Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay

This executive order implements annual federal pay adjustments for 2022, including raises for civilian employees under the General Schedule, Senior Executive Service, Foreign Service, Veterans Health Administration staff, administrative law judges, uniformed service members, and top officials in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It also establishes locality-based pay adjustments and supersedes the prior year's pay order.

Federal Register Open PDF 86 FR 73601

Impact dates

Date TBD
OPM Director to publish locality pay notice in Federal Register
Jan 1, 2022
Schedule 8 (uniformed services pay) effective
Jan 1, 2022
All other schedules effective on first day of first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2022

Key directives

Set General Schedule pay rates per Schedule 1
Set Foreign Service pay rates per Schedule 2
Set Veterans Health Administration pay schedules per Schedule 3
Set Senior Executive Service pay ranges per Schedule 4
Set Executive Schedule, Vice President, and Congressional salaries per Schedules 5-6
Set judicial salaries per Schedule 7
Set uniformed services basic pay and cadet/midshipman pay per Schedule 8
Implement locality-based comparability payments per Schedule 9
Set administrative law judge pay rates per Schedule 10
OPM Director to implement locality payments and publish Federal Register notice
Supersede EO 13970 as of effective dates

Who is ordered

Director of the Office of Personnel Management · OPM

Timeline

Immediate

EO signed December 22, 2021
supersedes prior order EO 13970

Near term (90d)

Schedule 8 (uniformed services) effective January 1, 2022
all other schedules effective first day of first applicable pay period on or after January 1, 2022
OPM must publish locality pay notices in Federal Register

Long term

ongoing annual pay structure for covered federal positions through 2022

Risks & tensions

No specified deadline for OPM Federal Register publication—implementation timing uncertain
Pay period start dates vary by agency, creating staggered effective dates across government
Annual routine nature limits structural reform; effects are temporary without subsequent action