Charlotte GS Pay Table for 2026
The Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area is one of 58 OPM locality pay areas. In 2026 it adds 19.67% on top of the nationwide base GS table, meaning federal employees in this area earn 19.67% more than the base schedule.
2026 Charlotte GS Pay Table
Locality-adjusted General Schedule pay for Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC.
Covered area: Alexander County, NC, Anson County, NC, Burke County, NC, Cabarrus County, NC, Caldwell County, NC, Catawba County, NC, Cleveland County, NC, Gaston County, NC, Iredell County, NC, Lincoln County, NC, Mecklenburg County, NC, Rowan County, NC, and more.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $27,026 | $27,932 | $28,831 | $29,726 | $30,622 | $31,148 | $32,037 | $32,932 | $32,969 | $33,804 |
| GS-2 | $30,388 | $31,111 | $32,118 | $32,969 | $33,338 | $34,318 | $35,298 | $36,278 | $37,258 | $38,238 |
| GS-3 | $33,158 | $34,264 | $35,370 | $36,475 | $37,581 | $38,687 | $39,793 | $40,898 | $42,004 | $43,110 |
| GS-4 | $37,221 | $38,462 | $39,703 | $40,944 | $42,185 | $43,426 | $44,667 | $45,908 | $47,149 | $48,390 |
| GS-5 | $41,644 | $43,032 | $44,420 | $45,808 | $47,197 | $48,585 | $49,973 | $51,361 | $52,749 | $54,138 |
| GS-6 | $46,421 | $47,969 | $49,516 | $51,063 | $52,611 | $54,158 | $55,705 | $57,253 | $58,800 | $60,347 |
| GS-7 | $51,585 | $53,305 | $55,024 | $56,744 | $58,464 | $60,183 | $61,903 | $63,623 | $65,342 | $67,062 |
| GS-8 | $57,128 | $59,032 | $60,936 | $62,840 | $64,744 | $66,648 | $68,552 | $70,456 | $72,360 | $74,264 |
| GS-9 | $63,098 | $65,202 | $67,306 | $69,410 | $71,514 | $73,617 | $75,721 | $77,825 | $79,929 | $82,033 |
| GS-10 | $69,485 | $71,801 | $74,116 | $76,432 | $78,748 | $81,063 | $83,379 | $85,694 | $88,010 | $90,326 |
| GS-11 | $76,343 | $78,889 | $81,434 | $83,980 | $86,525 | $89,070 | $91,616 | $94,161 | $96,707 | $99,252 |
| GS-12 | $91,503 | $94,554 | $97,604 | $100,654 | $103,705 | $106,755 | $109,806 | $112,856 | $115,906 | $118,957 |
| GS-13 | $108,810 | $112,437 | $116,064 | $119,692 | $123,319 | $126,946 | $130,573 | $134,200 | $137,828 | $141,455 |
| GS-14 | $128,581 | $132,867 | $137,154 | $141,440 | $145,727 | $150,014 | $154,300 | $158,587 | $162,873 | $167,160 |
| GS-15 | $151,244 | $156,285 | $161,327 | $166,369 | $171,411 | $176,452 | $181,494 | $186,536 | $191,577 | $196,619 |
2026 Charlotte pay schedule
Every grade and step below already includes the 19.67% locality adjustment. Click any grade to open its dedicated single-grade pay scale page for Charlotte.
