Skip to content
LexBuild

5 CFR § 534.504 - Pay range.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t5/s534.504"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "5 CFR § 534.504 - Pay range."
title_number: 5
title_name: "Administrative Personnel"
section_number: "534.504"
section_name: "Pay range."
chapter_name: "OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT"
subchapter_number: "B"
subchapter_name: "CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS"
part_number: "534"
part_name: "PAY UNDER OTHER SYSTEMS"
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. 1104, 3161(d), 5307, 5351, 5352, 5353, 5376, 5382, 5383, 5384, 5385, 5541, 5550a, sec. 1125 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2004, Pub. L. 108-136, 117 Stat. 1638 (5 U.S.C. 5304, 5382, 5383, 7302; 18 U.S.C. 207); and sec. 2 of Pub. L. 110-372, 122 Stat. 4043 (5 U.S.C. 5304, 5307, 5376)."
cfr_part: "534"
---

# 534.504 Pay range.

(a) A rate of basic pay under this subpart must be—

(1) Not less than 120 percent of the minimum rate of basic pay payable for GS-15 of the General Schedule, and

(2) Not greater than—

(i) The rate of basic pay payable for level III of the Executive Schedule (EX-III), or

(ii) In the case of an SL or ST employee who is covered by a certified performance appraisal system or whose established rate of basic pay is preserved under § 534.509, the rate of basic pay payable for level II of the Executive Schedule (EX-II).

(b) An agency may not set or adjust the rate of basic pay for an SL or ST employee higher than the maximum in—

(1) Paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section (*i.e.*, EX-III) when the SL or ST employee is covered by a performance appraisal system that is not certified or when the SL or ST employee is not subject to a performance appraisal system, except as provided in § 534.509; or

(2) Paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section (*i.e.*, EX-II) when the SL or ST employee is covered by a certified performance appraisal system.