FederalPay.org
FederalPay.org
General Schedule (GS) Payscale in North Carolina for 2026
Click any county to view locality pay tables
The General Schedule (GS) payscale is the federal government payscale used to determine the salaries of over 70% of federal civilian employees.
Under the GS payscale, an employee's base pay depends on two factors - the GS Paygrade of their job, and the Paygrade Step they have achieved (depending on seniority or performance). This base pay is then modified based on a "Locality Pay Adjustment", which adjusts the GS payscale based on cost-of-living in different areas within the United States.
North Carolina has one or more Locality Pay Adjustment areas with special locality pay adjustment rates. This page lists the locality-adjusted yearly GS pay scales for each area, with starting pay for a GS-1 broken down by county in the interactive map. For a detailed calculation of your pay as a GS employee in North Carolina, see our General Schedule Pay Calculator.
The RALEIGH-DURHAM-CARY, NC General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Raleigh and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 22.24% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $27,607 | $28,532 | $29,450 | $30,364 | $31,280 | $31,817 | $32,725 | $33,639 | $33,677 | $34,530 |
| GS-2 | $31,040 | $31,779 | $32,808 | $33,677 | $34,054 | $35,055 | $36,056 | $37,057 | $38,058 | $39,059 |
| GS-3 | $33,870 | $35,000 | $36,129 | $37,259 | $38,388 | $39,518 | $40,647 | $41,777 | $42,906 | $44,036 |
| GS-4 | $38,020 | $39,288 | $40,556 | $41,823 | $43,091 | $44,358 | $45,626 | $46,894 | $48,161 | $49,429 |
| GS-5 | $42,538 | $43,956 | $45,374 | $46,792 | $48,210 | $49,628 | $51,046 | $52,464 | $53,882 | $55,300 |
| GS-6 | $47,418 | $48,999 | $50,579 | $52,160 | $53,740 | $55,321 | $56,901 | $58,482 | $60,063 | $61,643 |
| GS-7 | $52,693 | $54,449 | $56,206 | $57,963 | $59,719 | $61,476 | $63,232 | $64,989 | $66,745 | $68,502 |
| GS-8 | $58,355 | $60,300 | $62,245 | $64,189 | $66,134 | $68,079 | $70,024 | $71,969 | $73,914 | $75,858 |
| GS-9 | $64,453 | $66,602 | $68,751 | $70,900 | $73,049 | $75,198 | $77,347 | $79,496 | $81,645 | $83,794 |
| GS-10 | $70,977 | $73,343 | $75,708 | $78,073 | $80,439 | $82,804 | $85,169 | $87,535 | $89,900 | $92,266 |
| GS-11 | $77,983 | $80,583 | $83,183 | $85,783 | $88,383 | $90,983 | $93,583 | $96,183 | $98,783 | $101,383 |
| GS-12 | $93,468 | $96,584 | $99,700 | $102,816 | $105,932 | $109,048 | $112,164 | $115,280 | $118,396 | $121,511 |
| GS-13 | $111,147 | $114,852 | $118,557 | $122,262 | $125,967 | $129,672 | $133,377 | $137,082 | $140,787 | $144,493 |
| GS-14 | $131,342 | $135,721 | $140,099 | $144,478 | $148,857 | $153,235 | $157,614 | $161,992 | $166,371 | $170,750 |
| GS-15 | $154,492 | $159,642 | $164,792 | $169,942 | $175,092 | $180,242 | $185,392 | $190,542 | $195,692 | $197,200* |
The Raleigh locality pay rate also applies to Cary, Durham, Fayetteville, Goldsboro, Raleigh, and other cities within the region.
The CHARLOTTE-CONCORD, NC-SC General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Charlotte and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 19.67% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.
| GS 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 |
The Charlotte locality pay rate also applies to Charlotte, and other cities within the region.
The VIRGINIA BEACH-NORFOLK, VA-NC General Schedule locality region applies to government employees who work in Virginia Beach and surrounding areas. General Schedule employees who work within this region are paid 18.8% more than the GS base pay rates to account for local cost of living.
