2026 GS-3 Pay Scale
The GS-3 base salary range for 2026 is $27,708 at Step 1, rising to $36,024 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 2026.
2026 GS-3 Pay Scale
Nationwide base GS-3 rates for 2026.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $27,708 | $1,065.69 | $13.28 | - |
| Step 2 | $28,632 | $1,101.23 | $13.72 | - |
| Step 3 | $29,556 | $1,136.77 | $14.16 | - |
| Step 4 | $30,480 | $1,172.31 | $14.60 | - |
| Step 5 | $31,404 | $1,207.85 | $15.05 | - |
| Step 6 | $32,328 | $1,243.38 | $15.49 | - |
| Step 7 | $33,252 | $1,278.92 | $15.93 | - |
| Step 8 | $34,176 | $1,314.46 | $16.38 | - |
| Step 9 | $35,100 | $1,350.00 | $16.82 | - |
| Step 10 | $36,024 | $1,385.54 | $17.26 | - |
2026 GS-3 base salary, all 10 steps
This is the nationwide base GS-3 salary schedule for 2026, 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 | $27,708 | $1,065.69 | $13.28 | - |
| Step 2 | $28,632 | $1,101.23 | $13.72 | - |
| Step 3 | $29,556 | $1,136.77 | $14.16 | - |
| Step 4 | $30,480 | $1,172.31 | $14.60 | - |
| Step 5 | $31,404 | $1,207.85 | $15.05 | - |
| Step 6 | $32,328 | $1,243.38 | $15.49 | - |
| Step 7 | $33,252 | $1,278.92 | $15.93 | - |
| Step 8 | $34,176 | $1,314.46 | $16.38 | - |
| Step 9 | $35,100 | $1,350.00 | $16.82 | - |
| Step 10 | $36,024 | $1,385.54 | $17.26 | - |
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 2026, 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% | $40,548 | $52,718 |
| New York-Newark | 37.95% | $38,223 | $49,695 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 36.47% | $37,813 | $49,162 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 35.00% | $37,406 | $48,632 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 33.94% | $37,112 | $48,251 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 33.72% | $37,051 | $48,171 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 32.58% | $36,735 | $47,761 |
| State of Alaska | 32.36% | $36,674 | $47,681 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 32.08% | $36,597 | $47,580 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 31.57% | $36,455 | $47,397 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 30.86% | $36,259 | $47,141 |
| Denver-Aurora | 30.52% | $36,164 | $47,019 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 29.76% | $35,954 | $46,745 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 29.12% | $35,777 | $46,514 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 28.99% | $35,741 | $46,467 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 27.62% | $35,361 | $45,974 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 27.26% | $35,261 | $45,844 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 26.13% | $34,948 | $45,437 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 24.67% | $34,544 | $44,911 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 23.79% | $34,300 | $44,594 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 22.45% | $33,928 | $44,111 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 22.42% | $33,920 | $44,101 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 22.41% | $33,917 | $44,097 |
| Richmond | 22.28% | $33,881 | $44,050 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 22.24% | $33,870 | $44,036 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 22.23% | $33,867 | $44,032 |
| State of Hawaii | 22.21% | $33,862 | $44,025 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 22.15% | $33,845 | $44,003 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 21.93% | $33,784 | $43,924 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 21.91% | $33,779 | $43,917 |
| Laredo | 21.59% | $33,690 | $43,802 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 21.42% | $33,643 | $43,740 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 21.03% | $33,535 | $43,600 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 20.77% | $33,463 | $43,506 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 20.35% | $33,347 | $43,355 |
| Colorado Springs | 20.15% | $33,291 | $43,283 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 20.03% | $33,258 | $43,240 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 19.67% | $33,158 | $43,110 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 19.57% | $33,130 | $43,074 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 19.45% | $33,097 | $43,031 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 19.43% | $33,092 | $43,023 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 19.28% | $33,050 | $42,969 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 18.97% | $32,964 | $42,858 |
| Davenport-Moline | 18.93% | $32,953 | $42,843 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 18.80% | $32,917 | $42,797 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 18.78% | $32,912 | $42,789 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 18.33% | $32,787 | $42,627 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 18.24% | $32,762 | $42,595 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 18.23% | $32,759 | $42,591 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 18.15% | $32,737 | $42,562 |
| Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines | 18.01% | $32,698 | $42,512 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 17.93% | $32,676 | $42,483 |
| Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls | 17.88% | $32,662 | $42,465 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene | 17.67% | $32,604 | $42,389 |
| Fresno-Madera-Hanford | 17.65% | $32,598 | $42,382 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 17.63% | $32,593 | $42,375 |
| Reno-Fernley | 17.52% | $32,562 | $42,335 |
| Rest of U.S. | 17.06% | $32,435 | $42,170 |
Top and bottom GS-3 localities in 2026
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
About the GS-3 pay scale
GS-3 is part of the 2026 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 2026
GS-3 questions for 2026
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What is the starting salary for GS-3 in 2026?
The base starting salary for GS-3 in 2026 is $27,708 at Step 1. With the highest locality adjustment in 2026 (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.