Order Code RL33245
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Officials:
Process for Adjusting Pay and Current Salaries
January 23, 2006
Barbara L. Schwemle
Analyst in American National Government
Government and Finance Division
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

---

Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Officials: Process
for Adjusting Pay and Current Salaries
Summary
Leaders and Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Vice
President, individuals in positions on the Executive Schedule (EX), and federal
justices and judges — all hereafter referred to as federal officials — receive an
annual pay adjustment under the Ethics Reform Act of 1989, P.L. 101-194 (103 Stat.
1716, at 1769, 5 U.S.C. §5318 note). The percentage change in the wages and
salaries for the private industry workers element of the Employment Cost Index
(ECI), minus 0.5% (December indicator) provides the basis for the pay adjustment.
In January 2006, federal officials received a 1.9% salary increase.
EX pay rates provide limitations on maximum basic pay rates for Members of
the Senior Executive Service and employees in senior-level (SL) and scientific and
professional (ST) positions. EX pay rates also provide limitations on basic pay, basic
pay and locality pay combined, and total compensation for employees in General
Schedule (GS) positions.
This report includes four tables which provide the January 2004, January 2005,
and January 2006 salaries for federal officials and members of the SES, and for
employees in SL, ST, and GS-15 positions in the Washington, DC, and the “Rest of
the United States” locality pay areas. It will be updated as more information about
future pay increases becomes available.

---

Contents
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Officials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Pay Adjustments Since 1991 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Senior Executive Service and Certain Senior-Level Positions . . . . . . . . . . . 6
General Schedule GS-15 Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
List of Tables
Table 1. Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Salaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Table 2. Senior Executive Service (SES) Pay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Table 3. Pay For Senior-Level (SL) and Scientific and Professional (ST)
Employees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Table 4. Pay For General Schedule Grade GS-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

---

Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Officials:
Process for Adjusting Pay and Current
Salaries
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Officials
A provision in the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 provides for an annual salary
adjustment for leaders and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives, the
Vice President, individuals in positions on the Executive Schedule (EX), and federal
justices and judges.1 The adjustment is based on the percentage change in the wages
and salaries (not seasonally adjusted) for the private industry workers element of the
Employment Cost Index (ECI), minus 0.5% (December indicator).2 It becomes
effective at the same time as, and at a rate no greater than, the annual base pay rate
adjustment for federal white-collar civilian employees under the General Schedule
(GS).3 The adjustment cannot, however, be less than zero or greater than 5%.4 While
this provision of the Ethics Reform Act sets the rate of the judicial pay adjustment,
a 1981 law provides that any salary increase for justices and judges must be
“specifically authorized by Act of Congress hereafter enacted.”5
1 P.L. 101-194, §704, Nov. 30, 1989; 103 Stat. 1716, at 1769; 5 U.S.C. 5318 note. The law
amended 2 U.S.C. §31(2), 3 U.S.C. §104, 5 U.S.C. §5318, and 28 U.S.C. §461(a). For an
analysis of pay adjustments for Members of Congress, see CRS Report RL30014, Salaries
of Members of Congress: Current Procedures and Recent Adjustments, by Paul Dwyer. See
also CRS Report RS20388, Salary Linkage: Members of Congress, Certain Federal
Officials, and Certain Federal Judges, by Barbara L. Schwemle.
2 The term “base quarter” means the three-month period ending on December 31 of a year.
The ECI for the last base quarter is reduced by the ECI for the second to last base quarter,
the resulting difference is divided by the ECI for the second to last base quarter, and the
quotient is multiplied by 100.
3 Footnote 1 and Government Management Reform Act of 1994, P.L. 103-356, Title I,
§101(4), Oct. 13, 1994; 108 Stat. 3410, at 3411.
4 Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States provides that “The Judges,
both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and
shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation which shall not be
diminished during their Continuance in Office.” The pay adjustment set under the Ethics
Reform Act would not apply to the extent that it would reduce the salary of any individual
whose compensation may not be diminished under Article III, Section 1. (28 U.S.C.
§461(b).)
5 P.L. 97-92, §140, Dec. 15, 1981; 95 Stat. 1183, at 1200; 28 U.S.C. 461 note. The law
provides “[t]hat nothing in this limitation shall be construed to reduce any salary which may
be in effect at the time of enactment of this joint resolution nor shall this limitation be
construed in any manner to reduce the salary of any Federal judge or of any Justice of the
(continued...)