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $26,830 | $27,729 | $28,621 | $29,510 | $30,400 | $30,921 | $31,804 | $32,693 | $32,729 | $33,559 |
| GS-2 | $30,167 | $30,884 | $31,885 | $32,729 | $33,095 | $34,068 | $35,041 | $36,014 | $36,987 | $37,960 |
| GS-3 | $32,917 | $34,015 | $35,113 | $36,210 | $37,308 | $38,406 | $39,503 | $40,601 | $41,699 | $42,797 |
| GS-4 | $36,950 | $38,182 | $39,414 | $40,646 | $41,878 | $43,110 | $44,342 | $45,574 | $46,806 | $48,038 |
| GS-5 | $41,341 | $42,719 | $44,097 | $45,475 | $46,854 | $48,232 | $49,610 | $50,988 | $52,366 | $53,744 |
| GS-6 | $46,084 | $47,620 | $49,156 | $50,692 | $52,228 | $53,764 | $55,300 | $56,836 | $58,372 | $59,908 |
| GS-7 | $51,210 | $52,917 | $54,624 | $56,331 | $58,039 | $59,746 | $61,453 | $63,160 | $64,867 | $66,574 |
| GS-8 | $56,713 | $58,603 | $60,493 | $62,383 | $64,273 | $66,163 | $68,053 | $69,944 | $71,834 | $73,724 |
| GS-9 | $62,640 | $64,728 | $66,817 | $68,905 | $70,994 | $73,082 | $75,171 | $77,259 | $79,348 | $81,436 |
| GS-10 | $68,980 | $71,279 | $73,578 | $75,876 | $78,175 | $80,474 | $82,773 | $85,071 | $87,370 | $89,669 |
| GS-11 | $75,788 | $78,315 | $80,842 | $83,369 | $85,896 | $88,423 | $90,950 | $93,477 | $96,003 | $98,530 |
| GS-12 | $90,838 | $93,866 | $96,894 | $99,923 | $102,951 | $105,979 | $109,007 | $112,036 | $115,064 | $118,092 |
| GS-13 | $108,019 | $111,620 | $115,221 | $118,821 | $122,422 | $126,023 | $129,624 | $133,225 | $136,826 | $140,426 |
| GS-14 | $127,646 | $131,901 | $136,157 | $140,412 | $144,668 | $148,923 | $153,178 | $157,434 | $161,689 | $165,945 |
| GS-15 | $150,144 | $155,149 | $160,154 | $165,159 | $170,164 | $175,169 | $180,174 | $185,180 | $190,185 | $195,190 |
The Virginia Beach locality pay rate also applies to Elizabeth City, and other cities within the region.
Any federal employees in North Carolina who do not live in an area for which a specific Locality Pay Adjustment has been set will receive the generic "Rest of the United States" locality pay adjustment of 17.06% (shown in the table below).
| GS Grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $26,437 | $27,323 | $28,202 | $29,078 | $29,954 | $30,468 | $31,338 | $32,214 | $32,250 | $33,067 |
| GS-2 | $29,725 | $30,432 | $31,418 | $32,250 | $32,611 | $33,569 | $34,528 | $35,487 | $36,445 | $37,404 |
| GS-3 | $32,435 | $33,517 | $34,598 | $35,680 | $36,762 | $37,843 | $38,925 | $40,006 | $41,088 | $42,170 |
| GS-4 | $36,409 | $37,623 | $38,837 | $40,051 | $41,265 | $42,479 | $43,693 | $44,907 | $46,120 | $47,334 |
| GS-5 | $40,736 | $42,094 | $43,452 | $44,809 | $46,167 | $47,525 | $48,883 | $50,241 | $51,599 | $52,957 |
| GS-6 | $45,409 | $46,922 | $48,436 | $49,950 | $51,463 | $52,977 | $54,490 | $56,004 | $57,517 | $59,031 |
| GS-7 | $50,460 | $52,142 | $53,824 | $55,506 | $57,188 | $58,871 | $60,553 | $62,235 | $63,917 | $65,599 |
| GS-8 | $55,882 | $57,745 | $59,607 | $61,469 | $63,332 | $65,194 | $67,057 | $68,919 | $70,781 | $72,644 |
| GS-9 | $61,722 | $63,780 | $65,838 | $67,896 | $69,954 | $72,012 | $74,070 | $76,128 | $78,186 | $80,243 |
| GS-10 | $67,970 | $70,235 | $72,500 | $74,765 | $77,030 | $79,295 | $81,560 | $83,825 | $86,091 | $88,356 |
| GS-11 | $74,678 | $77,168 | $79,658 | $82,148 | $84,638 | $87,128 | $89,618 | $92,107 | $94,597 | $97,087 |
| GS-12 | $89,508 | $92,491 | $95,475 | $98,459 | $101,443 | $104,427 | $107,411 | $110,395 | $113,378 | $116,362 |
| GS-13 | $106,437 | $109,985 | $113,533 | $117,081 | $120,629 | $124,177 | $127,725 | $131,273 | $134,822 | $138,370 |
| GS-14 | $125,776 | $129,969 | $134,162 | $138,356 | $142,549 | $146,742 | $150,935 | $155,128 | $159,321 | $163,514 |
| GS-15 | $147,945 | $152,877 | $157,809 | $162,740 | $167,672 | $172,604 | $177,536 | $182,467 | $187,399 | $192,331 |
The Rest of U.S. locality pay rate also applies to Greensboro, Havelock, High Point, Hoffman, Jacksonville, Southport, Wilmington, Winston-Salem, and other cities within the region.
* For some high-paygrade workers pay under the GS scale may be capped at $197,200, which is the SES (Senior Executive Scale)'s Level 4 pay for the current year (5 U.S.C. 5304 (g)(1)).
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