Charleston, SC WG Pay Scale 2026 (Wage Area 119)
In the Charleston, South Carolina wage area, a WG-10 earns $28.39 at step 1, $29.58 at step 2 and $33.09 at step 5 under schedule 119 (Rest of United States), effective September 20, 2026. Step 2 is about $61,733 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
Charleston, SC WG, WL and WS rates, schedule 119
Issued September 15, 2026, effective September 20, 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 | $15.37$32,077 | $15.96$33,309 | $16.66$34,769 | $17.28$36,063 | $17.91$37,378 |
| WG-2 | $16.80$35,062 | $17.53$36,585 | $18.24$38,067 | $18.87$39,382 | $19.58$40,863 |
| WG-3 | $18.29$38,171 | $19.06$39,778 | $19.78$41,281 | $20.58$42,950 | $21.29$44,432 |
| WG-4 | $19.71$41,135 | $20.57$42,930 | $21.40$44,662 | $22.19$46,311 | $23.04$48,084 |
| WG-5 | $21.16$44,161 | $22.07$46,060 | $22.96$47,918 | $23.84$49,754 | $24.70$51,549 |
| WG-6 | $22.57$47,104 | $23.53$49,107 | $24.45$51,027 | $25.42$53,052 | $26.33$54,951 |
| WG-7 | $24.04$50,171 | $25.03$52,238 | $26.03$54,325 | $27.03$56,412 | $28.01$58,457 |
| WG-8 | $25.49$53,198 | $26.53$55,368 | $27.58$57,559 | $28.68$59,855 | $29.75$62,088 |
| WG-9 | $26.93$56,203 | $28.06$58,561 | $29.16$60,857 | $30.28$63,194 | $31.42$65,574 |
| WG-10 | $28.39$59,250 | $29.58$61,733 | $30.76$64,196 | $31.93$66,638 | $33.09$69,059 |
| WG-11 | $29.86$62,318 | $31.09$64,885 | $32.31$67,431 | $33.55$70,019 | $34.80$72,628 |
| WG-12 | $31.26$65,240 | $32.59$68,015 | $33.90$70,749 | $35.17$73,400 | $36.48$76,134 |
| WG-13 | $32.75$68,349 | $34.12$71,208 | $35.51$74,109 | $36.84$76,885 | $38.21$79,744 |
| WG-14 | $34.21$71,396 | $35.68$74,464 | $37.10$77,428 | $38.53$80,412 | $39.95$83,376 |
| WG-15 | $35.74$74,589 | $37.21$77,657 | $38.72$80,809 | $40.20$83,897 | $41.71$87,049 |
WL: leader grades 1 to 15
| WL (leader) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WL-1 | $16.88$35,229 | $17.61$36,752 | $18.30$38,192 | $19.03$39,716 | $19.67$41,051 |
| WL-2 | $18.47$38,547 | $19.28$40,237 | $20.04$41,823 | $20.80$43,410 | $21.59$45,058 |
| WL-3 | $20.09$41,928 | $20.92$43,660 | $21.78$45,455 | $22.63$47,229 | $23.45$48,940 |
| WL-4 | $21.69$45,267 | $22.62$47,208 | $23.52$49,086 | $24.40$50,923 | $25.31$52,822 |
| WL-5 | $23.32$48,669 | $24.28$50,672 | $25.23$52,655 | $26.22$54,721 | $27.18$56,725 |
| WL-6 | $24.85$51,862 | $25.85$53,949 | $26.90$56,140 | $27.94$58,311 | $28.97$60,460 |
| WL-7 | $26.43$55,159 | $27.53$57,455 | $28.64$59,772 | $29.76$62,109 | $30.83$64,342 |
| WL-8 | $28.01$58,457 | $29.16$60,857 | $30.36$63,361 | $31.52$65,782 | $32.68$68,203 |
| WL-9 | $29.62$61,817 | $30.87$64,426 | $32.08$66,951 | $33.31$69,518 | $34.57$72,148 |
| WL-10 | $31.22$65,156 | $32.52$67,869 | $33.80$70,541 | $35.13$73,316 | $36.42$76,009 |
| WL-11 | $32.81$68,474 | $34.18$71,334 | $35.57$74,235 | $36.91$77,031 | $38.27$79,869 |
| WL-12 | $34.38$71,751 | $35.84$74,798 | $37.26$77,762 | $38.72$80,809 | $40.15$83,793 |
| WL-13 | $36.03$75,195 | $37.56$78,388 | $39.04$81,476 | $40.55$84,628 | $42.04$87,737 |
| WL-14 | $37.65$78,576 | $39.22$81,852 | $40.78$85,108 | $42.36$88,405 | $43.93$91,682 |