---

CRS-2
The legislative, executive, and judicial officials — all hereafter referred to as
federal officials — received a 1.9% pay adjustment in January 2006. The January
2007 pay adjustment provided for by the Ethics Reform Act can be projected once
the December 2005 ECI data are released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on
January 31, 2006.
Pay Adjustments Since 1991. Federal officials received pay adjustments
in 11 of the 16 years since the enactment of the Ethics Reform Act. The adjustments
follow:
1991. Adjustment was 3.6%.6 P.L. 101-520, Title III, §321, Nov. 5, 1990; 104
Stat. 2254, at 2285, authorized the judicial pay adjustment.
1992. Adjustment was 3.5%. P.L. 102-140, Title III, §305, Oct. 28, 1991; 105
Stat. 782, at 810, authorized the judicial pay adjustment.
1993. Adjustment was 3.2%. P.L. 102-395, Title III, §304, Oct. 6, 1992; 106
Stat. 1828, at 1859, authorized the judicial pay adjustment.
1994. Projected adjustment was 2.1%. Congress passed legislation freezing
salaries for Members of Congress (P.L. 103-6, §7, Mar. 4, 1993; 107 Stat. 33, at 35).
Federal officials did not receive a pay adjustment because GS base pay was not
adjusted (P.L. 103-123, §517B, §615, Oct. 28, 1993; 107 Stat. 1226, at 1253-1254,
1261-1263).
1995. Projected adjustment was 2.6%, but would have been limited to GS base
pay adjustment of 2.0%. Federal officials did not receive a pay adjustment (P.L. 103-
329, §630(a)(2), Sept. 30, 1994; 108 Stat. 2382, at 2424).
1996. Projected adjustment was 2.3%, but would have been limited to GS base
pay adjustment of 2.0%. Federal officials did not receive a pay adjustment (P.L. 104-
52, §633, Nov. 19, 1995; 109 Stat. 468, at 507).
1997. Projected adjustment was 2.3%. Federal officials did not receive a pay
adjustment (P.L. 104-208, §637, Sept. 30, 1996; 110 Stat. 3009, at 3009-364).
1998. Projected adjustment was 2.9%. Adjustment was 2.3%, the same as the
GS base pay adjustment. P.L. 105-119, Title III, §306, Nov. 26, 1997; 111 Stat.
2440, at 2493, authorized the judicial pay adjustment.
5 (...continued)
Supreme Court.” Congress enacted this provision of law in the wake of a court decision
(U.S. v. Will, 449 U.S. 2000 (1980)) brought by several judges on behalf of the entire
Judiciary which resulted in the restoration of two (1976 and 1979) of four (1976-1979)
judicial pay adjustments that Congress had rejected. The provision was made permanent
in the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, The Judiciary, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 2002, P.L. 107-77, Title VI, §625, Nov. 28, 2001; 115 Stat. 748, at 803.
6 Under the Ethics Reform Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-194, §703, Nov. 30, 1989; 103 Stat. 1716,
at 1768, 5 U.S.C. 5318 note), federal officials (but not Senators) also received a 25% pay
adjustment which was compounded with the 3.6% annual pay adjustment. The Senate later
passed legislation (Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1992, P.L. 102-90, Aug. 14,
1991; 105 Stat. 450-451) which became effective on the day of enactment and provided
Senators with the same pay as Representatives. For a discussion of the Senate action, see,
CRS Report RL30014, Salaries of Members of Congress: Current Procedures and Recent
Adjustments, by Paul Dwyer.

