GS-3 Pay in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
$33,851 – $44,011 per year • 22.17% locality adjustment
GS-3 Salary Summary — Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Complete GS-3 Pay Table — Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (2026)
| Step | Annual | Monthly | Biweekly | Hourly | Base Pay | Locality Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $33,851 | $2,821 | $1,302 | $16.22 | $27,708 | +$6,143 |
| Step 2 | $34,980 | $2,915 | $1,345 | $16.76 | $28,632 | +$6,348 |
| Step 3 | $36,109 | $3,009 | $1,389 | $17.30 | $29,556 | +$6,553 |
| Step 4 | $37,237 | $3,103 | $1,432 | $17.84 | $30,480 | +$6,757 |
| Step 5 | $38,366 | $3,197 | $1,476 | $18.38 | $31,404 | +$6,962 |
| Step 6 | $39,495 | $3,291 | $1,519 | $18.92 | $32,328 | +$7,167 |
| Step 7 | $40,624 | $3,385 | $1,562 | $19.47 | $33,252 | +$7,372 |
| Step 8 | $41,753 | $3,479 | $1,606 | $20.01 | $34,176 | +$7,577 |
| Step 9 | $42,882 | $3,574 | $1,649 | $20.55 | $35,100 | +$7,782 |
| Step 10 | $44,011 | $3,668 | $1,693 | $21.09 | $36,024 | +$7,987 |
Compare Nearby Grades in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
How does GS-3 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?
Promotion from GS-2 to GS-3 at Step 5 in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is a raise of $4,332 per year.
GS-3 Federal Jobs in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Federal employees at GS-3 in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC locality area earn between $33,851 and $44,011 annually in 2026. This includes a 22.17% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-3 base pay of $27,708 to $36,024.
The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC locality area covers North Carolina. At Step 5, a GS-3 employee here earns $1,604 more per year than the same grade and step under the "Rest of United States" rate (17.06%).
The biweekly pay for a GS-3 Step 1 in this area is $1,302, or approximately $16.22 per hour based on the standard 2,087-hour work year. Step increases are automatic with acceptable performance — it takes 18 years to progress from Step 1 to Step 10.
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