2025 GS-3 Pay in Houston
GS-3 employees with a duty station in Houston-The Woodlands, TX earn 35.00% on top of the base GS-3 pay scale. That means a GS-3 Step 1 salary jumps from $27,434 on the base table to $37,036 in Houston.
2025 GS-3 Pay in Houston
Locality-adjusted GS-3 rates for Houston-The Woodlands, TX.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $37,036 | $1,424.46 | $17.75 | +$9,602 |
| Step 2 | $38,270 | $1,471.92 | $18.34 | +$9,922 |
| Step 3 | $39,504 | $1,519.38 | $18.93 | +$10,242 |
| Step 4 | $40,738 | $1,566.85 | $19.52 | +$10,562 |
| Step 5 | $41,972 | $1,614.31 | $20.11 | +$10,882 |
| Step 6 | $43,205 | $1,661.73 | $20.70 | +$11,201 |
| Step 7 | $44,439 | $1,709.19 | $21.29 | +$11,521 |
| Step 8 | $45,673 | $1,756.65 | $21.88 | +$11,841 |
| Step 9 | $46,907 | $1,804.12 | $22.48 | +$12,161 |
| Step 10 | $48,141 | $1,851.58 | $23.07 | +$12,481 |
2025 GS-3 pay table for Houston
Each step below already includes the 35.00% locality adjustment. The "Locality add-on" column shows how much locality pay is adding compared with the base GS-3 table.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $37,036 | $1,424.46 | $17.75 | +$9,602 |
| Step 2 | $38,270 | $1,471.92 | $18.34 | +$9,922 |
| Step 3 | $39,504 | $1,519.38 | $18.93 | +$10,242 |
| Step 4 | $40,738 | $1,566.85 | $19.52 | +$10,562 |
| Step 5 | $41,972 | $1,614.31 | $20.11 | +$10,882 |
| Step 6 | $43,205 | $1,661.73 | $20.70 | +$11,201 |
| Step 7 | $44,439 | $1,709.19 | $21.29 | +$11,521 |
| Step 8 | $45,673 | $1,756.65 | $21.88 | +$11,841 |
| Step 9 | $46,907 | $1,804.12 | $22.48 | +$12,161 |
| Step 10 | $48,141 | $1,851.58 | $23.07 | +$12,481 |
Base vs. locality comparison
How much more Houston pays
Step-increase waiting periods
GS-3 in Houston: what to expect
Routine clerical, office assistant and technician-support roles. Common entry grade for recent high school graduates.
For 2025, the Houston pay area adds a 35.00% locality adjustment on top of the nationwide base GS schedule. Every GS-3 employee assigned to this area benefits from that same percentage, regardless of step or series.
Qualifications and career path
Minimum qualifications. One year of general experience or one year of post-secondary education.
Promotion path. Non-competitive promotion to GS-4 after one year of satisfactory performance.
The rough military equivalent for GS-3 is E-4 Specialist, useful for comparing GS roles against enlisted and officer ranks when looking at pay or authority level.
Biweekly take-home for GS-3 in Houston
Before taxes and deductions, a GS-3 Step 1 employee in Houston earns roughly $1,424 per biweekly pay period. At Step 10 that rises to $1,852. Actual take-home will be lower after federal tax, state tax, TSP contributions, retirement and health insurance deductions.
Note. This is the archived 2025 table. For current pay, open the latest GS-3 Houston page.
Other grades in Houston
GS-3 in Houston questions
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How much does a GS-3 make in Houston?
In 2025, a GS-3 Step 1 employee in Houston earns $37,036 per year. At Step 10 the salary reaches $48,141. This is 35.00% higher than the base GS-3 salary. -
What is the locality adjustment for GS-3 in Houston?
The locality adjustment is the same for every grade and step within a pay area. For Houston in 2025, it is 35.00%. On a GS-3 Step 1 salary that translates to an extra $9,602 per year. -
What is the biweekly pay for GS-3 in Houston?
Biweekly pay is annual salary divided by 26. A GS-3 Step 1 employee in Houston earns roughly $1,424 per pay period before tax and retirement deductions.