2023 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2023 is $25,764 at Step 1, rising to $33,495 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 2023.
2023 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2023.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $25,764 | $990.92 | $12.34 | - |
| Step 2 | $26,623 | $1,023.96 | $12.76 | - |
| Step 3 | $27,482 | $1,057.00 | $13.17 | - |
| Step 4 | $28,341 | $1,090.04 | $13.58 | - |
| Step 5 | $29,200 | $1,123.08 | $13.99 | - |
| Step 6 | $30,059 | $1,156.12 | $14.40 | - |
| Step 7 | $30,918 | $1,189.15 | $14.81 | - |
| Step 8 | $31,777 | $1,222.19 | $15.23 | - |
| Step 9 | $32,636 | $1,255.23 | $15.64 | - |
| Step 10 | $33,495 | $1,288.27 | $16.05 | - |
2023 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2023, 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 | $25,764 | $990.92 | $12.34 | - |
| Step 2 | $26,623 | $1,023.96 | $12.76 | - |
| Step 3 | $27,482 | $1,057.00 | $13.17 | - |
| Step 4 | $28,341 | $1,090.04 | $13.58 | - |
| Step 5 | $29,200 | $1,123.08 | $13.99 | - |
| Step 6 | $30,059 | $1,156.12 | $14.40 | - |
| Step 7 | $30,918 | $1,189.15 | $14.81 | - |
| Step 8 | $31,777 | $1,222.19 | $15.23 | - |
| Step 9 | $32,636 | $1,255.23 | $15.64 | - |
| Step 10 | $33,495 | $1,288.27 | $16.05 | - |
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 2023, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 44.15% | $37,139 | $48,283 |
| New York-Newark | 36.16% | $35,080 | $45,607 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 34.89% | $34,753 | $45,181 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 34.47% | $34,645 | $45,041 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 32.49% | $34,135 | $44,378 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 32.01% | $34,011 | $44,217 |
| State of Alaska | 31.32% | $33,833 | $43,986 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 31.05% | $33,764 | $43,895 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 30.91% | $33,728 | $43,848 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 29.79% | $33,439 | $43,473 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 29.57% | $33,382 | $43,399 |
| Denver-Aurora | 29.05% | $33,248 | $43,225 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 28.37% | $33,073 | $42,998 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 28.30% | $33,055 | $42,974 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 27.84% | $32,937 | $42,820 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 26.39% | $32,563 | $42,334 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 26.37% | $32,558 | $42,328 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 24.98% | $32,200 | $41,862 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.14% | $31,983 | $41,581 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.02% | $31,695 | $41,206 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 21.74% | $31,365 | $40,777 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 21.69% | $31,352 | $40,760 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 21.44% | $31,288 | $40,676 |
| Richmond | 21.38% | $31,272 | $40,656 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 21.37% | $31,270 | $40,653 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 21.35% | $31,265 | $40,646 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.35% | $31,265 | $40,646 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 21.27% | $31,244 | $40,619 |
| State of Hawaii | 21.17% | $31,218 | $40,586 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 20.96% | $31,164 | $40,516 |
| Laredo | 20.64% | $31,082 | $40,408 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 20.59% | $31,069 | $40,392 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 20.37% | $31,012 | $40,318 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 19.45% | $30,775 | $40,010 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 19.40% | $30,762 | $39,993 |
| Colorado Springs | 19.11% | $30,688 | $39,896 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 19.10% | $30,685 | $39,893 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 18.76% | $30,597 | $39,779 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 18.63% | $30,564 | $39,735 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 18.59% | $30,554 | $39,722 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 18.40% | $30,505 | $39,658 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 18.31% | $30,481 | $39,628 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.21% | $30,456 | $39,594 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.18% | $30,448 | $39,584 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.00% | $30,402 | $39,524 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 17.94% | $30,386 | $39,504 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 17.63% | $30,306 | $39,400 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.57% | $30,291 | $39,380 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 17.52% | $30,278 | $39,363 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 17.41% | $30,250 | $39,326 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.30% | $30,221 | $39,290 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 17.13% | $30,177 | $39,233 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.10% | $30,170 | $39,223 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.50% | $30,015 | $39,022 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2023
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2023 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 2023
GS-3 questions for 2023
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2023?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2023 is $25,764 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2023 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 44.15%), 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.