United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-W3 Grade Salary
Warrant Officer W-3 — Chief Warrant Officer 3.
2026 salary range
$62,680 – $109,951
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $62,680 | $5,223 | $30 |
| 2 | $65,286 | $5,441 | $31 |
| 3 | $67,972 | $5,664 | $33 |
| 4 | $68,843 | $5,737 | $33 |
| 5 | $71,651 | $5,971 | $34 |
| 6 | $77,173 | $6,431 | $37 |
| 7 | $82,926 | $6,911 | $40 |
| 8 | $85,637 | $7,136 | $41 |
| 9 | $88,772 | $7,398 | $43 |
| 10 | $91,991 | $7,666 | $44 |
| 11 | $97,805 | $8,150 | $47 |
| 12 | $101,718 | $8,477 | $49 |
| 13 | $104,062 | $8,672 | $50 |
| 14 | $106,556 | $8,880 | $51 |
| 15 | $109,951 | $9,163 | $53 |
| 16 | $109,951 | $9,163 | $53 |
| 17 | $109,951 | $9,163 | $53 |
| 18 | $109,951 | $9,163 | $53 |
| 19 | $109,951 | $9,163 | $53 |
| 20 | $109,951 | $9,163 | $53 |
| 21 | $109,951 | $9,163 | $53 |
| 22 | $109,951 | $9,163 | $53 |
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 MIL-W3 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-W3, 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% | $83,954 | $147,268 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $86,467 | $151,677 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $91,726 | $160,902 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $85,539 | $150,050 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $82,023 | $143,882 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $73,373 | $128,709 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $75,699 | $132,788 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $74,169 | $130,105 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $77,592 | $136,108 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $75,435 | $132,326 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $74,113 | $130,006 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $74,871 | $131,336 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $83,101 | $145,773 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $76,727 | $134,591 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $73,730 | $129,335 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $76,426 | $134,063 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $76,614 | $134,393 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $76,564 | $134,305 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $75,310 | $132,106 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $75,009 | $131,578 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $76,106 | $133,503 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $81,810 | $143,508 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $80,932 | $141,969 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $79,767 | $139,924 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $73,969 | $129,753 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $74,545 | $130,765 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $73,743 | $129,357 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $82,788 | $145,223 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $74,859 | $131,314 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $76,413 | $134,041 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $84,618 | $148,434 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $74,056 | $129,907 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $74,570 | $130,809 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $76,213 | $133,689 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $74,946 | $131,468 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $78,143 | $137,076 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $76,733 | $134,602 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $79,992 | $140,319 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $74,107 | $129,995 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $73,919 | $129,665 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $80,851 | $141,826 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $75,862 | $133,074 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $79,058 | $138,681 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $76,752 | $134,635 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $76,620 | $134,404 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $76,645 | $134,448 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $73,662 | $129,214 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $73,887 | $129,610 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $81,334 | $142,672 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $83,816 | $147,026 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $82,468 | $144,663 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $75,235 | $131,974 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $73,756 | $129,379 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $74,451 | $130,600 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $74,765 | $131,150 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $74,464 | $130,622 |
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 MIL-W3 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-W3 in the United States federal civil service earns between $62,680 and $109,951 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the MIL-W3 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.