---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 C.F.R. § 534.504"
title: "5"
number: "534.504"
heading: "Pay range."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/5/534.504"
---

# §534.504. Pay range.

- (a) A rate of basic pay under this subpart must be—
  - (1) Not less than 120 percent of the minimum rate of basic pay payable for GS-15 of the General Schedule, and
  - (2) **Not greater than—**
    - (i) The rate of basic pay payable for level III of the Executive Schedule (EX-III), or
    - (ii) In the case of an SL or ST employee who is covered by a certified performance appraisal system or whose established rate of basic pay is preserved under [§ 534.509](/cfr/5/534.509.md), the rate of basic pay payable for level II of the Executive Schedule (EX-II).
- (b) An agency may not set or adjust the rate of basic pay for an SL or ST employee higher than the maximum in—
  - (1) [Paragraph (a)(2)(i)](#a-2-i) of this section (i.e., EX-III) when the SL or ST employee is covered by a performance appraisal system that is not certified or when the SL or ST employee is not subject to a performance appraisal system, except as provided in [§ 534.509](/cfr/5/534.509.md); or
  - (2) [Paragraph (a)(2)(ii)](#a-2-ii) of this section (i.e., EX-II) when the SL or ST employee is covered by a certified performance appraisal system.

## Notes

### Source

Source: 79 FR 12357, Mar. 5, 2014, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 1104, 3161(d), 5307, 5351, 5352, 5353, 5376, 5382, 5383, 5384, 5385, 5541, 5550a, sec. 1125 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2004, Pub. L. 108-136, 117 Stat. 1638 (5 U.S.C. 5304, 5382, 5383, 7302; 18 U.S.C. 207); and sec. 2 of Pub. L. 110-372, 122 Stat. 4043 (5 U.S.C. 5304, 5307, 5376).