United States · Federal pay 2026 · Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC
Raleigh-Durham-Cary GS pay scale 2026
Locality pay in Raleigh-Durham-Cary is 22.24% in 2026, so GS pay runs from $27,607 a year (GS-1 step 1) to $197,200 (GS-15 step 10). A GS-12 step 1 earns $93,468, $3,960 more than in the Rest of U.S. area.
Pick a grade and step, or read the whole table below. Every figure is OPM’s own for this locality.
Raleigh-Durham-Cary · GS-12 step 1
$93,468 a year
$7,789.00 a month · $3,594.92 every two weeks, before tax
$17,005 of it is locality pay on top of the $76,463 base.
| 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* |
* Held at the 2026 pay cap of $197,200 (level IV of the Executive Schedule).
How does Raleigh-Durham-Cary GS pay compare?
Raleigh-Durham-Cary has the 25th highest locality pay of the 58 areas. Step 1 of some grades, beside the base table and the Rest of U.S. area:
| Grade, step 1 | Raleigh-Durham-Cary | Base table | Rest of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-5 | $42,538 | $34,799 | $40,736 |
| GS-7 | $52,693 | $43,106 | $50,460 |
| GS-9 | $64,453 | $52,727 | $61,722 |
| GS-11 | $77,983 | $63,795 | $74,678 |
| GS-12 | $93,468 | $76,463 | $89,508 |
| GS-13 | $111,147 | $90,925 | $106,437 |
| GS-14 | $131,342 | $107,446 | $125,776 |
| GS-15 | $154,492 | $126,384 | $147,945 |
1 cell is held at the $197,200 cap: GS-15 step 10. It gets less than the full 22.24%.
What is the locality pay in other areas?
- Alaska 32.36%
- Albany-Schenectady 20.77%
- Albuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas 18.33%
- Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs 23.79%
- Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown 20.35%
- Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega 18.24%
- Boston-Worcester-Providence 32.58%
- Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean 22.41%
- Burlington-South Burlington-Barre 19.45%
- Charlotte-Concord 19.67%
- Chicago-Naperville 30.86%
- Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville 21.93%
- Cleveland-Akron-Canton 22.23%
- Colorado Springs 20.15%
- Columbus-Marion-Zanesville 22.15%
- Corpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice 17.63%
- Dallas-Fort Worth 27.26%
- Davenport-Moline 18.93%
- Dayton-Springfield-Kettering 21.42%
- Denver-Aurora 30.52%
- Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines 18.01%
- Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor 29.12%
- Fresno-Madera-Hanford 17.65%
- Harrisburg-Lebanon 19.43%
- Hartford-East Hartford 32.08%
- Hawaii 22.21%
- Houston-The Woodlands 35%
- Huntsville-Decatur 21.91%
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Muncie 18.15%
- Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City 18.97%
- Laredo 21.59%
- Las Vegas-Henderson 19.57%
- Los Angeles-Long Beach 36.47%
- Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale 24.67%
- Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha 22.42%
- Minneapolis-St. Paul 27.62%
- New York-Newark 37.95%
- Omaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont 18.23%
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville 17.93%
- Philadelphia-Reading-Camden 28.99%
- Phoenix-Mesa 22.45%
- Pittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton 21.03%
- Portland-Vancouver-Salem 26.13%
- Reno-Fernley 17.52%
- Richmond 22.28%
- Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls 17.88%
- Sacramento-Roseville 29.76%
- San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall 18.78%
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad 33.72%
- San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland 46.34%
- Seattle-Tacoma 31.57%
- Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene 17.67%
- St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington 20.03%
- Tucson-Nogales 19.28%
- Virginia Beach-Norfolk 18.8%
- Washington-Baltimore-Arlington 33.94%
- Rest of U.S. 17.06%
What does this leave out?
- Special rates for some jobs (such as law enforcement officers) and other pay plans.
- Which counties are in this locality: check with your agency.
- Tax and deductions: the GS pay calculator works out take-home pay.
What else can I work out?
- GS pay calculator Salary and take-home pay for any grade and step in Raleigh-Durham-Cary.
- GS pay scale 2026 The General Schedule base table and every locality’s own table.
- Military pay calculator Basic pay, BAH, BAS and take-home pay for your rank, years of service, ZIP code and home state.
- Military and federal pay Every military and federal pay calculator and chart in one place.
Questions about GS pay in Raleigh-Durham-Cary
What is the locality pay for Raleigh-Durham-Cary in 2026?
22.24%, for the area OPM calls “Raleigh-Durham-Cary, NC”. That ranks 25 of the 58 locality areas. It is added to the base table, so a GS-9 step 1 earns $64,453 here against $52,727 on the base table.
How much does a GS-12 make in Raleigh-Durham-Cary?
From $93,468 a year at step 1 to $121,511 at step 10 in 2026. Step 5 is $105,932.
What is GS-13 pay in Raleigh-Durham-Cary?
$111,147 at step 1, $125,967 at step 5 and $144,493 at step 10, a year.
What does a GS-7 earn in Raleigh-Durham-Cary?
$52,693 a year at step 1 ($2,026.65 every two weeks before tax) and $68,502 at step 10.
Is GS pay in Raleigh-Durham-Cary capped?
1 cell is held at the $197,200 cap: GS-15 step 10. It gets less than the full 22.24%.
Will GS pay in Raleigh-Durham-Cary change in 2027?
Not decided yet. The President’s plan proposes a pay freeze for 2027, with base and locality pay staying at their 2026 rates: “I have determined that for 2027, base pay and locality pay for civilian Federal employees will not change from the 2026 rates.” That is a proposal, not final.