38 USC § 7432 - Pay of Under Secretary for Health

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t38/s7432"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "38 USC § 7432 - Pay of Under Secretary for Health"
title_number: 38
title_name: "VETERANS’ BENEFITS"
section_number: "7432"
section_name: "Pay of Under Secretary for Health"
chapter_number: 74
chapter_name: "VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION—PERSONNEL"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "PAY FOR PHYSICIANS, PODIATRISTS, OPTOMETRISTS, AND DENTISTS"
part_number: "V"
part_name: "BOARDS, ADMINISTRATIONS, AND SERVICES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 108–445, § 3(b), Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2640; amended Pub. L. 118–210, title I, § 142(a)(3)(A), Jan. 2, 2025, 138 Stat. 2746.)"
---


# § 7432. Pay of Under Secretary for Health

**(a)** **Base Pay.—** The base pay of the Under Secretary for Health shall be the annual rate of basic pay for positions at Level III of the Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5.

**(b)** **Market Pay.—**

**(1)** In the case of an Under Secretary for Health who is also a physician, podiatrist, optometrist, or dentist, in addition to the base pay specified in subsection (a) the Under Secretary for Health may also be paid the market pay element of pay of physicians and dentists under section 7431(c) of this title.

**(2)** The amount of market pay of the Under Secretary for Health under this subsection shall be established by the Secretary.

**(3)** In establishing the amount of market pay of the Under Secretary for Health under this subsection, the Secretary shall utilize an appropriate health care labor market selected by the Secretary for purposes of this subsection.

**(c)** **Treatment of Pay.—** Pay under this section shall be considered pay for all purposes, including retirement benefits under chapters 83 and 84 of title 5 and other benefits.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 108–445, § 3(b), Dec. 3, 2004, 118 Stat. 2640; amended Pub. L. 118–210, title I, § 142(a)(3)(A), Jan. 2, 2025, 138 Stat. 2746.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 7432, added , , ; amended , , ; , , , related to written agreements for special pay, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by .

### Amendments

2025—Subsec. (b)(1).  inserted “, podiatrist, optometrist,” after “physician”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2025 Amendment

Amendment by  applicable to any pay period of the Department of Veterans Affairs beginning on or after the date that is 180 days after , see , set out as a note under .