2024 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2024 is $26,975 at Step 1, rising to $35,066 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 2024.
2024 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2024.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $26,975 | $1,037.50 | $12.93 | - |
| Step 2 | $27,874 | $1,072.08 | $13.36 | - |
| Step 3 | $28,773 | $1,106.65 | $13.79 | - |
| Step 4 | $29,672 | $1,141.23 | $14.22 | - |
| Step 5 | $30,571 | $1,175.81 | $14.65 | - |
| Step 6 | $31,470 | $1,210.38 | $15.08 | - |
| Step 7 | $32,369 | $1,244.96 | $15.51 | - |
| Step 8 | $33,268 | $1,279.54 | $15.94 | - |
| Step 9 | $34,167 | $1,314.12 | $16.37 | - |
| Step 10 | $35,066 | $1,348.69 | $16.80 | - |
2024 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2024, 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 | $26,975 | $1,037.50 | $12.93 | - |
| Step 2 | $27,874 | $1,072.08 | $13.36 | - |
| Step 3 | $28,773 | $1,106.65 | $13.79 | - |
| Step 4 | $29,672 | $1,141.23 | $14.22 | - |
| Step 5 | $30,571 | $1,175.81 | $14.65 | - |
| Step 6 | $31,470 | $1,210.38 | $15.08 | - |
| Step 7 | $32,369 | $1,244.96 | $15.51 | - |
| Step 8 | $33,268 | $1,279.54 | $15.94 | - |
| Step 9 | $34,167 | $1,314.12 | $16.37 | - |
| Step 10 | $35,066 | $1,348.69 | $16.80 | - |
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 2024, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 45.41% | $39,224 | $50,989 |
| New York-Newark | 37.24% | $37,020 | $48,125 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 35.84% | $36,643 | $47,634 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 34.72% | $36,341 | $47,241 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.26% | $35,947 | $46,729 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.05% | $35,890 | $46,655 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 31.97% | $35,599 | $46,277 |
| State of Alaska | 31.96% | $35,596 | $46,273 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 31.62% | $35,504 | $46,154 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 30.81% | $35,286 | $45,870 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.41% | $35,178 | $45,730 |
| Denver-Aurora | 29.88% | $35,035 | $45,544 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.16% | $34,841 | $45,291 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 28.82% | $34,749 | $45,172 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.55% | $34,676 | $45,077 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.15% | $34,299 | $44,586 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 26.91% | $34,234 | $44,502 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 25.66% | $33,897 | $44,064 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.42% | $33,562 | $43,629 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.45% | $33,301 | $43,289 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.15% | $32,950 | $42,833 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.02% | $32,915 | $42,788 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.01% | $32,912 | $42,784 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 21.99% | $32,907 | $42,777 |
| Richmond | 21.91% | $32,885 | $42,749 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 21.90% | $32,883 | $42,745 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 21.80% | $32,856 | $42,710 |
| State of Hawaii | 21.79% | $32,853 | $42,707 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.69% | $32,826 | $42,672 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.48% | $32,769 | $42,598 |
| Laredo | 21.33% | $32,729 | $42,546 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.14% | $32,678 | $42,479 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 20.78% | $32,580 | $42,353 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.25% | $32,437 | $42,167 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 19.99% | $32,367 | $42,076 |
| Colorado Springs | 19.73% | $32,297 | $41,985 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 19.63% | $32,270 | $41,949 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.26% | $32,170 | $41,820 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.23% | $32,162 | $41,809 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.10% | $32,127 | $41,764 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 18.97% | $32,092 | $41,718 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 18.92% | $32,079 | $41,700 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.66% | $32,009 | $41,609 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.65% | $32,006 | $41,606 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.49% | $31,963 | $41,550 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.46% | $31,955 | $41,539 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.05% | $31,844 | $41,395 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 17.94% | $31,814 | $41,357 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 17.91% | $31,806 | $41,346 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 17.89% | $31,801 | $41,339 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 17.68% | $31,744 | $41,266 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.60% | $31,723 | $41,238 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.40% | $31,669 | $41,167 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.35% | $31,655 | $41,150 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.18% | $31,609 | $41,090 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.15% | $31,601 | $41,080 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.11% | $31,590 | $41,066 |
| Rest of U.S. | 16.82% | $31,512 | $40,964 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2024
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2024 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 2024
GS-3 questions for 2024
-
What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2024?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2024 is $26,975 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2024 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 45.41%), 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.