---

CRS-3
1999. Projected adjustment was 3.4%, but would have been limited to GS base
pay adjustment of 3.1%. Federal officials did not receive a pay adjustment (P.L. 105-
277, §621, Oct. 21, 1998; 112 Stat. 2681, at 2681-518).
2000. Adjustment was 3.4%. P.L. 106-113, Div. B, §1000(a)(1) [Title III,
§304], Nov. 29, 1999; 113 Stat. 1501, at 1535, 1501A-36-A37, authorized the
judicial pay adjustment.
2001. Projected adjustment was 3.0%. Adjustment was 2.7%, the same as the
GS base pay adjustment. P.L. 106-553, §1(a)(2) [Title III, §309], Dec. 21, 2000; 114
Stat. 2762 at, 2762A-89, authorized the judicial pay adjustment.
2002. Adjustment was 3.4%. P.L. 107-77, Title III, §305, Nov. 28, 2001; 115
Stat. 748, at 783, authorized the judicial pay adjustment.
2003. Projected adjustment was 3.3%. Adjustment was 3.1%, the same as the
GS base pay adjustment. P.L. 108-6, §1, Feb. 13, 2003; 117 Stat. 10, authorized the
judicial pay adjustment.
2004. Adjustment was 2.2%. Adjusted temporarily at 1.5% pending enactment
of P.L. 108-99. P.L. 108-167, §1, Dec. 6, 2003; 117 Stat. 2031, authorized the
judicial pay adjustment.
2005. Adjustment was 2.5%. P.L. 108-447, §306, Dec. 8, 2004; 118 Stat.
2809, at 2895, authorized the judicial pay adjustment.
2006. Adjustment was 1.9%. P.L. 109-115, §405, Nov. 30, 2005, authorized
the judicial pay adjustment.
Table 1 below shows the January 2004, January 2005, and January 2006 salaries
for federal officials.
Table 1. Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Salaries
Position
January 2004
January 2005
January 2006
Legislative Branch
Vice President of the United
$203,000
$208,100
$212,100
States (President of the Senate)
Speaker of the House of
203,000
208,100
212,100
Representatives
President Pro Tempore of the
175,700
180,100
183,500
Senate
Majority and Minority Leaders
175,700
180,100
183,500
— House and Senate
Senators, Representatives,
158,100
162,100
165,200
Resident Commissioner of
Puerto Rico, and Delegates
Comptroller General of the
158,100
162,100
165,200
United States
Deputy Comptroller General
145,600
149,200
152,000

---

CRS-4
Position
January 2004
January 2005
January 2006
General Counsel, Government
137,000
140,300
143,000
Accountability Office
Librarian of Congress
158,100
162,100
165,200
Deputy Librarian
145,600
149,200
152,000
Register of Copyrights
145,600
149,200
152,000
Director, Congressional
145,600
149,200
152,000
Research Service
Public Printer
158,100
162,100
165,200
Deputy Public Printer
145,600
149,200
152,000
Executive Branch
President of the United States
$400,000
$400,000
$400,000
Vice President of the United
$203,000
$208,100
$212,100
States
Executive Schedule (EX) Level
$175,700
$180,100
$183,500
I: Cabinet-level officials
EX Level II: Deputy secretaries
158,100
162,100
165,200
of departments, secretaries of
military departments, and heads
of major agencies
EX Level III: Under secretaries
145,600
149,200
152,000
of departments and heads of
middle-level agencies
EX Level IV: Assistant
136,900
140,300
143,000
secretaries and general counsels
of departments, heads of smaller
agencies, members of certain
boards and commissions
EX Level V: Administrators,
128,200
131,400
133,900
commissioners, directors, and
members of boards,
commissions, or units of
agencies
Judicial Branch
Chief Justice of the United
$203,000
$208,100
$212,100
States
Associate Justices of the
194,300
199,200
203,000
Supreme Court
Judges, U.S. Courts of Appeal
167,600
171,800
175,100

