United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
FS-3 Grade Salary
Foreign Service Class 3 — mid-career diplomat.
2026 salary range
$85,471 – $121,862
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | $85,471 | $7,123 | $41 |
| 3 | $88,036 | $7,336 | $42 |
| 4 | $90,677 | $7,556 | $44 |
| 5 | $93,397 | $7,783 | $45 |
| 6 | $96,199 | $8,017 | $46 |
| 7 | $99,085 | $8,257 | $48 |
| 8 | $102,057 | $8,505 | $49 |
| 9 | $105,119 | $8,760 | $51 |
| 10 | $108,273 | $9,023 | $52 |
| 11 | $111,521 | $9,293 | $54 |
| 12 | $114,866 | $9,572 | $55 |
| 13 | $118,312 | $9,859 | $57 |
| 14 | $121,862 | $10,155 | $59 |
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 FS-3 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for FS-3, 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% | $114,480 | $163,222 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $117,907 | $168,109 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $125,078 | $178,333 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $116,642 | $166,305 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $111,847 | $159,469 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $100,052 | $142,652 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $103,223 | $147,173 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $101,138 | $144,199 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $105,805 | $150,853 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $102,864 | $146,661 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $101,061 | $144,090 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $102,095 | $145,564 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $113,317 | $161,565 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $104,625 | $149,171 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $100,540 | $143,346 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $104,215 | $148,586 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $104,471 | $148,952 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $104,403 | $148,854 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $102,693 | $146,417 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $102,283 | $145,832 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $103,779 | $147,965 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $111,557 | $159,054 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $110,360 | $157,348 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $108,770 | $155,082 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $100,864 | $143,809 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $101,651 | $144,930 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $100,557 | $143,371 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $112,890 | $160,955 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $102,078 | $145,540 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $104,198 | $148,562 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $115,386 | $164,514 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $100,984 | $143,980 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $101,685 | $144,979 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $103,924 | $148,172 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $102,198 | $145,710 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $106,557 | $151,925 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $104,634 | $149,183 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $109,078 | $155,520 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $101,052 | $144,077 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $100,796 | $143,712 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $110,249 | $157,190 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $103,446 | $147,490 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $107,805 | $153,705 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $104,659 | $149,220 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $104,480 | $148,964 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $104,514 | $149,013 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $100,446 | $143,212 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $100,753 | $143,651 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $110,907 | $158,128 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $114,292 | $162,954 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $112,454 | $160,334 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $102,591 | $146,271 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $100,574 | $143,395 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $101,522 | $144,748 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $101,950 | $145,357 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $101,540 | $144,772 |
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 FS-3 make in the United States federal government?
A FS-3 in the United States federal civil service earns between $85,471 and $121,862 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the FS-3 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.