United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
GS-03 Grade Salary
Routine clerical work; may be held by college students in work-study programs.
2026 salary range
$27,708 – $36,024
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $27,708 | $2,309 | $13 |
| 2 | $28,632 | $2,386 | $14 |
| 3 | $29,556 | $2,463 | $14 |
| 4 | $30,480 | $2,540 | $15 |
| 5 | $31,404 | $2,617 | $15 |
| 6 | $32,328 | $2,694 | $16 |
| 7 | $33,252 | $2,771 | $16 |
| 8 | $34,176 | $2,848 | $16 |
| 9 | $35,100 | $2,925 | $17 |
| 10 | $36,024 | $3,002 | $17 |
Hourly computed assuming 2,080 annual working hours. Actual hourly rates on official tables may differ slightly.
Locality pay — total after geographic adjustment
Most US federal employees receive locality pay on top of the GS-03 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for GS-03, applied to base step 1 and step 10 respectively.
| Locality Area | Adjustment | Step 1 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCBWashington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | +33.94% | $37,112 | $48,251 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $38,223 | $49,695 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $40,548 | $52,718 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $37,813 | $49,162 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $36,259 | $47,141 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $32,435 | $42,170 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $33,463 | $43,506 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $32,787 | $42,627 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $34,300 | $44,594 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $33,347 | $43,355 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $32,762 | $42,595 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $33,097 | $43,031 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $36,735 | $47,761 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $33,917 | $44,097 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $32,593 | $42,375 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $33,784 | $43,924 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $33,867 | $44,032 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $33,845 | $44,003 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $33,291 | $43,283 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $33,158 | $43,110 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $33,643 | $43,740 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $36,164 | $47,019 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $35,777 | $46,514 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $35,261 | $45,844 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $32,698 | $42,512 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $32,953 | $42,843 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $32,598 | $42,382 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $36,597 | $47,580 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $33,092 | $43,023 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $33,779 | $43,917 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $37,406 | $48,632 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $32,737 | $42,562 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $32,964 | $42,858 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $33,690 | $43,802 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $33,130 | $43,074 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $34,544 | $44,911 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $33,920 | $44,101 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $35,361 | $45,974 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $32,759 | $42,591 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $32,676 | $42,483 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $35,741 | $46,467 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $33,535 | $43,600 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $34,948 | $45,437 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $33,928 | $44,111 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $33,870 | $44,036 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $33,881 | $44,050 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $32,562 | $42,335 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $32,662 | $42,465 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $35,954 | $46,745 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $37,051 | $48,171 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $36,455 | $47,397 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $33,258 | $43,240 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $32,604 | $42,389 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $32,912 | $42,789 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $33,050 | $42,969 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $32,917 | $42,797 |
Locality data sourced from U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Locality Pay XML tables. Last refreshed 2026-04-20. RUS ("Rest of U.S.") is the default for areas not otherwise listed. Law-enforcement, special-rate, and capped schedules not shown — see the OPM tables for specifics.
Frequently asked
How much does a GS-03 make in the United States federal government?
A GS-03 in the United States federal civil service earns between $27,708 and $36,024 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the GS-03 grade the same in every agency?
The base pay scale is set centrally by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and applied uniformly across eligible federal employers, but agency-specific supplements, locality pay, and bargaining agreements can produce meaningful differences in take-home pay.
Where does this data come from?
Directly from U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/. Each page on FedSalary carries the retrieval date and a link back to the primary source.