---

CRS-5
Position
January 2004
January 2005
January 2006
Judges, U.S. Court of Appeals
167,600
171,800
175,100
for the Armed Services
Judges, U.S. District Courts
158,100
162,100
165,200
Judges, United States Court of
158,100
162,100
165,200
Federal Claims
Judges, United States Court of
158,100
162,100
165,200
International Trade
Judges, Tax Court of the United
158,100
162,100
165,200
States
Judges, U.S. Court of Appeals
158,100
162,100
165,200
for Veterans Claims
Bankruptcy Judges
145,500
149,132
151,984
Magistrate Judges
145,500
149,132
151,984
Director, Administrative Office
158,100
162,100
165,200
of U.S. Courts
Deputy Director, Administrative
145,500
149,132
151,984
Office of U.S. Courts
Director, Federal Judicial Center
158,100
162,100
165,200
Deputy Director, Federal
145,500
149,132
151,984
Judicial Center
Administrative Assistant to the
up to 158,100
up to 162,100
up to 165,200
Chief Justice
Circuit Executives
up to 137,000
up to 140,300
up to 143,000
Notes: Salaries for the Comptroller General of the United States (31 U.S.C. §703(f)(1)), the Deputy
Comptroller General (31 U.S.C. §703(f)(2)), the General Counsel of the Government Accountability
Office (31 U.S.C. §731(c)), the Librarian of Congress (2 U.S.C. §136a-2(1)), the Deputy Librarian
(2 U.S.C. §136a-2(2)), the Register of Copyrights (17 U.S.C. §701(f)), the Director of the
Congressional Research Service (2 U.S.C. §166(c)(1)), the Public Printer (44 U.S.C. §303), and the
Deputy Public Printer (44 U.S.C. §303) are tied to the Executive Schedule by law. For an analysis
of congressional staff salaries which are tied to Member of Congress pay rates, see CRS
Memorandum, Effect of Congressional Pay Freeze on Officer and Staff Salaries, by Ida A. Brudnick
(available to Members of Congress and their staff from the author).
The President’s current salary became effective at noon on January 20, 2001,
and was established by the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act,
2000, P.L. 106-58, Title VI, §644, Sept. 29, 1999; 113 Stat. 430, at 478; 3 U.S.C.
§102.
The salary for the Director of the Administrative Office (AO) of U.S. Courts is
the same as that of U.S. District Court Judges (28 U.S.C. §603). The salary for the
Deputy Director of the AO is 92% of the AO Director’s salary (28 U.S.C. §603). The