| WL-15 | $39.29$81,998 | $40.94$85,442 | $42.59$88,885 | $44.22$92,287 | $45.86$95,710 |
WS: supervisory grades 1 to 19
| WS (supervisory) grade | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WS-1 | $23.90$49,879 | $24.89$51,945 | $25.91$54,074 | $26.89$56,119 | $27.90$58,227 |
| WS-2 | $25.34$52,885 | $26.39$55,076 | $27.47$57,330 | $28.51$59,500 | $29.59$61,754 |
| WS-3 | $26.79$55,911 | $27.94$58,311 | $29.03$60,586 | $30.14$62,902 | $31.26$65,240 |
| WS-4 | $28.19$58,833 | $29.38$61,316 | $30.56$63,779 | $31.72$66,200 | $32.91$68,683 |
| WS-5 | $29.64$61,859 | $30.88$64,447 | $32.09$66,972 | $33.36$69,622 | $34.59$72,189 |
| WS-6 | $31.09$64,885 | $32.40$67,619 | $33.68$70,290 | $34.97$72,982 | $36.26$75,675 |
| WS-7 | $32.54$67,911 | $33.90$70,749 | $35.24$73,546 | $36.60$76,384 | $37.99$79,285 |
| WS-8 | $33.98$70,916 | $35.40$73,880 | $36.81$76,822 | $38.22$79,765 | $39.65$82,750 |
| WS-9 | $35.43$73,942 | $36.91$77,031 | $38.37$80,078 | $39.87$83,209 | $41.32$86,235 |
| WS-10 | $36.89$76,989 | $38.41$80,162 | $39.96$83,397 | $41.49$86,590 | $43.03$89,804 |
| WS-11 | $37.98$79,264 | $39.55$82,541 | $41.14$85,859 | $42.70$89,115 | $44.28$92,412 |
| WS-12 | $39.30$82,019 | $40.97$85,504 | $42.61$88,927 | $44.23$92,308 | $45.87$95,731 |
| WS-13 | $41.03$85,630 | $42.77$89,261 | $44.49$92,851 | $46.16$96,336 | $47.89$99,946 |
| WS-14 | $43.06$89,866 | $44.86$93,623 | $46.66$97,379 | $48.44$101,094 | $50.25$104,872 |
| WS-15 | $45.19$94,312 | $47.08$98,256 | $48.96$102,180 | $50.84$106,103 | $52.73$110,048 |
| WS-16 | $47.08$98,256 | $49.03$102,326 | $51.00$106,437 | $52.97$110,548 | $54.92$114,618 |
| WS-17 | $49.66$103,640 | $51.73$107,961 | $53.79$112,260 | $55.86$116,580 | $57.92$120,879 |
| WS-18 | $52.88$110,361 | $55.11$115,015 | $57.31$119,606 | $59.47$124,114 | $61.67$128,705 |
| 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 119
Berkeley County, SC; Charleston County, SC; Colleton County, SC; Dorchester County, SC; Georgetown County, SC; Horry County, SC; Williamsburg County, SC
Other wage areas in South Carolina
- Augusta, GA WG-10 step 2 $30.91
- Savannah, GA WG-10 step 2 $32.77
- Central North Carolina WG-10 step 2 $29.72
- Charlotte-Concord, NC WG-10 step 2 $28.94
- Columbia, SC WG-10 step 2 $29.61
Charleston, SC WG pay questions
What is the WG-10 rate in Charleston, SC?
Under schedule 119 (Rest of United States), WG-10 is $28.39 at step 1, $29.58 at step 2 and $33.09 at step 5. At 2,087 hours a year, step 2 is about $61,733, an estimate.
When did the Charleston, SC wage schedule take effect?
DCPAS issued schedule 119 on September 15, 2026 with an effective date of September 20, 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 Charleston, SC?
These are the regular schedule rates. DCPAS marks schedule 119 as impacted by OPM CPM 2022-02 (the $15 per hour minimum pay rate for federal employees) and points to special rate schedule M119 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 Charleston, SC wage area cover?
DCPAS lists 7 counties or areas for schedule 119; 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)