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2005 BIWEEKLY CAPS ON PREMIUM PAY

Under 5 U.S.C. 5547(a) and 5 CFR 550.105, General Schedule (GS) employees and other covered employees may receive certain types of premium pay for a biweekly pay period only to the extent that the sum of basic pay and premium pay for the pay period does not exceed the greater of the biweekly rate for (1) GS-15, step 10 (including any applicable locality payment or special rate supplement), or (2) level V of the Executive Schedule. (See NOTE 1.) The biweekly rate is computed by (1) dividing the applicable scheduled annual rate by 2,087 hours, (2) rounding the resulting hourly rate to the nearest cent, and (3) multiplying the hourly rate by 80 hours. For example, in Washington, DC, the GS-15, step 10, scheduled annual locality rate of $135,136 divided by 2,087 hours yields an hourly rate of $64.75 and a biweekly rate of $5,180.00 ($64.75 x 80 hours). Similarly, the Executive Level V annual rate of $131,400 divided by 2,087 hours yields an hourly rate of $62.96 and a biweekly rate of $5,036.80 ($62.96 x 80 hours).

The table below provides the biweekly premium pay caps for 2005 by locality pay area. These caps become effective as of the first day of the first pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2005.

Locality Pay Area
(see NOTE 2)
Locality Pay Percentage
Greater of the GS-15, Step 10, Locality Rate or Level V of the Executive Schedule (see NOTE 3)
Biweekly Cap
Applicable Annual Rate

Atlanta

13.87%

$5,085.60

$132,678

Boston

18.49%

5,292.00

138,061

Chicago

19.70%

5,346.40

139,471

Cincinnati

16.04%

5,182.40

135,206

Cleveland

14.24%

5,102.40

133,109

Columbus, OH

13.98%

5,090.40

132,806

Dallas-Ft. Worth

15.07%

5,139.20

134,076

Dayton

12.86%

5,040.80

131,501

Denver

18.06%

5,272.80

137,560

Detroit

19.67%

5,344.80

139,436

Hartford

19.52%

5,338.40

139,261

Houston

24.77%

5,378.40

140,300

Huntsville

12.42%

5,036.80

131,400

Indianapolis

12.01%

5,036.80

131,400

Kansas City

12.36%

5,036.80

131,400

Los Angeles

21.65%

5,378.40

140,300

Miami

16.77%

5,215.20

136,057

Milwaukee

13.62%

5,074.40

132,387

Minneapolis-St. Paul

15.99%

5,180.80

135,148

New York

20.99%

5,378.40

140,300

Orlando

11.75%

5,036.80

131,400

Philadelphia

16.67%

5,211.20

135,940

Pittsburgh

12.86%

5,040.80

131,501

Portland, OR

15.93%

5,177.60

135,078

Richmond

13.15%

5,053.60

131,839

Sacramento

16.51%

5,204.00

135,754

St. Louis

12.09%

5,036.80

131,400

San Diego

17.68%

5,256.00

137,117

San Jose-San Francisco

26.39%

5,378.40

140,300

Seattle

16.53%

5,204.80

135,777

Washington, DC

15.98%

5,180.00

135,136

Rest of United States

11.72%

5,036.80

131,400

Outside Continental U.S.

NA

5,036.80

131,400


NOTES

  1. In certain emergency or mission-critical situations, an agency may apply an annual premium pay cap instead of a biweekly premium pay cap, subject to the conditions provided in law and regulation.  (See 5 U.S.C. 5547(b) and 5 CFR 550.106-550.107.) Please note that the applicable annual rate in this table is not the annual premium pay cap.  The amount of the annual premium pay cap is computed by multiplying the applicable biweekly rate by the number of biweekly salary payments in the given year (26 or 27).  (See 5 CFR 550.106(d).)

  2. See 5 CFR 531.603(b) for definitions of locality pay areas.

  3. Effective May 1, 2005, the cap on special salary rates under 5 U.S.C. 5305 increased to the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule.  (See section 301 of Public Law 108-411.)  The biweekly premium pay cap for certain special rate employees may have increased at that time.  Thus, certain special salary rate employees may have a higher biweekly premium pay pay cap at GS-15, step 10, than that shown in this chart.

Historical Pages –– BIWEEKLY CAPS ON PREMIUM PAY

2004
2003

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