---

CRS-6
salary for the Director of the Federal Judicial Center (FJC) is the same as the AO
Director’s salary (28 U.S.C. §626). The salary for the Deputy Director of the FJC is
the same as the Deputy AO Director’s salary (28 U.S.C. §626). The salary for the
Administrative Assistant to the Chief Justice cannot exceed the AO Director’s salary
(28 U.S.C. §677). Salaries for Circuit Executives cannot exceed EX Level IV (28
U.S.C. §332(f)(1)).
Total compensation for Circuit Executives, the AO Director, and the Deputy AO
Director may be up to the Vice President’s salary. (Homeland Security Act of 2002,
P.L. 107-296, Title XIII, §1322, Nov. 25, 2002; 116 Stat. 2135, at 2297-2298; 5
U.S.C. §5307(d)). This provision also applies to employees paid under 28 U.S.C.
§604 which authorizes the AO Director to set compensation for clerks of court,
deputies, librarians, criers, messengers, law clerks, secretaries, stenographers, clerical
assistants, and other employees of the courts whose compensation is not otherwise
fixed by law. Performance appraisal systems for employees, “as designed and
applied,” must make “meaningful distinctions based on relative performance.” The
AO Director is responsible for any regulations (which must be consistent with the
Office of Personnel Management and Office of Management and Budget regulations
for members of the SES and SL and ST employees), certifications, or other measures
necessary to implement the provision. Certification is for a period of two calendar
years, but may be terminated at any time upon a finding of nonconformance with
applicable requirements. This provision is under study by the AO Director’s office
and regulations have not been issued.
Senior Executive Service and
Certain Senior-Level Positions
Maximum basic pay rates for members of the Senior Executive Service (SES)
and certain senior-level positions are tied to the Executive Schedule. An individual
in an SES position: (1) directs the work of an organizational unit; (2) is held
accountable for the success of one or more specific programs or projects; (3)
monitors progress toward organizational goals and periodically evaluates and makes
appropriate adjustments to such goals; (4) supervises the work of employees other
than personal assistants; or (5) otherwise exercises important policy-making, policy-
determining, or other executive functions.7 Salaries for members of the SES are
determined annually by agency heads “under a rigorous performance management
system,” and range from the minimum rate of basic pay for a senior level (SL)
employee (120% of the minimum basic pay rate for GS-15; $109,808, as of January
2006) to either EX Level III ($152,000, as of January 2006), in agencies whose
performance appraisal systems have not been certified by the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) as making “meaningful distinctions based on relative
performance,” or EX Level II ($165,200, as of January 2006), in agencies whose
performance appraisal systems have been so certified.8 Total compensation9 for
7 5 U.S.C. §3132(a)(2).
8 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, P.L. 108-136, Div. A, Title XI,
§1125(a)(2), Nov. 24, 2003; 117 Stat. 1392, at 1638-1639; 5 U.S.C. §5382. The Office of
Personnel Management published interim regulations on January 13, 2004, proposed
(continued...)

---

CRS-7
members of the SES in agencies whose performance appraisal systems “as designed
and applied” have been certified by OPM may be up to the Vice President’s salary
($212,100, as of January 2006)10 and up to EX Level I ($183,500, as of January
2006) in agencies whose performance appraisal systems have not been so certified.11
Table 2 below shows January 2004 through January 2006 salaries for the SES.
Table 2. Senior Executive Service (SES) Pay
Effective January 2004
Minimum
Maximum
$104,927
$145,600
Agencies without a certified performance
appraisal system
$104,927
$158,100
Agencies with a certified performance appraisal
system
Effective January 2005
$107,550
$149,200
Agencies without a certified performance
appraisal system
$107,550
$162,100
Agencies with a certified performance appraisal
system
8 (...continued)
regulations on July 29, 2004, and final regulations on December 6, 2004, to implement the
pay system. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, “Senior Executive Service Pay and
Performance Awards,” Federal Register, vol. 69, no. 8, Jan. 13, 2004, pp. 2047-2052. U.S.
Office of Personnel Management, “Senior Executive Service Pay and Performance Awards
and Aggregate Limitation on Pay,” Federal Register, vol. 69, no. 145, July 29, 2004, pp.
45535-45546. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, “Senior Executive Service Pay and
Performance Awards; Aggregate Limitation on Pay,” Federal Register, vol. 69, no. 233,
Dec. 6, 2004, pp. 70355-70367. See CRS Report RL33128, Senior Executive Service Pay
for Performance System, by L. Elaine Halchin, for an analysis of the SES pay adjustment
process.
9 The term total compensation as used in this report refers to the aggregate of allowances,
differentials, bonuses, awards, or other similar cash payments, and basic pay. It does not
include advance payments, payments to missing employees, or back pay. The term also does
not include travel and transportation allowances, except for recruitment, relocation, and
retention bonuses, supervisory differentials, and expenses to obtain professional credentials,
or allowances, generally, except for post differentials, danger pay, nonforeign area cost of
living allowances, and physicians comparability allowances. (5 U.S.C. §5307(a)(1)(2)).
10 Homeland Security Act of 2002, P.L. 107-296, Title XIII, §1322, Nov. 25, 2002; 116 Stat.
2135, at 2297-2298; 5 U.S.C. §5307(d) provided for OPM certification of agency
performance appraisal systems with the concurrence of the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). See footnote eight for the regulations implementing the provision. An
agency’s certification is for a period of two calendar years, but may be terminated at any
time upon a finding that the agency has not conformed with applicable requirements.
11 5 U.S.C. §5307(a)(1).

