5 CFR § 451.304 - Payment of Rank Awards.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t5/s451.304"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "5 CFR § 451.304 - Payment of Rank Awards."
title_number: 5
title_name: "Administrative Personnel"
section_number: "451.304"
section_name: "Payment of Rank Awards."
chapter_name: "OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT"
subchapter_number: "B"
subchapter_name: "CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS"
part_number: "451"
part_name: "AWARDS"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "5 U.S.C. 4302, 4501-4509; E.O. 11438, 33 FR 18085, 3 CFR, 1966-1970 Comp., p. 755; E.O. 12828, 58 FR 2965, 3 CFR, 1993 Comp., p. 569."
cfr_part: "451"
---


# 451.304 Payment of Rank Awards.

(a) Receipt of the Distinguished rank by an SES career appointee or a senior career employee entitles the individual to a lump-sum payment of an amount equal to 35 percent of annual basic pay, which shall be in addition to the basic pay paid under 5 U.S.C. 5376 or 5382, or any award paid under 5 U.S.C. 5384.

(b) Receipt of the Meritorious rank by an SES career appointee or a senior career employee entitles such individual to a lump-sum payment of an amount equal to 20 percent of annual basic pay, which shall be in addition to the basic pay paid under 5 U.S.C. 5376 or 5382, or any award paid under 5 U.S.C. 5384.

(c) Payment of rank awards must comply with the restrictions on annual aggregate compensation at 5 U.S.C. 5307.

[67 FR 52596, Aug. 13, 2002, as amended at 72 FR 44367, Aug. 8, 2007]