Asheville, NC WG Pay Scale 2026 (Wage Area 098)
In the Asheville, North Carolina wage area, a WG-10 earns $27.07 at step 1, $28.19 at step 2 and $31.59 at step 5 under schedule 098 (Rest of United States), effective August 9, 2026. Step 2 is about $58,833 a year at 2,087 hours, an estimate.
Below are the WG, WL and WS hourly rates for every grade and step and the counties covered. See WG pay scale 2026 for every wage area.
Maintained by Archie Chang · DCPAS schedules checked October 31, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Asheville, NC WG, WL and WS rates, schedule 098
Issued August 4, 2026, effective August 9, 2026, superseding the schedule issued November 25, 2025. GS locality: Rest of United States (RUS). For General Schedule pay in the same locality, see Rest of U.S. GS pay scale 2026.
WG: nonsupervisory grades 1 to 15
| WG (nonsupervisory) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WG-1 | $14.20$29,635 | $14.79$30,867 | $15.43$32,202 | $15.99$33,371 | $16.57$34,582 |
| WG-2 | $15.59$32,536 | $16.27$33,955 | $16.88$35,229 | $17.57$36,669 | $18.24$38,067 |
| WG-3 | $17.02$35,521 | $17.70$36,940 | $18.42$38,443 | $19.13$39,924 | $19.86$41,448 |
| WG-4 | $18.51$38,630 | $19.30$40,279 | $20.06$41,865 | $20.82$43,451 | $21.61$45,100 |
| WG-5 | $20.16$42,074 | $20.97$43,764 | $21.81$45,517 | $22.64$47,250 | $23.50$49,045 |
| WG-6 | $21.57$45,017 | $22.45$46,853 | $23.36$48,752 | $24.28$50,672 | $25.10$52,384 |
| WG-7 | $22.90$47,792 | $23.86$49,796 | $24.85$51,862 | $25.79$53,824 | $26.70$55,723 |
| WG-8 | $24.23$50,568 | $25.21$52,613 | $26.25$54,784 | $27.26$56,892 | $28.26$58,979 |
| WG-9 | $25.64$53,511 | $26.65$55,619 | $27.69$57,789 | $28.78$60,064 | $29.87$62,339 |
| WG-10 | $27.07$56,495 | $28.19$58,833 | $29.35$61,253 | $30.46$63,570 | $31.59$65,928 |
| WG-11 | $28.50$59,480 | $29.74$62,067 | $30.92$64,530 | $32.08$66,951 | $33.27$69,434 |
| WG-12 | $30.00$62,610 | $31.23$65,177 | $32.48$67,786 | $33.75$70,436 | $35.00$73,045 |
| WG-13 | $31.29$65,302 | $32.64$68,120 | $33.98$70,916 | $35.23$73,525 | $36.61$76,405 |
| WG-14 | $32.77$68,391 | $34.12$71,208 | $35.52$74,130 | $36.90$77,010 | $38.23$79,786 |
| WG-15 | $34.18$71,334 | $35.63$74,360 | $37.06$77,344 | $38.49$80,329 | $39.90$83,271 |
WL: leader grades 1 to 15
| WL (leader) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WL-1 | $15.60$32,557 | $16.28$33,976 | $16.89$35,249 | $17.58$36,689 | $18.25$38,088 |
| WL-2 | $17.20$35,896 | $17.89$37,336 | $18.60$38,818 | $19.30$40,279 | $20.01$41,761 |
| WL-3 | $18.72$39,069 | $19.48$40,655 | $20.29$42,345 | $21.04$43,910 | $21.81$45,517 |
| WL-4 | $20.37$42,512 | $21.20$44,244 | $22.07$46,060 | $22.92$47,834 | $23.78$49,629 |
| WL-5 | $22.14$46,206 | $23.07$48,147 | $24.01$50,109 | $24.93$52,029 | $25.83$53,907 |
| WL-6 | $23.70$49,462 | $24.70$51,549 | $25.69$53,615 | $26.68$55,681 | $27.62$57,643 |
| WL-7 | $25.09$52,363 | $26.29$54,867 | $27.38$57,142 | $28.35$59,166 | $29.45$61,462 |
| WL-8 | $26.65$55,619 | $27.72$57,852 | $28.92$60,356 | $29.99$62,589 | $31.10$64,906 |
| WL-9 | $28.19$58,833 | $29.38$61,316 | $30.56$63,779 | $31.72$66,200 | $32.86$68,579 |
| WL-10 | $29.79$62,172 | $31.05$64,801 | $32.28$67,368 | $33.52$69,956 | $34.77$72,565 |
| WL-11 | $31.38$65,490 | $32.68$68,203 | $33.99$70,937 | $35.27$73,608 | $36.60$76,384 |
| WL-12 | $32.96$68,788 | $34.37$71,730 | $35.74$74,589 | $37.11$77,449 | $38.50$80,350 |
| WL-13 | $34.48$71,960 | $35.97$75,069 | $37.36$77,970 | $38.85$81,080 | $40.30$84,106 |
| WL-14 | $36.03$75,195 | $37.59$78,450 | $39.05$81,497 | $40.58$84,690 | $42.05$87,758 |
| WL-15 | $37.64$78,555 | $39.19$81,790 | $40.76$85,066 | $42.34$88,364 | $43.97$91,765 |
WS: supervisory grades 1 to 19
| WS (supervisory) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WS-1 | $22.24$46,415 | $23.15$48,314 | $24.09$50,276 | $25.02$52,217 | $25.93$54,116 |
| WS-2 | $23.73$49,525 | $24.70$51,549 | $25.69$53,615 | $26.69$55,702 | $27.67$57,747 |
| WS-3 | $25.47$53,156 | $26.52$55,347 | $27.57$57,539 | $28.65$59,793 | $29.68$61,942 |
