How much does a GS-3 make in 2026?

A GS-3 earns $27,708 to $36,024 in base pay (steps 1–10). With locality pay the range is $32,435 (step 1, Rest of U.S.) to $52,718 (step 10, San Francisco Bay Area).

What is the GS-3 hourly rate?

GS-3 step 1 base is $13.28/hour; step 10 is $17.26/hour (annual ÷ 2,087). Locality pay raises these proportionally.

What is the GS-3 step increase?

Each within-grade increase (WGI) at GS-3 adds $924 to base pay. Steps 1–4 come every year, 5–7 every two years, 8–10 every three years.

GS-3 Pay Scale 2026

Base pay $27,708 – $36,024; with locality pay $32,435 – $52,718. Clerical assistants; entry level for some student trainee programs.

Source: OPM Salary Table 2026-GS and 2026 locality tables.

Step 1 base

$27,708

$13.28/hr

Step 10 base

$36,024

$17.26/hr

Within-grade increase

$924

per step

Highest locality (step 10)

$52,718

San Francisco Bay Area · 46.34%

GS-3 base steps

Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 5	Step 6	Step 7	Step 8	Step 9	Step 10
27,708	28,632	29,556	30,480	31,404	32,328	33,252	34,176	35,100	36,024
$13.28/hr	$13.72/hr	$14.16/hr	$14.60/hr	$15.05/hr	$15.49/hr	$15.93/hr	$16.38/hr	$16.82/hr	$17.26/hr

GS-3 salary by locality pay area (2026)

All 58 areas, highest locality percentage first. Values are annual, locality-adjusted.

