Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay

This executive order implements statutorily authorized pay adjustments for federal civilian employees, senior executives, uniformed service members, judges, legislators, and the Vice President effective in early 2013. It sets specific pay rates across ten schedules and supersedes the previous year's pay order.

Federal Register Open PDF 78 FR 649

Impact dates

Mar 27, 2013
Schedules 1-7, 9-10 effective on first day of first applicable pay period beginning after date specified in section 106(3) of Public Law 112-175 (March 27, 2013)
Jan 1, 2013
Schedule 8 (uniformed services pay) takes effect

Key directives

Set General Schedule rates per Schedule 1
Set Foreign Service Schedule rates per Schedule 2
Set Veterans Health Administration schedules per Schedule 3
Set Senior Executive Service pay ranges per Schedule 4
Set Executive Schedule rates per Schedule 5
Set Vice President and Congressional salaries per Schedule 6
Set judicial salaries per Schedule 7
Set uniformed services monthly basic pay and cadet/midshipman pay per Schedule 8 effective January 1, 2013
Implement locality-based comparability payments per Schedule 9
Set administrative law judge pay rates per Schedule 10
OPM Director must publish comparability payment notice in Federal Register
Supersede Executive Order 13594 as of effective dates

Who is ordered

Director of the Office of Personnel Management · OPM

Timeline

Immediate

EO signed December 27, 2012
supersedes prior EO 13594 upon effective dates

Near term (90d)

Schedule 8 (military pay) effective January 1, 2013
other schedules effective first day of first applicable pay period beginning after March 27, 2013 (per section 106(3) of Public Law 112-175)

Long term

establishes baseline pay rates for 2013 affecting federal compensation policy

Risks & tensions

Pay freeze context: This EO was issued during a federal pay freeze period; the adjustments appear limited to statutorily required/military pay, not general increases
Congressional pay raise sensitivity: Schedule 6 includes Congressional salaries, which historically draws public scrutiny though rates are statutorily set
Vague effective date for non-military schedules: 'first applicable pay period' creates implementation variability across agencies