,478 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $28,033 | $36,440 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $28,026 | $36,431 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $27,997 | $36,394 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $27,987 | $36,381 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $27,975 | $36,366 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $27,946 | $36,328 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $27,934 | $36,313 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $27,891 | $36,257 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $27,874 | $36,235 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $27,800 | $36,138 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2020
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2020 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 2020
GS-3 questions for 2020
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2020 is $23,976 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2020 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 41.44%), 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.