Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay

This executive order implements annual pay adjustments for federal employees, military personnel, judges, and other government officials effective in early 2004. It supersedes the previous year's pay order and establishes new salary schedules across ten categories of federal compensation.

Federal Register Open PDF 69 FR 231

Impact dates

Jan 1, 2004
Schedule 8 (uniformed services pay) effective
Jan 1, 2004
All other schedules effective on first day of first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2004

Key directives

Set General Schedule pay rates (Schedule 1)
Set Foreign Service Schedule pay rates (Schedule 2)
Set Veterans Health Administration pay rates (Schedule 3)
Set Senior Executive Service pay ranges (Schedule 4)
Set Executive Schedule pay rates (Schedule 5)
Set Vice President and Congressional pay rates (Schedule 6)
Set judicial pay rates (Schedule 7)
Set uniformed services monthly basic pay rates (Schedule 8)
Set locality-based comparability payments (Schedule 9)
Set administrative law judge pay rates (Schedule 10)
OPM to publish locality pay implementation notice in Federal Register
Supersede Executive Order 13282 as amended by EO 13291

Who is ordered

Director of the Office of Personnel Management · OPM

Timeline

Immediate

EO signed December 30, 2003
supersedes prior pay order (EO 13282 as amended)

Near term (90d)

military pay effective January 1, 2004
civilian federal pay effective first pay period on or after January 1, 2004
OPM to publish locality pay notices in Federal Register

Long term

establishes baseline pay structure for 2004 federal workforce

Risks & tensions

Precise effective date for non-military schedules depends on individual agency pay period calendars, creating variable implementation
No specific deadline stated for OPM Federal Register publication on locality pay—only 'such actions as may be necessary'
Pay increases during ongoing military operations may affect defense budget negotiations