2025 GS-3 Pay in Los Angeles
GS-3 employees with a duty station in Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA earn 36.47% 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 $37,439 in Los Angeles.
2025 GS-3 Pay in Los Angeles
Locality-adjusted GS-3 rates for Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Locality add-on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $37,439 | $1,439.96 | $17.94 | +$10,005 |
| Step 2 | $38,687 | $1,487.96 | $18.54 | +$10,339 |
| Step 3 | $39,934 | $1,535.92 | $19.13 | +$10,672 |
| Step 4 | $41,181 | $1,583.88 | $19.73 | +$11,005 |
| Step 5 | $42,429 | $1,631.88 | $20.33 | +$11,339 |
| Step 6 | $43,676 | $1,679.85 | $20.93 | +$11,672 |
| Step 7 | $44,923 | $1,727.81 | $21.53 | +$12,005 |
| Step 8 | $46,171 | $1,775.81 | $22.12 | +$12,339 |
| Step 9 | $47,418 | $1,823.77 | $22.72 | +$12,672 |
| Step 10 | $48,665 | $1,871.73 | $23.32 | +$13,005 |
2025 GS-3 pay table for Los Angeles
Each step below already includes the 36.47% 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 | $37,439 | $1,439.96 | $17.94 | +$10,005 |
| Step 2 | $38,687 | $1,487.96 | $18.54 | +$10,339 |
| Step 3 | $39,934 | $1,535.92 | $19.13 | +$10,672 |
| Step 4 | $41,181 | $1,583.88 | $19.73 | +$11,005 |
| Step 5 | $42,429 | $1,631.88 | $20.33 | +$11,339 |
| Step 6 | $43,676 | $1,679.85 | $20.93 | +$11,672 |
| Step 7 | $44,923 | $1,727.81 | $21.53 | +$12,005 |
| Step 8 | $46,171 | $1,775.81 | $22.12 | +$12,339 |
| Step 9 | $47,418 | $1,823.77 | $22.72 | +$12,672 |
| Step 10 | $48,665 | $1,871.73 | $23.32 | +$13,005 |
Base vs. locality comparison
How much more Los Angeles pays
Step-increase waiting periods
GS-3 in Los Angeles: what to expect
Routine clerical, office assistant and technician-support roles. Common entry grade for recent high school graduates.
For 2025, the Los Angeles pay area adds a 36.47% 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 Los Angeles
Before taxes and deductions, a GS-3 Step 1 employee in Los Angeles earns roughly $1,440 per biweekly pay period. At Step 10 that rises to $1,872. 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 Los Angeles page.
Other grades in Los Angeles
GS-3 in Los Angeles questions
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How much does a GS-3 make in Los Angeles?
In 2025, a GS-3 Step 1 employee in Los Angeles earns $37,439 per year. At Step 10 the salary reaches $48,665. This is 36.47% higher than the base GS-3 salary. -
What is the locality adjustment for GS-3 in Los Angeles?
The locality adjustment is the same for every grade and step within a pay area. For Los Angeles in 2025, it is 36.47%. On a GS-3 Step 1 salary that translates to an extra $10,005 per year. -
What is the biweekly pay for GS-3 in Los Angeles?
Biweekly pay is annual salary divided by 26. A GS-3 Step 1 employee in Los Angeles earns roughly $1,440 per pay period before tax and retirement deductions.