SMBC Group will open a second US headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, investing $50.5 million and adding 2,000 jobs over six years. The roles range from executives to analysts, with an average salary of about $165,000. Most of the staff (about 1,800) will be hired locally. SMBC already has around 160 employees at a regional office in the city. Charlotte beat Jacksonville, Florida, the other finalist. The jobs The roles are mainly back- and middle-office jobs supporting SMBC's US commercial and investment banking, project finance, and sales and trading. The average salary of about $165,000 compares with about $90,700 across Mecklenburg County. Governor Josh Stein had pitched the project to SMBC leaders on a trip to Tokyo the previous fall. Reshaping the US business The move came as SMBC reshaped other parts of its US business. In January 2026 it said it would wind down its digital bank, Jenius Bank, whose deposits Axos agreed to buy, and in March it agreed to sell a commercial banking unit to Bank of Hope. SMBC Americas chief executive Hirofumi Otsuka said Charlotte's deep talent pool made it a standout choice.