| WS-4 | $26.90$56,140 | $28.00$58,436 | $29.11$60,753 | $30.24$63,111 | $31.37$65,469 |
| WS-5 | $28.34$59,146 | $29.53$61,629 | $30.65$63,967 | $31.82$66,408 | $33.01$68,892 |
| WS-6 | $29.67$61,921 | $30.98$64,655 | $32.15$67,097 | $33.42$69,748 | $34.70$72,419 |
| WS-7 | $31.00$64,697 | $32.27$67,347 | $33.50$69,915 | $34.92$72,878 | $36.13$75,403 |
| WS-8 | $32.35$67,514 | $33.70$70,332 | $35.03$73,108 | $36.42$76,009 | $37.75$78,784 |
| WS-9 | $33.73$70,395 | $35.14$73,337 | $36.57$76,322 | $37.98$79,264 | $39.42$82,270 |
| WS-10 | $35.19$73,442 | $36.67$76,530 | $38.14$79,598 | $39.61$82,666 | $41.07$85,713 |
| WS-11 | $36.33$75,821 | $37.82$78,930 | $39.30$82,019 | $40.79$85,129 | $42.32$88,322 |
| WS-12 | $37.95$79,202 | $39.52$82,478 | $41.09$85,755 | $42.70$89,115 | $44.27$92,391 |
| WS-13 | $39.76$82,979 | $41.44$86,485 | $43.09$89,929 | $44.72$93,331 | $46.40$96,837 |
| WS-14 | $41.76$87,153 | $43.49$90,764 | $45.22$94,374 | $46.96$98,006 | $48.70$101,637 |
| WS-15 | $43.84$91,494 | $45.66$95,292 | $47.49$99,112 | $49.32$102,931 | $51.14$106,729 |
| WS-16 | $46.10$96,211 | $48.01$100,197 | $49.91$104,162 | $51.85$108,211 | $53.75$112,176 |
| WS-17 | $49.22$102,722 | $51.24$106,938 | $53.26$111,154 | $55.31$115,432 | $57.42$119,836 |
| WS-18 | $52.69$109,964 | $54.82$114,409 | $57.01$118,980 | $59.22$123,592 | $61.38$128,100 |
| WS-19 | $52.72$110,027 | $54.92$114,618 | $57.12$119,209 | $59.31$123,780 | $61.51$128,371 |
Counties covered by schedule 098
Avery County, NC; Buncombe County, NC; Cherokee County, NC; Clay County, NC; Graham County, NC; Haywood County, NC; Henderson County, NC; Jackson County, NC; Macon County, NC; Madison County, NC; Mitchell County, NC; Polk County, NC; Rutherford County, NC; Swain County, NC; Transylvania County, NC; Yancey County, NC
Other wage areas in North Carolina
- Central North Carolina WG-10 step 2 $29.72
- Charlotte-Concord, NC WG-10 step 2 $28.94
- Southeastern North Carolina WG-10 step 2 $33.89
- Eastern Tennessee WG-10 step 2 $26.70
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA WG-10 step 2 $29.45
Asheville, NC WG pay questions
What is the WG-10 rate in Asheville, NC?
Under schedule 098 (Rest of United States), WG-10 is $27.07 at step 1, $28.19 at step 2 and $31.59 at step 5. At 2,087 hours a year, step 2 is about $58,833, an estimate.
When did the Asheville, NC wage schedule take effect?
DCPAS issued schedule 098 on August 4, 2026 with an effective date of August 9, 2026. It replaced the schedule issued November 25, 2025. New schedules follow each local wage survey, so check DCPAS for a newer one.
Are these the rates paid in Asheville, NC?
These are the regular schedule rates. DCPAS marks schedule 098 as impacted by OPM CPM 2022-02 (the $15 per hour minimum pay rate for federal employees) and points to special rate schedule M098 for the payable rates. The rates shown are the regular schedule. Find the special schedules on the DCPAS site under "Special".
Which counties does the Asheville, NC wage area cover?
DCPAS lists 16 counties or areas for schedule 098; the full list is on this page. OPM's final rule on wage area criteria took effect on October 1, 2025, and DCPAS says it affects approximately 230 counties, so check the list if your county may have moved.
Sources (checked October 31, 2026): DCPAS Wage and Salary Division, appropriated fund wage schedules · 5 CFR 532.203, structure of regular wage schedules (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.201, definitions (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.211, criteria for appropriated fund wage areas (eCFR) · 5 CFR 532.417, within-grade increases (eCFR) · 5 U.S.C. 5343, prevailing rate determinations · 5 U.S.C. 5342, definitions · 5 U.S.C. 5504, biweekly pay periods; computation of pay · Federal Register, January 21, 2025 (90 FR 7428), final rule on wage area criteria · OPM, Facts About the Federal Wage System · OPM CPM 2025-20, Fiscal Year 2026 Prevailing Rate Pay Adjustments · OPM CPM 2026-05, Update to Fiscal Year 2026 Prevailing Rate Pay Adjustments · House Document 119-189, Alternative Plan for Pay Adjustments (January 2027)