The Executive Schedule () is the system of salaries given to the highest-ranked appointed officials in the executive branch of the U.S. government. The president of the United States appoints individuals to these positions, most with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. They include members of the president's Cabinet, several top-ranking officials of each executive department, the directors of some of the more prominent departmental and independent agencies, and several members of the Executive Office of the President.
There are five pay rates within the Executive Schedule, denoted with a Roman numeral with I being the highest level and V the lowest. Federal law lists the positions eligible for the Executive Schedule and the corresponding level. The law also gives the president the ability to grant Executive Schedule IV and V status to no more than 34 employees not listed.()
Certain job titles tend to be placed at certain levels of the Executive Schedule. For example, in the executive departments, secretaries are on Level I; deputy secretaries are on Level II; under secretaries are mostly on Level III; and assistant secretaries, general counsels, inspectors general, chief financial officers, and chief information officers are mostly on Level IV. The directors of departmental and independent agencies vary widely in their placement, and are represented in every level from I to V, with their subordinates being placed on levels below them. A few agencies have general counsels, inspectors general, chief financial officers, or chief information officers on Level IV along with their departmental counterparts, although agency officials with these titles may instead be on another pay scale such as the Senior Executive Service.
Calculation of pay rate
(Effective as of January 2026) Level I $253,100 Level II $228,000 Level III $209,600 Level IV $197,200 Level V $184,900
Many political appointees have had their pay rate frozen at lower levels. According to , at the beginning of the first pay period for any position under the Executive Schedule, the amount of pay will be adjusted and rounded to the nearest multiple of US$100. If this amount is found to be midway between multiples of $100, then it will be rounded to the next highest multiple of $100.
Section 738 of division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141, March 23, 2018), continued the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels through January 5, 2019. The failure to enact new appropriations legislation may allow the freeze to expire. However, the officially established and posted pay rates (or pay ranges) for 2018 are in effect and used for determining pay for other employees. For more information, please see Compensation Policy Memorandum 2018-08 at https://chcoc.gov/content/continued-pay-freeze-certain-senior-political-officials-2.
Executive Schedule rates indirectly affect the rates of pay for other pay scales such as the General Schedule, Senior Executive Service, Senior Level, Senior Foreign Service, and other federal civilian pay systems, as well as the pay of uniformed military personnel, because various federal laws establishing those pay systems normally tie the maximum amount payable to various levels of the Executive Schedule. For example, federal employees paid on the General Schedule may not earn more than the rate for Level IV of the Executive Schedule, after factoring in GS special rates and locality pay. Because of these pay caps and freezes to the Executive Schedule, federal workers at the top of their pay bands are often unable to receive pay increases, resulting in salary compression.
Level I lists the positions that receive pay at Level I of the Executive Schedule. As of January 2025, the annual rate of pay for Level I positions is $250,600. 21 positions exist in this level, which are as follows:
Department staff Secretary of State Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary of Energy Secretary of Education Secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Labor Secretary of Transportation
Executive Office of the President United States Trade Representative, with the rank of Ambassador Director of the Office of Management and Budget Director of National Drug Control Policy, Office of National Drug Control Policy
Independent agencies Commissioner of Social Security, Social Security Administration Chair of the Federal Reserve Director of National Intelligence Former United States Presidents
Level II lists the positions that receive pay at Level II of the Executive Schedule. As of January 2025, the annual rate of pay for Level II positions is $225,700.
Department deputy secretaries Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Deputy Secretary of Commerce Deputy Secretary of Defense Deputy Secretary of Education Deputy Secretary of Energy Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary of the Interior Deputy Attorney General Deputy Secretary of Labor Deputy Secretary of State Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Deputy Secretary of Transportation Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Other department officials Defense
Secretary of the Army Secretary of the Navy Secretary of the Air Force
Homeland Security
Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
Justice Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Transportation
Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration
Executive Office of the President
Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget and Federal Chief Performance Officer
Independent agencies Intelligence Community
Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Other independent agencies
Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Deputy Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Director of the National Science Foundation Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Librarian of Congress Vice Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Vice Chair for Supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (4)
Level III lists the 125 positions that receive pay at Level III of the Executive Schedule. As of January 2025, the annual rate of pay for Level III positions is $207,500.
Department under secretaries
Under Secretaries of Agriculture (7) Under Secretaries of Commerce (7) Under Secretaries of Defense (5) Under Secretary of the Air Force Under Secretary of the Army Under Secretary of the Navy Under Secretary of Education Under Secretaries of Energy (3) Under Secretaries of Homeland Security (2) Associate Attorney General Solicitor General Under Secretaries of State (6) Under Secretaries of the Treasury (3) Under Secretaries of Veterans Affairs (3)
Other department officials Department of Energy Director of Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Department of Homeland Security
Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Commissioner of United States Customs and Border Protection Deputy Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Deputy Administrator for Resilience of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Department of Justice
Administrator, Drug Enforcement AdministrationThe position of Administrator of the DEA was placed in Level III of the Executive Schedule under the provisions of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973, dated 28 March 1973. Director, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
Department of State
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Department of Transportation
Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration Administrator, United States Maritime Administration Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
Department of the Treasury
Comptroller of the Currency Commissioner of Internal Revenue Director of the Office of Financial Research Independent Member with Insurance Expertise of the Financial Stability Oversight Council
Note: The Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision was level III before that office was abolished by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010.
Executive Office of the President
Three deputy trade representatives within the Office of the United States Trade Representative, currently: Deputy United States Trade Representative for Europe, The Middle East, and Industrial Competitiveness, with the rank of Ambassador, in Washington, D.C. Deputy United States Trade Representative for Investment, Services, Labor, Environment, Africa, China, and the Western Hemisphere, with the rank of Ambassador, in Washington, D.C. Deputy United States Trade Representative and Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland Chief Agricultural Negotiator, with the rank of Ambassador, Office of the United States Trade Representative Chief Innovation and Intellectual Property Negotiator, with the rank of Ambassador, Office of the United States Trade Representative Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government and Federal Chief Information Officer of the United States Controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Demand Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy Deputy Director for Supply Reduction, Office of National Drug Control Policy Deputy Director for State, Local, and Tribal Affairs, Office of National Drug Control Policy Executive Secretary, National Space Council
Independent agencies Directors
Administrator, General Services Administration Administrator, Small Business Administration Director, Peace Corps Chairman and president of the Export-Import Bank of the United States Director, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Farm Credit Administration Archivist of the United States Executive Director, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency Director, Office of Government Ethics Register of Copyrights Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Director of the Congressional Research Service
Deputy directors
Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency