Fedweek

A raise for Congress translates into a raise for federal judges as well as political appointees in the executive branch. The executive schedule salary system for those appointees in turn is used to set the pay caps affecting the Senior Executive Service and several other high-level careerist pay systems. While different caps apply for different purposes, the most significant figure for most of those potentially affected is the overall pay cap. That would rise after a 2.7 percent increase to $133,700, after rounding, from its current $130,200. Employees in the top three levels of the SES, some in the next level down, and many employees in the Senior Level and several other top career pay systems, are up against the pay caps.