2025 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2025 is $27,434 at Step 1, rising to $35,660 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 2025.
2025 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2025.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $27,434 | $1,055.15 | $13.15 | - |
| Step 2 | $28,348 | $1,090.31 | $13.58 | - |
| Step 3 | $29,262 | $1,125.46 | $14.02 | - |
| Step 4 | $30,176 | $1,160.62 | $14.46 | - |
| Step 5 | $31,090 | $1,195.77 | $14.90 | - |
| Step 6 | $32,004 | $1,230.92 | $15.33 | - |
| Step 7 | $32,918 | $1,266.08 | $15.77 | - |
| Step 8 | $33,832 | $1,301.23 | $16.21 | - |
| Step 9 | $34,746 | $1,336.38 | $16.65 | - |
| Step 10 | $35,660 | $1,371.54 | $17.09 | - |
2025 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2025, 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 | $27,434 | $1,055.15 | $13.15 | - |
| Step 2 | $28,348 | $1,090.31 | $13.58 | - |
| Step 3 | $29,262 | $1,125.46 | $14.02 | - |
| Step 4 | $30,176 | $1,160.62 | $14.46 | - |
| Step 5 | $31,090 | $1,195.77 | $14.90 | - |
| Step 6 | $32,004 | $1,230.92 | $15.33 | - |
| Step 7 | $32,918 | $1,266.08 | $15.77 | - |
| Step 8 | $33,832 | $1,301.23 | $16.21 | - |
| Step 9 | $34,746 | $1,336.38 | $16.65 | - |
| Step 10 | $35,660 | $1,371.54 | $17.09 | - |
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 2025, sorted from highest to lowest adjustment.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GS-3 Step 1 | GS-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 46.34% | $40,147 | $52,185 |
| New York-Newark | 37.95% | $37,845 | $49,193 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 36.47% | $37,439 | $48,665 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 35.00% | $37,036 | $48,141 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.94% | $36,745 | $47,763 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.72% | $36,685 | $47,685 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 32.58% | $36,372 | $47,278 |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $36,312 | $47,200 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 32.08% | $36,235 | $47,100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 31.57% | $36,095 | $46,918 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.86% | $35,900 | $46,665 |
| Denver-Aurora | 30.52% | $35,807 | $46,543 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.76% | $35,598 | $46,272 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 29.12% | $35,423 | $46,044 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.99% | $35,387 | $45,998 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.62% | $35,011 | $45,509 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 27.26% | $34,913 | $45,381 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 26.13% | $34,603 | $44,978 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.67% | $34,202 | $44,457 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.79% | $33,961 | $44,144 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.45% | $33,593 | $43,666 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.42% | $33,585 | $43,655 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 22.41% | $33,582 | $43,651 |
| Richmond | 22.28% | $33,546 | $43,605 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 22.24% | $33,535 | $43,591 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.23% | $33,533 | $43,587 |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $33,527 | $43,580 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 22.15% | $33,511 | $43,559 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.93% | $33,450 | $43,480 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.91% | $33,445 | $43,473 |
| Laredo | 21.59% | $33,357 | $43,359 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.42% | $33,310 | $43,298 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 21.03% | $33,203 | $43,159 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.77% | $33,132 | $43,067 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 20.35% | $33,017 | $42,917 |
| Colorado Springs | 20.15% | $32,962 | $42,845 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 20.03% | $32,929 | $42,803 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.67% | $32,830 | $42,674 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.57% | $32,803 | $42,639 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 19.45% | $32,770 | $42,596 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.43% | $32,764 | $42,589 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 19.28% | $32,723 | $42,535 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.97% | $32,638 | $42,425 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.93% | $32,627 | $42,410 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.80% | $32,592 | $42,364 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.78% | $32,586 | $42,357 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.33% | $32,463 | $42,196 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 18.24% | $32,438 | $42,164 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 18.23% | $32,435 | $42,161 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 18.15% | $32,413 | $42,132 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 18.01% | $32,375 | $42,082 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.93% | $32,353 | $42,054 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.88% | $32,339 | $42,036 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.67% | $32,282 | $41,961 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.65% | $32,276 | $41,954 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.63% | $32,271 | $41,947 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.52% | $32,240 | $41,908 |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $32,114 | $41,744 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2025
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2025 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 2025
GS-3 questions for 2025
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2025?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2025 is $27,434 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2025 (San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 46.34%), 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.