The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) may establish higher rates of basic pay - special rates - for a group or
category of General Schedule (GS) positions in one or more geographic
areas to address existing or likely significant handicaps in recruiting
or retaining well-qualified employees. OPM may establish special rates
for nearly any category of employee - i.e., by series, specialty,
grade-level, and/or geographic area.
OPM may establish special rates to address staffing problems caused by -
• significantly higher non-Federal pay rates than those payable by the Federal Government within the area, location,
or occupational group involved;
• the remoteness of the area or location involved;
• the undesirability of the working conditions or nature of the work involved; or
• any other circumstances OPM considers appropriate.
Locating a Special Rates Table
To find a specific special rates table use this search engine. For a complete set of current
special rates tables, use this
link for a printable HTML version
(set your printer to landscape mode for best results). The current special rates tables are indexed by
occupation,
agency, and
location
(these can also be printed).
For special rates tables before 2010, please use the SRTIS system.
Payroll-Usable File of Title 5 Special Rates
You can download a text file of special pay rates which can be used to facilitate the
entry of special rate information into agency payroll systems. The format of this file is:
Char: |
Field: |
1-4 |
Table Number |
5-6 |
Pay Plan |
7-8 |
Grade |
9-10 |
Step |
11-16 |
Step Rate |
17-26 |
Effective Date |
Agency Requests for Special Rates
Individuals cannot request a special rate. Requests for special rates must come to OPM
through agency headquarters. Information on how agencies can make special rates requests
can be found here.
Contact Information
Mailing address:
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
Pay Systems
1900 E Street, NW.
Room 7H31
Washington, DC 20415-6000
Phone Number: 202-606-2838
Email address: Pay-Leave-Policy@opm.gov
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Other Pay Flexibilities
Besides special rates, agencies can use other methods for addressing recruitment and retention issues. For more
information about "Human Resources Flexibilities," visit this page.
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