Rates of Pay to Use in Processing Pay Actions
Fact Sheet: Rates of Pay to Use in Processing Pay Actions
| When processing these pay actions or benefits... | Use General Schedule Rate (or LEO Special Base Rate) 1 | Use Special Rate Under 5 U.S.C. 5305 | Use Locality Rate Under 5 U.S.C. 5304 | Use Retained Rate Under 5 U.S.C. 5363 | Use Standby Pay Under 5 U.S.C. 5545(c) or Availability Pay Under 5 U.S.C. 5545a | Use AUO Pay Under 5 U.S.C. 5545(c) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advances in pay | YES | YES | YES | --- | YES | YES |
| Cost-of-living allowances and post differentials in non-foreign areas | YES | YES | YES | YES | NO | NO |
| Post differentials and danger pay allowances in foreign areas | YES | YES | NO 2 | YES | NO | NO |
| Hazard pay differentials | YES | YES | YES | YES | NO | NO |
| Highest previous rate | YES | NO 3 | 3 | NO | NO | NO |
| Life insurance (FEGLI) | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 |
| Locality payment | YES | NO | --- | NO | NO | NO |
| Performance-based cash awards computed as a percentage of basic pay | YES | YES | YES | NO 5 | NO | NO |
| Premium pay and premium pay limitations (title 5) |
YES | YES | YES | YES | --- | --- |
| Promotion | YES | YES 6 | YES 6 | YES 7 | NO | NO |
| Within-grade increase | YES | NO 8 | NO 8 | NO | NO | NO |
| Recruitment, relocation, and retention incentives | YES | YES | YES | NO 5 | NO | NO |
| Retained rate of pay | YES | YES 9 | YES 9 | --- | NO | NO |
| Retirement (CSRS or FERS) | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | 4 |
| Severance pay | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES | NO |
| Supervisory differentials 10 | YES | YES | YES | YES | NO | NO |
Notes:
1. Special base rates for law enforcement officers (LEOS) at grades GS-3 through GS-10 are authorized under section 403 of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990. LEO special base rates are used in the same manner as General Schedule rates except that special rates under 5 U.S.C. 5305 are computed using General Schedule rates unless expressly stated otherwise.
2. A locality rate is used to compute post differentials for foreign areas under 5 U.S.C. 5925(a) and danger pay allowances under 5 U.S.C. 5928 for an employee temporarily working in a foreign area (i.e., the employee is on detail, including a work assignment that places the employee in temporary duty travel status), when the employee’s official worksite is located in a locality pay area. (See 5 CFR 531.610.)
3. A special rate may be used as an employee's highest previous rate only in certain reassignments within the agency and as provided in 5 CFR 531.221(c) and 531.222(c). A locality rate may be used as an employee's highest previous rate only to the extent described in 5 CFR 531.221 and 531.222.
4. Premium pay under 5 U.S.C. 5545(c)(2) for administratively uncontrollable overtime (AUO) work is included in the computations for retirement and life insurance deductions and benefits only if the employee meets the definition of "law enforcement officer" for CSRS or FERS purposes.
5. Use the maximum rate of basic pay for employee's position instead of retained rate. (See 5 CFR 536.307(b).)
6. See promotion rules in 5 CFR 531.214.
7. See promotion rules in 5 CFR 531.214(d)(5).
8. Within-grade increases are computed using "rates of basic pay," as defined in 5 CFR 531.403 to include a GS rate or a LEO special base rate, excluding additional pay of any kind such as locality payments and special rate supplements.
9. If an employee's worksite changes at the same time as possible entitlement to pay retention, the agency must first process a geographic conversion. (See 5 CFR part 536, subpart C.)
10. Answers apply only to the expression of a supervisory differential as a percentage of the GS supervisor's basic pay. To determine eligibility for and the maximum amount of any supervisory differential, the GS supervisor's continuing pay must be compared to the non-GS subordinate's continuing pay. See 5 CFR 575.405(c) and (d) for definitions of "continuing pay."