5 U.S.C. § 5383: Setting individual senior executive pay

Each appointing authority shall determine, in accordance with criteria established by the Office of Personnel Management, which of the rates within a range established under section 5382 shall be paid to each senior executive under such appointing authority. Members of the Senior Executive Service shall be subject to the limitation under section 5307. Except as provided in regulations prescribed by the Office under section 5385, the rate of basic pay for any senior executive may not be adjusted more than once during any 12-month period. The rate of basic pay for any career appointee may be reduced from any rate of basic pay to any lower rate of basic pay only if the career appointee receives a written notice of the reduction at least 15 days in advance of the reduction. any individual who, after serving at least 5 years of current continuous service in 1 or more positions in the competitive service, is appointed, without any break in service, as a career appointee; and holds a position which is converted from the competitive service to a career reserved position in the Senior Executive Service; and as of the conversion date, has at least 5 years of current continuous service in 1 or more positions in the competitive service. The initial rate of pay for a career appointee who is appointed under the circumstances described in paragraph (1)(A) may not be less than the rate of basic pay last payable to that individual immediately before being so appointed. The initial rate of pay for a career appointee following the position’s conversion (as described in paragraph (1)(B)) may not be less than the rate of basic pay last payable to that individual immediately before such position’s conversion.