Senior Executive Service (United States)

The Senior Executive Service (SES) [1]is a position classification in the civil service of the United States federal government, equivalent to general officer or flag officer ranks in the U.S. Armed Forces. It was created in 1979 when the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 went into effect under President Jimmy Carter.

Senior Executive Service
Seal of the U.S. Senior Executive Service
Flag of the U.S. Senior Executive Service

Origin and attributes

According to the Office of Personnel Management, the SES was designed to be a corps of executives selected for their leadership qualifications, serving in key positions just below the top Presidential appointees as a link between them and the rest of the Federal (civil service) workforce. SES positions are considered to be above the GS-15 level of the General Schedule, and below Level III of the Executive Schedule. Career members of the SES ranks are eligible for the Presidential Rank Awards program.

Up to 10% of SES positions can be filled as political appointments rather than by career employees.[2] About half of the SES is designated "Career Reserved", which can only be filled by career employees. The other half is designated "General", which can be filled by either career employees or political appointments as desired by the administration. Due to the 10% limitation, most General positions are still filled by career appointees.[3]

Senior level employees of several agencies are exempt from the SES but have their own senior executive positions; these include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Government Accountability Office, Members of the Foreign Service, and government corporations.


Pay rates
(Effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2019)[4]
MinimumMaximum
Agencies with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System$127,914$192,300
Agencies without a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System$127,914$176,900

Unlike the General Schedule (GS) grades, SES pay is determined at agency discretion within certain parameters, and there is no locality pay adjustment.

The minimum pay level for the SES is set at 120 percent of the basic pay for GS-15 Step 1 employees ($126,148 for 2018).[5] The maximum pay level depends on whether or not the employing agency has a "certified" SES performance appraisal system:[6]

  • If the agency has a certified system, the maximum pay is set at Level II of the Executive Schedule ($189,600 for 2018).[7]
  • If the agency does not have a certified system, the maximum pay is set at Level III of the Executive Schedule ($174,500 for 2018).[7]

Total aggregate pay is limited to the salary of the Vice President of the United States ($230,700 for 2015).

Prior to 2004, the SES used a six-level system. It was replaced with the current open band system on January 1, 2014.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Senior Executive Service". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
  2. Piaker, Zach (2016-03-16). "Help Wanted: 4,000 Presidential Appointees". Partnership for Public Service Center for Presidential Transition. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  3. "United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (The Plum Book)" (PDF). U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. 2012-12-01. p. 201. Retrieved 2016-11-16.
  4. Obama, Barack (2014-12-19). "ADJUSTMENTS OF CERTAIN RATES OF PAY" (PDF). EXECUTIVE ORDER 13686. The White House. Retrieved 2015-09-18.
  5. "Pay & Leave : Salaries & Wages - OPM.gov". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  6. "Performance & Compensation - Salary". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  7. "Pay & Leave : Salaries & Wages - OPM.gov". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  8. "Senior Executive Service Pay and Performance Awards". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. 2004. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
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