[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 14 (Tuesday, January 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3759-3760]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-1032]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT


January 2008 Pay Adjustments

AGENCY: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The President adjusted the rates of basic pay and locality 
payments for certain categories of Federal employees effective in 
January 2008. This notice documents those pay adjustments for the 
public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carey Johnston, Center for Pay and 
Leave Administration, Division for Strategic Human Resources Policy, 
U.S. Office of Personnel Management; (202) 606-2858; FAX (202) 606-
0824; or e-mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 4, 2008, the President signed 
Executive Order 13454 (73 FR 1481), which implemented the January 2008 
pay adjustments. The President made these adjustments consistent with 
Public Law 110-161, December 26, 2007, which authorized an overall 
average pay increase of 3.5 percent for the ``statutory pay systems,'' 
including the General Schedule (GS).
    Schedule 1 of Executive Order 13454 provides the rates for the 2008 
General Schedule and reflects a 2.5 percent across-the-board increase. 
Executive Order 13454 also includes the percentage amounts of the 2008 
locality payments. (See Section 5 and Schedule 9 of Executive Order 
13454.)
    The publication of this notice satisfies the requirement in section 
5(b) of Executive Order 13454 that the U.S. Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) publish appropriate notice of the 2008 locality 
payments in the Federal Register.
    GS employees receive locality payments under 5 U.S.C. 5304. 
Locality payments apply in the continental United States (as defined in 
5 CFR 531.602 to include the several States and the District of 
Columbia, but not Alaska or Hawaii). In 2008, locality payments ranging 
from 13.18 percent to 32.53 percent apply to GS employees in 32 
locality pay areas. (The 2008 locality pay areas definitions can be 
found at http://www.opm.gov/oca/08tables/locdef.asp.). These 2008 
locality pay percentages, which replaced the 2007 locality pay 
percentages, became effective on the first day of the first pay period 
beginning on or after January 1, 2008 (January 6, 2008). An employee's 
locality rate of pay is computed by increasing his or her scheduled 
annual rate of pay (as defined in 5 CFR 531.602) by the applicable 
locality pay percentage. (See 5 CFR 531.604 and 531.609.)
    Executive Order 13454 establishes the new Executive Schedule, which 
incorporates a 2.5 percent increase required under 5 U.S.C. 5318 
(rounded to the nearest $100). By law, Executive Schedule officials are 
not authorized to receive locality payments.
    Executive Order 13454 establishes the range of rates of basic pay 
for senior executives in the Senior Executive Service (SES), as 
established pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5382. The minimum rate of basic pay 
for the SES may not be less than the minimum rate payable under 5 
U.S.C. 5376 for senior-level positions ($114,468 in 2008). The maximum 
rate of the SES rate range is level II of the Executive Schedule 
($172,200 in 2008) for SES members covered by a certified

[[Page 3760]]

SES performance appraisal system and level III of the Executive 
Schedule ($158,500 in 2008) for SES members covered by an SES 
performance appraisal system that has not been certified. By law, SES 
members are not authorized to receive locality payments. Agencies with 
certified performance appraisal systems in 2008 for senior executives 
and/or senior-level (SL) and scientific or professional (ST) positions 
also must apply a higher aggregate limitation on pay--up to the Vice 
President's salary ($221,100 in 2008).
    The Executive order adjusted the rates of basic pay for 
administrative law judges (ALJs) by 2.5 percent (rounded to the nearest 
$100). The maximum rate of basic pay for ALJs is set by law at the rate 
for level IV of the Executive Schedule, which is now $149,000. The rate 
of basic pay for AL-2 is $145,400. The rates of basic pay for AL-3/A 
through 3/F range from $99,500 to $137,600. (See 5 U.S.C. 5372.)
    The rates of basic pay for members of Contract Appeals Boards are 
calculated as a percentage of the rate for level IV of the Executive 
Schedule. (See 5 U.S.C. 5372a.) Therefore, these rates of basic pay 
were increased by approximately 2.5 percent.
    The maximum rate of basic pay for SL/ST positions was increased by 
approximately 2.5 percent (to $149,000) because it is tied to the rate 
for level IV of the Executive Schedule. The minimum rate of basic pay 
for SL/ST positions is equal to 120 percent of the minimum rate of 
basic pay for GS-15 and thus was increased by 2.5 percent (to 
$114,468). (See 5 U.S.C. 5376.)
    On November 2, 2007, the President's Pay Agent extended the 2008 
locality-based comparability payments to certain categories of non-GS 
employees. The Governmentwide categories include employees in SL/ST 
positions, ALJs, and Contract Appeals Board members. The maximum 
locality rate of pay for these employees is the rate for level III of 
the Executive Schedule ($158,500 in 2008).
    On January 4, 2008, OPM issued a memorandum (CPM 2008-01) on the 
January 2008 pay adjustments. (See http://www.opm.gov/oca/compmemo/2008/2008-01.asp) The memorandum transmitted Executive Order 13454 and 
provided the 2008 salary tables, locality pay areas and percentages, 
and information on general pay administration matters and other related 
information. The ``2008 Salary Tables'' posted on OPM's Web site at 
http://www.opm.gov/oca/08tables/index.asp are the official rates of pay 
for affected employees and are hereby incorporated as part of this 
notice.

Office of Personnel Management.
Linda M. Springer,
Director.
[FR Doc. E8-1032 Filed 1-18-08; 8:45 am]
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