Locality	%	S1	S2	S3	S4	S5	S6	S7	S8	S9	S10
San Francisco Bay Area	46.34	40,548	41,900	43,252	44,604	45,957	47,309	48,661	50,013	51,365	52,718
New York	37.95	38,223	39,498	40,773	42,047	43,322	44,596	45,871	47,146	48,420	49,695
Los Angeles	36.47	37,813	39,074	40,335	41,596	42,857	44,118	45,379	46,640	47,901	49,162
Houston	35.00	37,406	38,653	39,901	41,148	42,395	43,643	44,890	46,138	47,385	48,632
Washington DC	33.94	37,112	38,350	39,587	40,825	42,063	43,300	44,538	45,775	47,013	48,251
San Diego	33.72	37,051	38,287	39,522	40,758	41,993	43,229	44,465	45,700	46,936	48,171
Boston	32.58	36,735	37,960	39,185	40,410	41,635	42,860	44,086	45,311	46,536	47,761
Alaska	32.36	36,674	37,897	39,120	40,343	41,566	42,789	44,012	45,235	46,458	47,681
Hartford	32.08	36,597	37,817	39,038	40,258	41,478	42,699	43,919	45,140	46,360	47,580
Seattle	31.57	36,455	37,671	38,887	40,103	41,318	42,534	43,750	44,965	46,181	47,397
Chicago	30.86	36,259	37,468	38,677	39,886	41,095	42,304	43,514	44,723	45,932	47,141
Denver	30.52	36,164	37,370	38,576	39,782	40,989	42,195	43,401	44,607	45,813	47,019
Sacramento	29.76	35,954	37,153	38,352	39,551	40,750	41,949	43,148	44,347	45,546	46,745
Detroit	29.12	35,777	36,970	38,163	39,356	40,549	41,742	42,935	44,128	45,321	46,514
Philadelphia	28.99	35,741	36,932	38,124	39,316	40,508	41,700	42,892	44,084	45,275	46,467
Minneapolis	27.62	35,361	36,540	37,719	38,899	40,078	41,257	42,436	43,615	44,795	45,974
Dallas-Fort Worth	27.26	35,261	36,437	37,613	38,789	39,965	41,141	42,316	43,492	44,668	45,844
Portland	26.13	34,948	36,114	37,279	38,444	39,610	40,775	41,941	43,106	44,272	45,437
Miami	24.67	34,544	35,696	36,847	37,999	39,151	40,303	41,455	42,607	43,759	44,911
Atlanta	23.79	34,300	35,444	36,587	37,731	38,875	40,019	41,163	42,306	43,450	44,594
Phoenix	22.45	33,928	35,060	36,191	37,323	38,454	39,586	40,717	41,849	42,980	44,111
Milwaukee	22.42	33,920	35,051	36,182	37,314	38,445	39,576	40,707	41,838	42,969	44,101
Buffalo	22.41	33,917	35,048	36,179	37,311	38,442	39,573	40,704	41,835	42,966	44,097
Richmond	22.28	33,881	35,011	36,141	37,271	38,401	39,531	40,661	41,790	42,920	44,050
Raleigh	22.24	33,870	35,000	36,129	37,259	38,388	39,518	40,647	41,777	42,906	44,036
Cleveland	22.23	33,867	34,997	36,126	37,256	38,385	39,515	40,644	41,773	42,903	44,032
Hawaii	22.21	33,862	34,991	36,120	37,250	38,379	39,508	40,637	41,766	42,896	44,025
Columbus	22.15	33,845	34,974	36,103	37,231	38,360	39,489	40,617	41,746	42,875	44,003
Cincinnati	21.93	33,784	34,911	36,038	37,164	38,291	39,418	40,544	41,671	42,797	43,924
Huntsville	21.91	33,779	34,905	36,032	37,158	38,285	39,411	40,538	41,664	42,790	43,917
Laredo	21.59	33,690	34,814	35,937	37,061	38,184	39,308	40,431	41,555	42,678	43,802
Dayton	21.42	33,643	34,765	35,887	37,009	38,131	39,253	40,375	41,496	42,618	43,740
Pittsburgh	21.03	33,535	34,653	35,772	36,890	38,008	39,127	40,245	41,363	42,482	43,600
Albany	20.77	33,463	34,579	35,695	36,811	37,927	39,043	40,158	41,274	42,390	43,506
Austin	20.35	33,347	34,459	35,571	36,683	37,795	38,907	40,019	41,131	42,243	43,355
Colorado Springs	20.15	33,291	34,401	35,512	36,622	37,732	38,842	39,952	41,062	42,173	43,283
St. Louis	20.03	33,258	34,367	35,476	36,585	37,694	38,803	39,912	41,021	42,131	43,240
Charlotte	19.67	33,158	34,264	35,370	36,475	37,581	38,687	39,793	40,898	42,004	43,110
Las Vegas	19.57	33,130	34,235	35,340	36,445	37,550	38,655	39,759	40,864	41,969	43,074
Burlington	19.45	33,097	34,201	35,305	36,408	37,512	38,616	39,720	40,823	41,927	43,031
Harrisburg	19.43	33,092	34,195	35,299	36,402	37,506	38,609	39,713	40,816	41,920	43,023
Tucson	19.28	33,050	34,152	35,254	36,357	37,459	38,561	39,663	40,765	41,867	42,969
Kansas City	18.97	32,964	34,063	35,163	36,262	37,361	38,461	39,560	40,659	41,758	42,858
Davenport	18.93	32,953	34,052	35,151	36,250	37,349	38,448	39,547	40,646	41,744	42,843
Virginia Beach	18.80	32,917	34,015	35,113	36,210	37,308	38,406	39,503	40,601	41,699	42,797
San Antonio	18.78	32,912	34,009	35,107	36,204	37,302	38,399	39,497	40,594	41,692	42,789
Albuquerque	18.33	32,787	33,880	34,974	36,067	37,160	38,254	39,347	40,440	41,534	42,627
Birmingham	18.24	32,762	33,854	34,947	36,040	37,132	38,225	39,317	40,410	41,502	42,595
Omaha	18.23	32,759	33,852	34,944	36,037	37,129	38,221	39,314	40,406	41,499	42,591
Indianapolis	18.15	32,737	33,829	34,920	36,012	37,104	38,196	39,287	40,379	41,471	42,562
Des Moines	18.01	32,698	33,789	34,879	35,969	37,060	38,150	39,241	40,331	41,422	42,512
Palm Bay	17.93	32,676	33,766	34,855	35,945	37,035	38,124	39,214	40,304	41,393	42,483
Rochester	17.88	32,662	33,751	34,841	35,930	37,019	38,108	39,197	40,287	41,376	42,465
Spokane	17.67	32,604	33,691	34,779	35,866	36,953	38,040	39,128	40,215	41,302	42,389
Fresno	17.65	32,598	33,686	34,773	35,860	36,947	38,034	39,121	40,208	41,295	42,382
Corpus Christi	17.63	32,593	33,680	34,767	35,854	36,941	38,027	39,114	40,201	41,288	42,375
Reno	17.52	32,562	33,648	34,734	35,820	36,906	37,992	39,078	40,164	41,250	42,335
Rest of U.S.	17.06	32,435	33,517	34,598	35,680	36,762	37,843	38,925	40,006	41,088	42,170

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How GS-3 compares to private-sector pay

Federal pay is set by table; the market sets private pay. Compare against BLS occupational medians in your metro — accountant, Washington DC, data analyst, Washington DC, or any occupation.