---

CRS-8
Effective January 2006
$109,808
$152,000
Agencies without a certified performance
appraisal system
$109,808
$165,200
Agencies with a certified performance appraisal
system
Basic pay for certain senior-level positions — positions classified above GS-15
(SL pay schedule) and scientific or professional positions (ST pay schedule) —
ranges from 120% of the minimum rate of basic pay for GS-15 ($109,808, as of
January 2006) to EX Level IV ($143,000, as of January 2006).12 SL and ST
employees (unlike individuals in positions on the EX schedule or members of the
SES) receive locality-based comparability payments. The total of base pay and
locality pay cannot exceed EX Level III ($152,000, as of January 2006).13 Total
compensation for SL and ST employees in agencies whose performance appraisal
systems “as designed and applied” have been certified by OPM may be up to the Vice
President’s salary ($212,100, as of January 2006)14 and up to EX Level I ($183,500,
as of January 2006) in agencies whose performance appraisal systems have not been
so certified.15 Table 3 below shows January 2004 through January 2006 salaries for
SL and ST employees in the Washington, DC, and “Rest of the United States”
locality pay areas.16
12 Treasury, Postal Service and General Government Appropriations Act, 1991, P.L. 101-
509, Title V, §529 [Title I, §102(a)(1)], Nov. 5, 1990; 104 Stat. 1389, at 1427, 1443; 5
U.S.C. §5376.
13 5 U.S.C. §5304(g)(2).
14 Homeland Security Act of 2002, P.L. 107-296, Title XIII, §1322, Nov. 25, 2002; 116 Stat.
2135, at 2297-2298; 5 U.S.C. §5307(d) provided for OPM certification of agency
performance appraisal systems with the concurrence of the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). See footnote eight for the regulations implementing the provision. An
agency’s certification is for a period of two calendar years, but may be terminated at any
time upon a finding that the agency has not conformed with applicable requirements.
15 5 U.S.C. §5307(a)(1).
16 There are 32 locality pay areas for the purposes of the locality-based comparability
payments — 31 discrete pay areas and a “Rest of the United States” pay area covering all
employees not in one of the 31 areas. Salary information for SL and ST employees in all
32 locality pay areas is available on the Internet at [http://www.opm.gov].

---

CRS-9
Table 3. Pay For Senior-Level (SL) and Scientific and
Professional (ST) Employees
Washington, DC Pay Area
“Rest of the United States” Pay Area
Minimum
Maximum
Minimum
Maximum
Effective January 2004
Basic Pay
Basic Pay
$104,927
$136,900
$104,927
$136,900
With Locality Pay Adjustment
With Locality Pay Adjustment
$120,278
$145,600
$116,364
$145,600
Effective January 2005
Basic Pay
Basic Pay
$107,550
$140,300
$107,550
$140,300
With Locality Pay Adjustment
With Locality Pay Adjustment
$124,736
$149,200
$120,155
$149,200
Effective January 2006
Basic Pay
Basic Pay
$109,808
$143,000
$109,808
$143,000
With Locality Pay Adjustment
With Locality Pay Adjustment
$129,024
$152,000
$123,556
$152,000
Note: The Washington, DC locality pay area is officially named the Washington-Baltimore-Northern
Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV Combined Statistical Area (CSA), plus the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-
WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, the York-Hanover-Gettysburg, PA CSA, Culpeper County, VA,
and King George County, VA.
General Schedule GS-15 Positions
The General Schedule (GS) is the basic pay schedule for federal white-collar
employees. It is divided into grades of difficulty and responsibility of work. There
are 15 grades and 10 steps within each grade. The duties attached to positions at each
grade are stated in statute at 5 U.S.C. §5104. Those for a GS-15, the top level of the
schedule, are these:
(A) to perform, under general administrative direction, with very wide latitude
for the exercise of independent judgment, work of outstanding difficulty and
responsibility along special technical, supervisory, or administrative lines which
has demonstrated leadership and exceptional attainments;
(B) to serve as head of a major organization within a bureau involving work of
comparable level;

