CHARLOTTE-CONCORD, NC-SC — 19.67% locality adjustment · Ranks 38th of 58 pay areas
| 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 |
Your Charlotte locality salary feeds directly into your FERS High-3 average, which sets your pension for life. Use the GS Pay Calculator to see your exact salary and projected pension by grade, step, and locality.
The CHARLOTTE-CONCORD, NC-SC pay area carries a 19.67% locality adjustment for 2026, making it #38 out of 58 OPM-defined pay areas. A GS-13 Step 1 employee here earns $108,810 annually, compared to $90,925 in the national base table — a difference of $17,885 per year.
Locality pay is calculated as: Base Pay × (1 + 19.67%). The resulting salary applies to all General Schedule employees assigned to a duty station within the CHARLOTTE-CONCORD, NC-SC geographic area as defined by OPM. Locality adjustments are effective each January alongside the across-the-board base pay increase.
Within the Southeast region, Charlotte sits 2.68 points below the Southeast average of 22.35%. Measured against the Rest of U.S. baseline (17.06%), a GS-13 Step 1 in Charlotte earns $2,373 more per year — $108,810 versus $106,437. Across the grade range, Step 1 salaries here run $41,644 at GS-5, $63,098 at GS-9, $108,810 at GS-13, and $151,244 at GS-15.
GS locality pay is capped at the Executive Schedule Level IV rate ($197,200 in 2026) regardless of grade, step, or locality percentage. No GS-15 step reaches the $197,200 statutory cap in Charlotte, so every step increase translates into full salary through GS-15 Step 10. See the full interactive GS pay scale to compare all 58 locality pay areas side by side.
2026 locality-adjusted salaries for the grades that cover most of the federal workforce. Jump to a grade:
A GS-7 in Charlotte — a common entry point for new graduates and many technician roles — starts at $51,585 on Step 1, reaches $58,464 at Step 5, and tops out at $67,062 on Step 10, after the 19.67% Charlotte locality adjustment is applied to the $43,106 national base rate.
A GS-9 in Charlotte — the typical first promotion step for specialists and analysts — starts at $63,098 on Step 1, reaches $71,514 at Step 5, and tops out at $82,033 on Step 10, after the 19.67% Charlotte locality adjustment is applied to the $52,727 national base rate.
A GS-11 in Charlotte — the full performance level for many professional series — starts at $76,343 on Step 1, reaches $86,525 at Step 5, and tops out at $99,252 on Step 10, after the 19.67% Charlotte locality adjustment is applied to the $63,795 national base rate.
A GS-12 in Charlotte — the journeyman level across much of the federal workforce — starts at $91,503 on Step 1, reaches $103,705 at Step 5, and tops out at $118,957 on Step 10, after the 19.67% Charlotte locality adjustment is applied to the $76,463 national base rate.
A GS-13 in Charlotte — the most common senior non-supervisory grade — starts at $108,810 on Step 1, reaches $123,319 at Step 5, and tops out at $141,455 on Step 10, after the 19.67% Charlotte locality adjustment is applied to the $90,925 national base rate.
A GS-14 in Charlotte — the supervisory and senior technical expert level — starts at $128,581 on Step 1, reaches $145,727 at Step 5, and tops out at $167,160 on Step 10, after the 19.67% Charlotte locality adjustment is applied to the $107,446 national base rate.
A GS-15 in Charlotte — the highest regular grade below the Senior Executive Service — starts at $151,244 on Step 1, reaches $171,411 at Step 5, and tops out at $196,619 on Step 10, after the 19.67% Charlotte locality adjustment is applied to the $126,384 national base rate.
All 15 grades and 10 steps for Charlotte are in the full table above, and the FERS Estimator converts any Charlotte salary into projected lifetime pension income.
Other Southeast locality pay areas, closest to the Charlotte rate first. The figure in parentheses is the difference from Charlotte’s 19.67% adjustment.
Comparing offers across localities? The GS Pay Calculator models any grade, step, and locality combination, and the FERS Estimator shows what each option is worth as lifetime pension income. See all 58 pay areas for the full list.