GS-3 Pay in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
$40,548 – $52,718 per year • 46.34% locality adjustment
GS-3 Salary Summary — San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Complete GS-3 Pay Table — San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA (2026)
| Step | Annual | Monthly | Biweekly | Hourly | Base Pay | Locality Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | $40,548 | $3,379 | $1,560 | $19.43 | $27,708 | +$12,840 |
| Step 2 | $41,900 | $3,492 | $1,612 | $20.08 | $28,632 | +$13,268 |
| Step 3 | $43,252 | $3,604 | $1,664 | $20.72 | $29,556 | +$13,696 |
| Step 4 | $44,604 | $3,717 | $1,716 | $21.37 | $30,480 | +$14,124 |
| Step 5 | $45,957 | $3,830 | $1,768 | $22.02 | $31,404 | +$14,553 |
| Step 6 | $47,309 | $3,942 | $1,820 | $22.67 | $32,328 | +$14,981 |
| Step 7 | $48,661 | $4,055 | $1,872 | $23.32 | $33,252 | +$15,409 |
| Step 8 | $50,013 | $4,168 | $1,924 | $23.96 | $34,176 | +$15,837 |
| Step 9 | $51,365 | $4,280 | $1,976 | $24.61 | $35,100 | +$16,265 |
| Step 10 | $52,718 | $4,393 | $2,028 | $25.26 | $36,024 | +$16,694 |
Compare Nearby Grades in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 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 Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA is a raise of $5,190 per year.
GS-3 Federal Jobs in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA
Federal employees at GS-3 in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area earn between $40,548 and $52,718 annually in 2026. This includes a 46.34% locality pay adjustment on top of the GS-3 base pay of $27,708 to $36,024.
The San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA locality area covers California. At Step 5, a GS-3 employee here earns $9,195 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 Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 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 $1,560, or approximately $19.43 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.
Looking for GS-3 jobs?
Browse 12,548+ active federal job openings on FreeJobAlert.
Browse Federal Jobs →