INDEPENDENTREFERENCEGSGS Pay TablesWhat the federal pay tables mean 2026 edition
Effective January 2026

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  1. GS pay scale 2026
  2. States
  3. North Carolina

58 locality pay areasPage last changed 2026-10-07

North Carolina GS pay scale 2026: the 4 locality pay areas in the state

In 2026 a GS-12 step 5 in North Carolina is paid $101,443 to $105,932, depending on which of its 4 locality pay areas, Rest of U.S. included, the duty station is in.

Spread at GS-12 step 5

$4,489

Goes furthest

$107,921At U.S. prices, in Raleigh, NC.

Against Rest of U.S.

+$4,489over $101,443

Which areas cover North Carolina, and what each pays

GS-12 step 5 in 2026 in each area that covers North Carolina, what it buys at national average prices (BEA price level, U.S. = 100) and how many of the state’s 100 counties it covers; the county of the duty station decides (how that works). Source: the OPM 2026 General Schedule table of each area — Salary Table 2026-RA (Raleigh, NC), Salary Table 2026-CT (Charlotte, NC), Salary Table 2026-VB (Virginia Beach, VA), Salary Table 2026-RUS (Rest of U.S.).
Locality pay areaLocality payOn paperPrice levelWhat it buysCounties here
Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC22.24%$105,93298.2$107,92124
Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC19.67%$103,70597.3$106,53014
Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC18.80%$102,95197.9$105,1159
Rest of U.S.17.06%$101,443——53

Price levels across its areas run from 97.3 in Charlotte, NC to 98.2 in Raleigh, NC, the narrowest range of the 24 states with two or more priced areas.

Counties of North Carolina in each locality pay area, as OPM’s 2026 definitions list them; the county of the duty station decides (how that works).
Locality pay areaCounties
Raleigh, NCCaswell County, Chatham County, Cumberland County, Durham County, Edgecombe County, Franklin County, Granville County, Halifax County, Harnett County, Hoke County, Johnston County, Lee County, Moore County, Nash County, Northampton County, Orange County, Person County, Robeson County, Scotland County, Vance County, Wake County, Warren County, Wayne County, Wilson County
Charlotte, NCAlexander County, Anson County, Burke County, Cabarrus County, Caldwell County, Catawba County, Cleveland County, Gaston County, Iredell County, Lincoln County, Mecklenburg County, Rowan County, Stanly County, Union County
Virginia Beach, VACamden County, Chowan County, Currituck County, Dare County, Gates County, Hertford County, Pasquotank County, Perquimans County, Tyrrell County
Rest of U.S.all other counties of North Carolina (53)

Federal jobs in North Carolina, area by area

80,996 federal civilian jobs in North Carolina in 2025, 1.64% of all jobs in the state, 1,199 fewer than in 2024, down 1.46%, by the locality pay area of the worksite county; every federal pay system counted. The share is of the 74,187 jobs BLS places in a county. BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, 2025. The state total BLS publishes differs from the sum of its county rows by 1 job, from rounding of annual averages. Sources and caveats.
Locality pay areaFederal jobs, 2025Share, %Change from 2024
Raleigh, NC32,31543.6−844
Rest of U.S.28,66938.6−583
Charlotte, NC11,98316.2+146
Virginia Beach, VA1,2201.6−15
No county reported6,810——

Every grade at step 5 in North Carolina

Annual rates in U.S. dollars at step 5; ▲ marks a cell cut to the $197,200 statutory ceiling. For any other step, the pay calculator finds the area from a ZIP code.
GradeRaleigh-Durham-CaryCharlotte-ConcordVirginia Beach-NorfolkRest of U.S.
GS-131,28030,62230,40029,954
GS-234,05433,33833,09532,611
GS-338,38837,58137,30836,762
GS-443,09142,18541,87841,265
GS-548,21047,19746,85446,167
GS-653,74052,61152,22851,463
GS-759,71958,46458,03957,188
GS-866,13464,74464,27363,332
GS-973,04971,51470,99469,954
GS-1080,43978,74878,17577,030
GS-1188,38386,52585,89684,638
GS-12105,932103,705102,951101,443
GS-13125,967123,319122,422120,629
GS-14148,857145,727144,668142,549
GS-15175,092171,411170,164167,672

What a move inside North Carolina is worth after prices

A transfer at GS-12 step 5 between areas of North Carolina: the raise on paper, what it is worth at national average prices, and how much of it is left. Tax and housing are not in these figures (what the comparison leaves out).
MoveOn paperAfter pricesKept
Charlotte, NC to Raleigh, NC+$2,227+$1,39162%
Virginia Beach, VA to Raleigh, NC+$2,981+$2,80694%
Virginia Beach, VA to Charlotte, NC+$754+$1,415188%

Where else these areas reach

Locality pay areas are lists of counties and ignore state lines: inside one area a move across a state line does not change pay (how that works; every state and the areas in it).
AreaCounties hereAlso covers
Raleigh, NC24nowhere else
Charlotte, NC14South Carolina
Virginia Beach, VA9Virginia