2022 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2022 is $24,749 at Step 1, rising to $32,174 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 2022.
2022 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2022.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $24,749 | $951.88 | $11.86 | - |
| Step 2 | $25,574 | $983.62 | $12.25 | - |
| Step 3 | $26,399 | $1,015.35 | $12.65 | - |
| Step 4 | $27,224 | $1,047.08 | $13.04 | - |
| Step 5 | $28,049 | $1,078.81 | $13.44 | - |
| Step 6 | $28,874 | $1,110.54 | $13.84 | - |
| Step 7 | $29,699 | $1,142.27 | $14.23 | - |
| Step 8 | $30,524 | $1,174.00 | $14.63 | - |
| Step 9 | $31,349 | $1,205.73 | $15.02 | - |
| Step 10 | $32,174 | $1,237.46 | $15.42 | - |
2022 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2022, 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 | $24,749 | $951.88 | $11.86 | - |
| Step 2 | $25,574 | $983.62 | $12.25 | - |
| Step 3 | $26,399 | $1,015.35 | $12.65 | - |
| Step 4 | $27,224 | $1,047.08 | $13.04 | - |
| Step 5 | $28,049 | $1,078.81 | $13.44 | - |
| Step 6 | $28,874 | $1,110.54 | $13.84 | - |
| Step 7 | $29,699 | $1,142.27 | $14.23 | - |
| Step 8 | $30,524 | $1,174.00 | $14.63 | - |
| Step 9 | $31,349 | $1,205.73 | $15.02 | - |
| Step 10 | $32,174 | $1,237.46 | $15.42 | - |
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 2022, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 42.74% | $35,327 | $45,925 |
| New York-Newark | 35.06% | $33,426 | $43,454 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.96% | $33,154 | $43,100 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 33.61% | $33,067 | $42,988 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 31.53% | $32,552 | $42,318 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 30.87% | $32,389 | $42,106 |
| State of Alaska | 30.42% | $32,278 | $41,961 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.20% | $32,223 | $41,891 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 30.09% | $32,196 | $41,855 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.18% | $31,971 | $41,562 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 28.28% | $31,748 | $41,273 |
| Denver-Aurora | 28.10% | $31,703 | $41,215 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.86% | $31,644 | $41,138 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 27.30% | $31,505 | $40,958 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.95% | $31,419 | $40,845 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 25.68% | $31,105 | $40,436 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 25.49% | $31,058 | $40,375 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.34% | $30,773 | $40,005 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.80% | $30,639 | $39,831 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.63% | $30,350 | $39,455 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.32% | $30,025 | $39,033 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.25% | $30,008 | $39,011 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.94% | $29,931 | $38,911 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.94% | $29,931 | $38,911 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.84% | $29,907 | $38,879 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.78% | $29,892 | $38,860 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.69% | $29,870 | $38,831 |
| Richmond | 20.64% | $29,857 | $38,815 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.45% | $29,810 | $38,754 |
| State of Hawaii | 20.40% | $29,798 | $38,737 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.93% | $29,681 | $38,586 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.90% | $29,674 | $38,577 |
| Laredo | 19.85% | $29,662 | $38,561 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.80% | $29,402 | $38,223 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 18.68% | $29,372 | $38,184 |
| Colorado Springs | 18.42% | $29,308 | $38,100 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 18.35% | $29,290 | $38,078 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.25% | $29,266 | $38,046 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.06% | $29,219 | $37,985 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.90% | $29,179 | $37,933 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.77% | $29,147 | $37,891 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.67% | $29,122 | $37,859 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 17.62% | $29,110 | $37,843 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.58% | $29,100 | $37,830 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 17.39% | $29,053 | $37,769 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.26% | $29,021 | $37,727 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.18% | $29,001 | $37,701 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.14% | $28,991 | $37,689 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.01% | $28,959 | $37,647 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.93% | $28,939 | $37,621 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.82% | $28,912 | $37,586 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.81% | $28,909 | $37,582 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 16.52% | $28,838 | $37,489 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.20% | $28,758 | $37,386 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2022
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2022 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 2022
GS-3 questions for 2022
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2022?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2022 is $24,749 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2022 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 42.74%), 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.