2026 GS pay in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC locality pay area
In 2026, General Schedule employees in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC locality pay area receive a locality payment of 19.67% on top of base pay, the 38th highest of OPM's 58 areas. GS-12 step 1 is $91,503 a year here against $76,463 in the base table, and GS-15 step 10 is $196,619. The table incorporates the 1% General Schedule increase and is effective January 2026 (first pay period ).
Source: OPM, Salary Table 2026-CT (XML, SHA-256 b2749756c7a8…) and locality pay area definitions, fetched .
At a glance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| OPM table code | CT |
| Locality payment, 2026 | 19.67% (rank 38 of 58) |
| GS-5 step 1 | $41,644 a year, $19.95 an hour |
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 a year, $30.23 an hour |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 a year, $52.14 an hour |
| Cells at the statutory cap | none |
| States in the area | NC, SC |
Annual rates, 2026
| 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 |
Hourly rates, 2026
Hourly basic rates as OPM publishes them (annual rate divided by 2,087, rounded to the cent).
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $12.95 | $13.38 | $13.81 | $14.24 | $14.67 | $14.92 | $15.35 | $15.78 | $15.80 | $16.20 |
| GS-2 | $14.56 | $14.91 | $15.39 | $15.80 | $15.97 | $16.44 | $16.91 | $17.38 | $17.85 | $18.32 |
| GS-3 | $15.89 | $16.42 | $16.95 | $17.48 | $18.01 | $18.54 | $19.07 | $19.60 | $20.13 | $20.66 |
| GS-4 | $17.83 | $18.43 | $19.02 | $19.62 | $20.21 | $20.81 | $21.40 | $22.00 | $22.59 | $23.19 |
| GS-5 | $19.95 | $20.62 | $21.28 | $21.95 | $22.61 | $23.28 | $23.94 | $24.61 | $25.28 | $25.94 |
| GS-6 | $22.24 | $22.98 | $23.73 | $24.47 | $25.21 | $25.95 | $26.69 | $27.43 | $28.17 | $28.92 |
| GS-7 | $24.72 | $25.54 | $26.37 | $27.19 | $28.01 | $28.84 | $29.66 | $30.49 | $31.31 | $32.13 |
| GS-8 | $27.37 | $28.29 | $29.20 | $30.11 | $31.02 | $31.93 | $32.85 | $33.76 | $34.67 | $35.58 |
| GS-9 | $30.23 | $31.24 | $32.25 | $33.26 | $34.27 | $35.27 | $36.28 | $37.29 | $38.30 | $39.31 |
| GS-10 | $33.29 | $34.40 | $35.51 | $36.62 | $37.73 | $38.84 | $39.95 | $41.06 | $42.17 | $43.28 |
| GS-11 | $36.58 | $37.80 | $39.02 | $40.24 | $41.46 | $42.68 | $43.90 | $45.12 | $46.34 | $47.56 |
| GS-12 | $43.84 | $45.31 | $46.77 | $48.23 | $49.69 | $51.15 | $52.61 | $54.08 | $55.54 | $57.00 |
| GS-13 | $52.14 | $53.87 | $55.61 | $57.35 | $59.09 | $60.83 | $62.56 | $64.30 | $66.04 | $67.78 |
| GS-14 | $61.61 | $63.66 | $65.72 | $67.77 | $69.83 | $71.88 | $73.93 | $75.99 | $78.04 | $80.10 |
| GS-15 | $72.47 | $74.89 | $77.30 | $79.72 | $82.13 | $84.55 | $86.96 | $89.38 | $91.80 | $94.21 |
Law enforcement officer (LEO) table, 2026
OPM's Salary Table 2026-CT (LEO) applies the same 19.67% locality payment to the special base rates for law enforcement officers at grades 3 to 10: GS-3 step 1 is $39,793 for an LEO here against $33,158 on the GS table, and GS-10 step 1 is $71,801 against $69,485. Grades 1, 2 and 11 to 15 are the same figures as the GS table above. Source: OPM, CT (LEO).xml (36,993 bytes, SHA-256 ac7c92e779a4…), fetched .
