GS-3 Pay in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$36,195 – $47,058 per year • 30.63% locality adjustment
GS-3 Salary Summary — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Complete GS-3 Pay Table — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (2026)
| Step | Annual | Monthly | Biweekly | Hourly | Base Pay | Locality Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $36,195 | $3,016 | $1,392 | $17.34 | $27,708 | +$8,487 |
| Step 2 | $37,402 | $3,117 | $1,439 | $17.92 | $28,632 | +$8,770 |
| Step 3 | $38,609 | $3,217 | $1,485 | $18.50 | $29,556 | +$9,053 |
| Step 4 | $39,816 | $3,318 | $1,531 | $19.08 | $30,480 | +$9,336 |
| Step 5 | $41,023 | $3,419 | $1,578 | $19.66 | $31,404 | +$9,619 |
| Step 6 | $42,230 | $3,519 | $1,624 | $20.23 | $32,328 | +$9,902 |
| Step 7 | $43,437 | $3,620 | $1,671 | $20.81 | $33,252 | +$10,185 |
| Step 8 | $44,644 | $3,720 | $1,717 | $21.39 | $34,176 | +$10,468 |
| Step 9 | $45,851 | $3,821 | $1,764 | $21.97 | $35,100 | +$10,751 |
| Step 10 | $47,058 | $3,922 | $1,810 | $22.55 | $36,024 | +$11,034 |
Compare Nearby Grades in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
How does GS-3 Step 5 compare to adjacent grades in this locality?
Promotion from GS-2 to GS-3 at Step 5 in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA is a raise of $4,632 per year.
GS-3 Federal Jobs in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Federal employees at GS-3 in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA locality area earn between $36,195 and $47,058 annually in 2026. This includes a 30.63% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-3 base pay of $27,708 to $36,024.
The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-3 employee here earns $4,261 more per year than the same grade and step under the "Rest of United States" rate (17.06%).
As one of the higher-paying locality areas, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA compensates for the higher cost of living in the region. Federal employees considering a move should compare not just the salary difference but also housing costs, state income taxes, and commuting expenses.
The biweekly pay for a GS-3 Step 1 in this area is $1,392, or approximately $17.34 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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