Senior Executive Service
Encyclopedia
The Senior Executive Service (SES) is a paygrade in the civil service
of the United States federal government
, somewhat analogous to the ranks of general or admiral
in the U.S. armed forces
. It was created in 1979 when the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
went into effect under President Jimmy Carter.
From the Office of Personnel Management
:
Career members of the SES ranks are eligible for the Presidential Rank Awards
program.
Members of the Senior Executives Service are represented by the Senior Executives Association.
The Senior Executive Service (SES) was composed of non-presidentially appointed officials above the GS-15 level of the general personnel schedule and below Level III of the executive schedule. Senior level employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
, Central Intelligence Agency
, Defense Intelligence Agency
, National Security Agency
, Transportation Security Administration
, Federal Aviation Administration
, Government Accountability Office
, Members of the Foreign Service
and government corporations are exempt from the SES.
, SES pay is determined at agency discretion within certain parameters, and there is no locality pay adjustment.
The minimum pay level for the SES is set at 120 percent of the basic pay for GS-15 Step 1 employees ($119,554 for 2010). The maximum pay level depends on whether or not the employing agency has a "certified" SES performance appraisal system:
Total aggregate pay is limited to the salary of the Vice President of the United States
($230,700 for 2010).
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
of the United States federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, somewhat analogous to the ranks of general or admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in the U.S. armed forces
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
. It was created in 1979 when the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
Civil Service Reform Act of 1978
The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, , reformed the civil service of the United States federal government.The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 abolished the U.S...
went into effect under President Jimmy Carter.
From the Office of Personnel Management
Office of Personnel Management
The United States Office of Personnel Management is an independent agency of the United States government that manages the civil service of the federal government. The current Director is John Berry.-History:...
:
- The Senior Executive Service consists of the men and women charged with leading the continuing transformation of government. These leaders possess well-honed executive skills and share a broad perspective of government and a public service commitment which is grounded in the Constitution. The keystone of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978Civil Service Reform Act of 1978The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, , reformed the civil service of the United States federal government.The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 abolished the U.S...
, the SES was designed to be a corps of executives selected for their leadership qualifications.
- Members of the SES serve in the key positions just below the top Presidential appointees. For protocol purposes, SES positions correspond to flag officers (e.g., generals, admirals) in the military. In general, SES members are the major link between the Presidential appointees and the rest of the Federal (civil service) work force. At the executive level, they operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 Federal agencies.
- The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) manages the overall Federal executive personnel program. OPM Staff provides the day-to-day oversight of and assistance to agencies as they develop, select, and manage their Federal executives.
Career members of the SES ranks are eligible for the Presidential Rank Awards
Presidential Rank Awards
The Presidential Rank Awards program is an individual award program granted by the United States Government to career Senior Executive Service members and Senior Career Employees within the OPM-allocated Senior-Level or Scientific-Professional community...
program.
Members of the Senior Executives Service are represented by the Senior Executives Association.
The Senior Executive Service (SES) was composed of non-presidentially appointed officials above the GS-15 level of the general personnel schedule and below Level III of the executive schedule. Senior level employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
, Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, Defense Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
, National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
, Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
, Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
, Government Accountability Office
Government Accountability Office
The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...
, Members of the Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
and government corporations are exempt from the SES.
Pay Rates
Unlike the General ScheduleGeneral Schedule
The General Schedule is the predominant pay scale within the United States civil service. The GS includes the majority of white collar personnel positions...
, SES pay is determined at agency discretion within certain parameters, and there is no locality pay adjustment.
The minimum pay level for the SES is set at 120 percent of the basic pay for GS-15 Step 1 employees ($119,554 for 2010). The maximum pay level depends on whether or not the employing agency has a "certified" SES performance appraisal system:
- If the agency has a certified system, the maximum pay is set at Level II of the Executive ScheduleExecutive ScheduleExecutive Schedule refers to the highest-ranked appointed positions in the executive branch of the U.S. government. The President of the United States, an elected official, appoints incumbents to these positions, most of them with the advice and consent of the Senate. They include members of the...
($179,700 for 2010). - If the agency does not have a certified system, the maximum pay is set at Level III of the Executive ScheduleExecutive ScheduleExecutive Schedule refers to the highest-ranked appointed positions in the executive branch of the U.S. government. The President of the United States, an elected official, appoints incumbents to these positions, most of them with the advice and consent of the Senate. They include members of the...
($165,300 for 2010).
Total aggregate pay is limited to the salary of the Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
($230,700 for 2010).