2021 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2021 is $24,216 at Step 1, rising to $31,479 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 2021.
2021 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2021.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $24,216 | $931.38 | $11.60 | - |
| Step 2 | $25,023 | $962.42 | $11.99 | - |
| Step 3 | $25,830 | $993.46 | $12.38 | - |
| Step 4 | $26,637 | $1,024.50 | $12.76 | - |
| Step 5 | $27,444 | $1,055.54 | $13.15 | - |
| Step 6 | $28,251 | $1,086.58 | $13.54 | - |
| Step 7 | $29,058 | $1,117.62 | $13.92 | - |
| Step 8 | $29,865 | $1,148.65 | $14.31 | - |
| Step 9 | $30,672 | $1,179.69 | $14.70 | - |
| Step 10 | $31,479 | $1,210.73 | $15.08 | - |
2021 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2021, 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 | $24,216 | $931.38 | $11.60 | - |
| Step 2 | $25,023 | $962.42 | $11.99 | - |
| Step 3 | $25,830 | $993.46 | $12.38 | - |
| Step 4 | $26,637 | $1,024.50 | $12.76 | - |
| Step 5 | $27,444 | $1,055.54 | $13.15 | - |
| Step 6 | $28,251 | $1,086.58 | $13.54 | - |
| Step 7 | $29,058 | $1,117.62 | $13.92 | - |
| Step 8 | $29,865 | $1,148.65 | $14.31 | - |
| Step 9 | $30,672 | $1,179.69 | $14.70 | - |
| Step 10 | $31,479 | $1,210.73 | $15.08 | - |
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 2021, 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% | $34,251 | $44,524 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $32,445 | $42,176 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $32,285 | $41,968 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $32,064 | $41,681 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $31,597 | $41,074 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $31,425 | $40,850 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $31,401 | $40,819 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $31,357 | $40,762 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $31,265 | $40,643 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $31,139 | $40,479 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $30,832 | $40,079 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $30,786 | $40,019 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $30,759 | $39,985 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $30,602 | $39,780 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $30,522 | $39,676 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $30,265 | $39,342 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $30,188 | $39,242 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $29,965 | $38,952 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $29,909 | $38,880 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $29,582 | $38,455 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $29,292 | $38,077 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $29,258 | $38,033 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $29,192 | $37,948 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $29,178 | $37,929 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $29,108 | $37,838 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $29,088 | $37,813 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $29,064 | $37,781 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $29,047 | $37,759 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $29,023 | $37,728 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $28,953 | $37,636 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $28,914 | $37,586 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $28,861 | $37,517 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $28,788 | $37,422 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $28,616 | $37,199 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $28,546 | $37,107 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $28,522 | $37,076 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $28,497 | $37,044 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $28,490 | $37,035 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $28,439 | $36,969 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $28,381 | $36,893 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $28,379 | $36,890 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $28,364 | $36,871 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $28,342 | $36,843 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $28,313 | $36,805 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $28,306 | $36,796 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $28,277 | $36,758 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $28,267 | $36,745 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $28,255 | $36,730 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $28,226 | $36,692 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $28,214 | $36,676 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $28,170 | $36,620 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $28,154 | $36,597 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 15.95% | $28,078 | $36,500 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $28,078 | $36,500 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2021
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2021 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 2021
GS-3 questions for 2021
-
What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2021?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2021 is $24,216 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2021 (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.