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $27,026 | $27,932 | $28,831 | $29,726 | $30,622 | $31,148 | $32,037 | $32,932 | $32,969 | $33,804 |
| GS-2 | $30,388 | $31,111 | $32,118 | $32,969 | $33,338 | $34,318 | $35,298 | $36,278 | $37,258 | $38,238 |
| GS-3 | $33,158 | $34,264 | $35,370 | $36,475 | $37,581 | $38,687 | $39,793 | $40,898 | $42,004 | $43,110 |
| GS-4 | $37,221 | $38,462 | $39,703 | $40,944 | $42,185 | $43,426 | $44,667 | $45,908 | $47,149 | $48,390 |
| GS-5 | $41,644 | $43,032 | $44,420 | $45,808 | $47,197 | $48,585 | $49,973 | $51,361 | $52,749 | $54,138 |
| GS-6 | $46,421 | $47,969 | $49,516 | $51,063 | $52,611 | $54,158 | $55,705 | $57,253 | $58,800 | $60,347 |
| GS-7 | $51,585 | $53,305 | $55,024 | $56,744 | $58,464 | $60,183 | $61,903 | $63,623 | $65,342 | $67,062 |
| GS-8 | $57,128 | $59,032 | $60,936 | $62,840 | $64,744 | $66,648 | $68,552 | $70,456 | $72,360 | $74,264 |
| GS-9 | $63,098 | $65,202 | $67,306 | $69,410 | $71,514 | $73,617 | $75,721 | $77,825 | $79,929 | $82,033 |
| GS-10 | $69,485 | $71,801 | $74,116 | $76,432 | $78,748 | $81,063 | $83,379 | $85,694 | $88,010 | $90,326 |
| GS-11 | $76,343 | $78,889 | $81,434 | $83,980 | $86,525 | $89,070 | $91,616 | $94,161 | $96,707 | $99,252 |
| GS-12 | $91,503 | $94,554 | $97,604 | $100,654 | $103,705 | $106,755 | $109,806 | $112,856 | $115,906 | $118,957 |
| GS-13 | $108,810 | $112,437 | $116,064 | $119,692 | $123,319 | $126,946 | $130,573 | $134,200 | $137,828 | $141,455 |
| GS-14 | $128,581 | $132,867 | $137,154 | $141,440 | $145,727 | $150,014 | $154,300 | $158,587 | $162,873 | $167,160 |
| GS-15 | $151,244 | $156,285 | $161,327 | $166,369 | $171,411 | $176,452 | $181,494 | $186,536 | $191,577 | $196,619 |
Pay snapshot for popular grades
Grade-level salaries
Compare with other top localities
Open a specific grade in Charlotte
Every GS grade has a dedicated single-grade pay scale page for this locality area. Each page shows all 10 steps, annual, biweekly and hourly pay, and the locality add-on broken out.
About the Charlotte locality pay area
The Charlotte Locality Area is one of the official OPM General Schedule locality pay areas. It is defined by a set of counties and independent cities within North Carolina, South Carolina. Any federal employee whose duty station is inside this boundary is paid from this locality table rather than the nationwide base GS schedule.
For 2026, the locality adjustment is 19.67%. That means a GS-1 Step 1 employee in Charlotte earns $27,026, and a senior GS-15 Step 10 employee can earn up to $196,619, subject to the statutory Executive Schedule Level 4 pay cap for the highest grade-step combinations.
Which counties does this pay area cover?
This pay area covers 18 counties and independent cities across North Carolina, South Carolina. Some of the included jurisdictions include Alexander County, NC, Anson County, NC, Burke County, NC, Cabarrus County, NC, Caldwell County, NC, Catawba County, NC, Cleveland County, NC, Gaston County, NC, Iredell County, NC, Lincoln County, NC, Mecklenburg County, NC, Rowan County, NC, and more.
Counties and independent cities in Charlotte
Charlotte pay questions
-
What is the 2026 locality adjustment for Charlotte?
For 2026, the locality pay adjustment for Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC is 19.67%. That percentage is added on top of the nationwide base GS table. -
How much does a GS-12 earn in Charlotte?
In 2026, a GS-12 Step 1 employee in Charlotte earns $91,503, rising to $118,957 at Step 10. See the GS-12 Charlotte page for the full step breakdown. -
Who is covered by the Charlotte locality area?
This locality table applies to federal employees whose official duty station is located within the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC boundary. It covers 18 counties and independent cities across North Carolina, South Carolina. Telework alone does not change your locality. It is based on the official duty station listed on your SF-50. -
How does this compare to other pay areas?
Charlotte is one of 58 GS locality pay areas nationwide. See the full directory to compare against other cities, or browse the base GS table for the nationwide schedule before locality is added.