2019 GL-3 Pay Scale
The 2019 base salary range for GL-3 runs from $28,042 at Step 1 to $35,053 at Step 10. Use this page to see the full step table, salary range in the locality pay areas, and how GL-3 fits into a federal law enforcement career ladder.
Archive year. This is the 2019 GL-3 pay scale.
Current year: 2026 GL-3.
$28,042 GL-3 Step 1 base salary
$35,053 GL-3 Step 10 base salary
Private Approximate military comparison
2019 GL-3 step table
This is the nationwide base GL-3 table for 2019. It shows annual salary, biweekly pay, and hourly rate for each step.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $28,042 | $1,078.54 | $13.44 | - |
| Step 2 | $28,821 | $1,108.50 | $13.81 | - |
| Step 3 | $29,600 | $1,138.46 | $14.18 | - |
| Step 4 | $30,379 | $1,168.42 | $14.56 | - |
| Step 5 | $31,158 | $1,198.38 | $14.93 | - |
| Step 6 | $31,937 | $1,228.35 | $15.30 | - |
| Step 7 | $32,716 | $1,258.31 | $15.68 | - |
| Step 8 | $33,495 | $1,288.27 | $16.05 | - |
| Step 9 | $34,274 | $1,318.23 | $16.42 | - |
| Step 10 | $35,053 | $1,348.19 | $16.80 | - |
What kind of role is GL-3?
Typical role. Entry-level federal law enforcement roles with basic field duties. This is the starting grade for many criminal investigator and officer ladders.
Typical qualification path. Entry-level experience, academy training, or the minimum qualification standard for the job series.
Career progression. Progression usually moves to GL-4 after one year of satisfactory service.
Step progression for GL-3
GL-3 salary in every locality pay area
The table below compares GL-3 Step 1 and Step 10 across all published locality pay areas for 2019. Use it to see how much location changes federal law enforcement salary.
| Locality pay area | Adjustment | GL-3 Step 1 | GL-3 Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland | 40.35% | $39,357 | $49,197 |
| New York-Newark | 33.06% | $37,313 | $46,642 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 32.54% | $37,167 | $46,459 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 31.47% | $36,867 | $46,084 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 29.32% | $36,264 | $45,331 |
| State of Alaska | 28.89% | $36,143 | $45,180 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 28.87% | $36,138 | $45,173 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 28.80% | $36,118 | $45,148 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 28.27% | $35,969 | $44,962 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.05% | $35,908 | $44,885 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 26.81% | $35,560 | $44,451 |
| Denver-Aurora | 26.30% | $35,417 | $44,272 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 26.04% | $35,344 | $44,181 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 25.59% | $35,218 | $44,023 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 25.30% | $35,137 | $43,921 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.21% | $34,831 | $43,539 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.00% | $34,772 | $43,466 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.13% | $34,528 | $43,161 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.12% | $34,525 | $43,157 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 21.64% | $34,110 | $42,638 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.58% | $33,813 | $42,267 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.45% | $33,777 | $42,221 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.21% | $33,709 | $42,137 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 19.99% | $33,648 | $42,060 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 19.67% | $33,558 | $41,948 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 19.60% | $33,538 | $41,923 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 19.47% | $33,502 | $41,878 |
| Richmond | 19.38% | $33,477 | $41,846 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.18% | $33,420 | $41,776 |
| State of Hawaii | 18.98% | $33,364 | $41,706 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 18.86% | $33,331 | $41,664 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 18.61% | $33,261 | $41,576 |
| Laredo | 18.22% | $33,151 | $41,440 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 17.46% | $32,938 | $41,173 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.19% | $32,862 | $41,079 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.19% | $32,862 | $41,079 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.05% | $32,823 | $41,030 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.04% | $32,820 | $41,026 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 16.79% | $32,750 | $40,938 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 16.68% | $32,719 | $40,900 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 16.65% | $32,711 | $40,889 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 16.60% | $32,697 | $40,872 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.57% | $32,689 | $40,861 |
| Davenport-Moline | 16.49% | $32,666 | $40,833 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.33% | $32,621 | $40,777 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.20% | $32,585 | $40,732 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.18% | $32,579 | $40,725 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.07% | $32,548 | $40,686 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.01% | $32,532 | $40,665 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 15.91% | $32,503 | $40,630 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 15.87% | $32,492 | $40,616 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 15.77% | $32,464 | $40,581 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.67% | $32,436 | $40,546 |
Best and lowest locality outcomes for GL-3
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
Browse other GL grades in 2019
GL-3 $28,042
GL-4 $31,477
GL-5 $36,196
GL-6 $38,171
GL-7 $41,204
GL-8 $42,947
GL-9 $45,953
GL-10 $50,605
GL-3 questions
-
What is the starting salary for GL-3 in 2019?
The base starting salary for GL-3 in 2019 is $28,042 at Step 1 before locality pay. In the highest-paying locality area, GL-3 starts higher once the duty-station adjustment is applied. -
How long does it take to move through GL-3 steps?
Within-grade step increases follow the same OPM timing used for other statutory pay systems: one year between Steps 1 to 4, two years between Steps 4 to 7, and three years between Steps 7 to 10, assuming acceptable performance. -
Does GL-3 include LEAP or overtime?
No. This table shows basic pay only. It does not include law enforcement availability pay, overtime, premium pay, retention incentives, or other agency-specific compensation.