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Executive Schedule Level 1 Pay

Executive Schedule Level 1 is one of the five statutory executive pay tiers published by OPM. This page shows the current salary, the pay history for this level across the archive, and where Level 1 sits in the broader senior federal pay structure.

$253,100 2026 annual salary
$21,091.67 Monthly equivalent
$121.27 Hourly equivalent
2026 Level 1 salary: $253,100. Compared with GS-15 Step 10, that is higher by $88,799.

2026 Executive Schedule Level 1 pay

Measure Amount
Annual salary $253,100
Monthly equivalent $21,091.67
Hourly equivalent $121.27
GS-15 Step 10 comparison +$88,799
Back to SES tables Use the SES calculator Compare with GS-15

What Executive Schedule Level 1 means

Level 1 is the top Executive Schedule rate. It is used for the highest appointed positions in the federal government.

This level is typically reserved for Cabinet secretaries and a small number of other top statutory positions.

Common examples at this level include Cabinet secretaries, Office of Management and Budget Director, Director of National Intelligence. These examples are only orientation points. The actual office titles tied to Executive Schedule levels are set by statute and agency structure, not by this page.

Positions commonly listed at Executive Schedule Level 1

FedPayscale tracks 21 positions commonly listed under Executive Schedule Level 1 in published federal pay references. Some titles are current, some are historical, and some move over time as statutes and agency structures change.

Use this as a reference list, not a live staffing roster. If a title has a usable source page, it links out. Otherwise it is shown as plain text only.

Secretary of State Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Labor Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary of Transportation United States Trade Representative Secretary of Energy Secretary of Education Secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary of Homeland Security Director of the Office of Management and Budget Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Chairman of the Federal Reserve Director of National Intelligence

Level 1 pay history

FedPayscale tracks Executive Schedule Level 1 from 2014 through 2026. Since 2014, this level has changed by $51,400 or 25.48%.

Year Salary
2026 $253,100
2025 $250,600
2024 $246,400
2023 $235,600
2022 $226,300
2021 $221,400
2020 $219,200
2019 $213,600
2018 $210,700
2017 $207,800
2016 $205,700
2015 $203,700
2014 $201,700

How Level 1 fits with SES and GS pay

Compared with SES

Executive Schedule levels are fixed statutory salaries. SES pay works differently. Agencies set individual SES salaries inside the annual SES range, subject to the caps shown on the 2026 SES pay page.

Compared with GS

The highest regular GS salary starts at GS-15 Step 10 and can be capped in high-locality areas. Level 4 is the main GS pay cap reference, while Level 1 helps show where this level sits above the regular GS structure.