---

CRS-10
(C) to plan and direct or to plan and execute specialized programs of marked
difficulty, responsibility, and national significance, along professional, scientific,
technical, administrative, fiscal, or other lines, requiring extended training and
experience which has demonstrated leadership and unusual attainments in
professional, scientific, or technical research, practice, or administration, or in
administrative, fiscal, or other specialized activities; or
(D) to perform consulting or other professional, scientific, technical,
administrative, fiscal, or other specialized work of equal importance, difficulty,
and responsibility, and requiring comparable qualifications.17
GS employees receive an annual adjustment to basic pay and a locality-based
comparability payment. EX pay rates provide limitations on GS pay. Basic pay
cannot exceed EX Level V ($133,900, as of January 2006), basic pay and locality pay
combined cannot exceed EX Level IV ($143,000, as of January 2006), and total
compensation cannot exceed EX Level I ($183,500, as of January 2006).18 GS-15
employees at the upper end of that pay grade in seven pay areas are currently affected
by the EX Level IV cap on basic pay and locality pay combined as follows:
! employees at step 10 in the (1) Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City,
IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area (CSA); (2) Detroit-Warren-
Flint, MI, CSA, plus Lenawee County, MI; (3) Hartford-West
Hartford-Willimantic, CT CSA, plus the Springfield, MA
Metropolitan Statistical Area and New London County, CT; (4) Los
Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA CSA, plus the Santa Barbara-
Santa Maria-Goleta, CA MSA and all of Edwards Air Force Base,
CA; and (5) New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA,
plus Monroe County, PA and Warren County, NJ;
! employees at steps 9 and 10 in the Houston-Baytown, Huntsville,
TX CSA; and
! employees at steps 8, 9, and 10 in the San Jose-San Francisco-
Oakland, CA CSA, plus the Salinas, CA MSA and San Joaquin
County, CA.
Table 4 below shows January 2004 through January 2006 salaries for
employees at GS grade 15 in the Washington, DC and “Rest of the United States”
locality pay areas.19
17 5 U.S.C. §5104(15).
18 5 U.S.C. §5303(f), 5 U.S.C. §5304(g)(1), and 5 U.S.C. §5307(a)(1). See CRS Report
RL33158, Federal White-Collar Pay: FY2006 and FY2007 Salary Adjustments, by Barbara
L. Schwemle, for an analysis of the pay adjustment process for General Schedule positions.
19 Salary tables for GS-15 employees in all 32 locality pay areas are available on the Internet
at [http://www.opm.gov].

---

CRS-11
Table 4. Pay For General Schedule Grade GS-15
Washington, DC Pay Area
“Rest of the United States” Pay Area
Minimum (Step 1)
Maximum (Step 10)
Minimum (Step 1)
Maximum (Step 10)
Effective January 2004
Basic Pay
Basic Pay
$87,439
$113,674
$87,439
$113,674
With Locality Pay Adjustment
With Locality Pay Adjustment
$100,231
$130,305
$96,970
$126,064
Effective January 2005
Basic Pay
Basic Pay
$89,625
$116,517
$89,625
$116,517
With Locality Pay Adjustment
With Locality Pay Adjustment
$103,947
$135,136
$100,129
$130,173
Effective January 2006
Basic Pay
Basic Pay
$91,507
$118,957
$91,507
$118,957
With Locality Pay Adjustment
With Locality Pay Adjustment
$107,521
$139,774
$102,964
$133,850
Note: The Washington, DC locality pay area is officially named the Washington-Baltimore-Northern
Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV Combined Statistical Area (CSA), plus the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-
WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, the York-Hanover-Gettysburg, PA CSA, Culpeper County, VA,
and King George County, VA

---