2026 Senior Executive Service Pay
The Senior Executive Service pay system covers the federal government's top career executives. Instead of grades and steps, SES pay uses a single government-wide range with different maximums depending on whether an agency has a certified SES performance appraisal system. This page also shows the 2026 Executive Schedule rates that cap and anchor senior pay.
2026 SES pay range
OPM publishes two SES maximum rates each year. Agencies with a certified SES performance appraisal system can pay up to Executive Schedule Level II. Agencies without one are capped at Executive Schedule Level III. The minimum rate is the same in both cases.
| SES pay structure | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Agencies with a certified SES performance appraisal system | $151,661 | $228,000 |
| Agencies without a certified SES performance appraisal system | $151,661 | $209,600 |
2026 Executive Schedule
The Executive Schedule sets statutory rates for the highest appointed positions in the federal government. It also matters outside the Executive Schedule itself because several other pay systems use these levels as caps.
| Executive Schedule level | Salary | Typical roles |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | $253,100 | Cabinet secretaries, Office of Management and Budget Director, Director of National Intelligence |
| Level 2 | $228,000 | Deputy secretaries, Deputy OMB Director, agency deputy heads |
| Level 3 | $209,600 | Under secretaries, Solicitor General, agency chief operating officials |
| Level 4 | $197,200 | Assistant secretaries, many agency component heads, the cap for top GS pay |
| Level 5 | $184,900 | Deputy assistant secretaries, smaller agency boards and commissions, many senior political appointees |
How SES and Executive Schedule pay fit together
Certified appraisal system
Agencies with a certified SES performance appraisal system can pay their SES executives up to $228,000. That is tied to Executive Schedule Level II.
The certified-system premium over the non-certified maximum is $18,400.
GS comparison
The top regular GS salary in 2026 is GS-15 Step 10 at $164,301. Executive Schedule Level 4 is $197,200, which is why top GS locality pay often stops there.
The spread from Executive Schedule Level I to Level V is $68,200.
What this means for federal executives
SES pay is more flexible than GS pay. Agencies can set executive salaries anywhere inside the SES range based on the role, scope of responsibility, and performance management rules that apply to that agency. There is no locality table and no automatic step progression.
The Executive Schedule is even narrower. Those salaries are fixed by statute for specific appointed roles. Together, the SES and Executive Schedule tables explain most of the top-end federal civilian pay structure.
Common SES questions
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What is the Senior Executive Service pay range?
For 2026, the SES minimum is $151,661. The maximum is $228,000 in agencies with a certified SES performance appraisal system and $209,600 in agencies without one. -
How is SES pay different from GS pay?
SES pay does not use grades, steps, or locality percentages. Agencies set individual executive pay inside the SES range, subject to the statutory caps shown on this page. Compare that with the GS pay table for 2026, which uses 15 grades and 10 steps. -
What is Executive Schedule Level 4 used for?
Executive Schedule Level 4 is $197,200 in 2026. It is important because it caps top GS pay and also serves as a key statutory comparison point for SES and other senior pay systems.