| 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 | $39,793 | $40,898 | $42,004 | $43,110 | $44,216 | $45,321 | $46,427 | $47,533 | $48,639 | $49,744 |
| GS-4 | $44,667 | $45,908 | $47,149 | $48,390 | $49,631 | $50,872 | $52,113 | $53,354 | $54,595 | $55,836 |
| GS-5 | $51,361 | $52,749 | $54,138 | $55,526 | $56,914 | $58,302 | $59,690 | $61,078 | $62,467 | $63,855 |
| GS-6 | $54,158 | $55,705 | $57,253 | $58,800 | $60,347 | $61,895 | $63,442 | $64,989 | $66,537 | $68,084 |
| GS-7 | $58,464 | $60,183 | $61,903 | $63,623 | $65,342 | $67,062 | $68,782 | $70,501 | $72,221 | $73,941 |
| GS-8 | $60,936 | $62,840 | $64,744 | $66,648 | $68,552 | $70,456 | $72,360 | $74,264 | $76,168 | $78,072 |
| GS-9 | $65,202 | $67,306 | $69,410 | $71,514 | $73,617 | $75,721 | $77,825 | $79,929 | $82,033 | $84,136 |
| GS-10 | $71,801 | $74,116 | $76,432 | $78,748 | $81,063 | $83,379 | $85,694 | $88,010 | $90,326 | $92,641 |
| 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 |
LEO hourly rates, 2026
| Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $12.95 | $13.38 | $13.81 | $14.24 | $14.67 | $14.92 | $15.35 | $15.78 | $15.80 | $16.20 |
| GS-2 | $14.56 | $14.91 | $15.39 | $15.80 | $15.97 | $16.44 | $16.91 | $17.38 | $17.85 | $18.32 |
| GS-3 | $19.07 | $19.60 | $20.13 | $20.66 | $21.19 | $21.72 | $22.25 | $22.78 | $23.31 | $23.84 |
| GS-4 | $21.40 | $22.00 | $22.59 | $23.19 | $23.78 | $24.38 | $24.97 | $25.56 | $26.16 | $26.75 |
| GS-5 | $24.61 | $25.28 | $25.94 | $26.61 | $27.27 | $27.94 | $28.60 | $29.27 | $29.93 | $30.60 |
| GS-6 | $25.95 | $26.69 | $27.43 | $28.17 | $28.92 | $29.66 | $30.40 | $31.14 | $31.88 | $32.62 |
| GS-7 | $28.01 | $28.84 | $29.66 | $30.49 | $31.31 | $32.13 | $32.96 | $33.78 | $34.61 | $35.43 |
| GS-8 | $29.20 | $30.11 | $31.02 | $31.93 | $32.85 | $33.76 | $34.67 | $35.58 | $36.50 | $37.41 |
| GS-9 | $31.24 | $32.25 | $33.26 | $34.27 | $35.27 | $36.28 | $37.29 | $38.30 | $39.31 | $40.31 |
| GS-10 | $34.40 | $35.51 | $36.62 | $37.73 | $38.84 | $39.95 | $41.06 | $42.17 | $43.28 | $44.39 |
| GS-11 | $36.58 | $37.80 | $39.02 | $40.24 | $41.46 | $42.68 | $43.90 | $45.12 | $46.34 | $47.56 |
| GS-12 | $43.84 | $45.31 | $46.77 | $48.23 | $49.69 | $51.15 | $52.61 | $54.08 | $55.54 | $57.00 |
| GS-13 | $52.14 | $53.87 | $55.61 | $57.35 | $59.09 | $60.83 | $62.56 | $64.30 | $66.04 | $67.78 |
| GS-14 | $61.61 | $63.66 | $65.72 | $67.77 | $69.83 | $71.88 | $73.93 | $75.99 | $78.04 | $80.10 |
| GS-15 | $72.47 | $74.89 | $77.30 | $79.72 | $82.13 | $84.55 | $86.96 | $89.38 | $91.80 | $94.21 |
What the area covers
OPM's definition lists 18 entries for this area, by state, with the FIPS code OPM prints. The area is a combined statistical area plus the adjacent counties OPM's pay agent added; it is not the same boundary as a BLS metropolitan area.
North Carolina
- Alexander County, NC (37003)
- Anson County, NC (37007)
- Burke County, NC (37023)
- Cabarrus County, NC (37025)
- Caldwell County, NC (37027)
- Catawba County, NC (37035)
- Cleveland County, NC (37045)
- Gaston County, NC (37071)
- Iredell County, NC (37097)
- Lincoln County, NC (37109)
- Mecklenburg County, NC (37119)
- Rowan County, NC (37159)
- Stanly County, NC (37167)
- Union County, NC (37179)
South Carolina
- Chester County, SC (45023)
- Chesterfield County, SC (45025)
- Lancaster County, SC (45057)
- York County, SC (45091)
Wages outside government in the same places
- North Carolina wage profile: what occupations pay statewide, from BLS OEWS.
- South Carolina wage profile: what occupations pay statewide, from BLS OEWS.
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro profile (the BLS metropolitan area that shares this area's first-named city; boundaries differ).
Related
- All 58 locality pay areas and the base table.
- GS pay by locality and step on FastCalc for a particular grade and step; this site computes nothing.
- How federal GS pay works.