2020 GL-3 Pay Scale
The 2020 base salary range for GL-3 runs from $28,770 at Step 1 to $35,961 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 2020 GL-3 pay scale.
Current year: 2026 GL-3.
$28,770 GL-3 Step 1 base salary
$35,961 GL-3 Step 10 base salary
Private Approximate military comparison
2020 GL-3 step table
This is the nationwide base GL-3 table for 2020. It shows annual salary, biweekly pay, and hourly rate for each step.
| Step | Annual salary | Biweekly pay | Hourly rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $28,770 | $1,106.54 | $13.79 | - |
| Step 2 | $29,569 | $1,137.27 | $14.17 | - |
| Step 3 | $30,368 | $1,168.00 | $14.55 | - |
| Step 4 | $31,167 | $1,198.73 | $14.93 | - |
| Step 5 | $31,966 | $1,229.46 | $15.32 | - |
| Step 6 | $32,765 | $1,260.19 | $15.70 | - |
| Step 7 | $33,564 | $1,290.92 | $16.08 | - |
| Step 8 | $34,363 | $1,321.65 | $16.47 | - |
| Step 9 | $35,162 | $1,352.38 | $16.85 | - |
| Step 10 | $35,961 | $1,383.12 | $17.23 | - |
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 2020. 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 | 41.44% | $40,692 | $50,863 |
| New York-Newark | 33.98% | $38,546 | $48,181 |
| Houston-The Woodlands | 33.32% | $38,356 | $47,943 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach | 32.41% | $38,094 | $47,616 |
| Washington-Baltimore-Arlington | 30.48% | $37,539 | $46,922 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 29.77% | $37,335 | $46,667 |
| State of Alaska | 29.67% | $37,306 | $46,631 |
| Hartford-East Hartford | 29.49% | $37,254 | $46,566 |
| Boston-Worcester-Providence | 29.11% | $37,145 | $46,429 |
| Chicago-Naperville | 28.59% | $36,995 | $46,242 |
| Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor | 27.32% | $36,630 | $45,786 |
| Denver-Aurora | 27.13% | $36,575 | $45,717 |
| Seattle-Tacoma | 27.02% | $36,544 | $45,678 |
| Sacramento-Roseville | 26.37% | $36,357 | $45,444 |
| Philadelphia-Reading-Camden | 26.04% | $36,262 | $45,325 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 24.98% | $35,957 | $44,944 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | 24.66% | $35,865 | $44,829 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Salem | 23.74% | $35,600 | $44,498 |
| Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale | 23.51% | $35,534 | $44,415 |
| Atlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs | 22.16% | $35,145 | $43,930 |
| Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha | 20.96% | $34,800 | $43,498 |
| Cleveland-Akron-Canton | 20.82% | $34,760 | $43,448 |
| Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville | 20.55% | $34,682 | $43,351 |
| Raleigh-Durham-Cary | 20.49% | $34,665 | $43,329 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean | 20.20% | $34,582 | $43,225 |
| Phoenix-Mesa | 20.12% | $34,559 | $43,196 |
| Columbus-Marion-Zanesville | 20.02% | $34,530 | $43,160 |
| Richmond | 19.95% | $34,510 | $43,135 |
| Huntsville-Decatur | 19.85% | $34,481 | $43,099 |
| State of Hawaii | 19.56% | $34,397 | $42,995 |
| Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton | 19.40% | $34,351 | $42,937 |
| Dayton-Springfield-Kettering | 19.18% | $34,288 | $42,858 |
| Laredo | 18.88% | $34,202 | $42,750 |
| Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown | 18.17% | $33,998 | $42,495 |
| Albany-Schenectady | 17.88% | $33,914 | $42,391 |
| Colorado Springs | 17.78% | $33,885 | $42,355 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson | 17.68% | $33,857 | $42,319 |
| St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington | 17.65% | $33,848 | $42,308 |
| Charlotte-Concord | 17.44% | $33,787 | $42,233 |
| Harrisburg-Lebanon | 17.20% | $33,718 | $42,146 |
| Tucson-Nogales | 17.19% | $33,716 | $42,143 |
| Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City | 17.13% | $33,698 | $42,121 |
| Davenport-Moline | 17.04% | $33,672 | $42,089 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie | 16.92% | $33,638 | $42,046 |
| Burlington-South Burlington-Barre | 16.89% | $33,629 | $42,035 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall | 16.77% | $33,595 | $41,992 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | 16.73% | $33,583 | $41,977 |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas | 16.68% | $33,569 | $41,959 |
| Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice | 16.56% | $33,534 | $41,916 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk | 16.51% | $33,520 | $41,898 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont | 16.33% | $33,468 | $41,833 |
| Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega | 16.26% | $33,448 | $41,808 |
| Rest of U.S. | 15.95% | $33,359 | $41,697 |
| For Areas Outside the United States | 0.00% | $28,770 | $35,961 |
Best and lowest locality outcomes for GL-3
Highest-paying areas
Lowest-paying areas
Browse other GL grades in 2020
GL-3 $28,770
GL-4 $32,297
GL-5 $37,141
GL-6 $39,162
GL-7 $42,273
GL-8 $44,064
GL-9 $47,148
GL-10 $51,921
GL-3 questions
-
What is the starting salary for GL-3 in 2020?
The base starting salary for GL-3 in 2020 is $28,770 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.