§ 534.604 Pay administration. ( a ) The head of each agency must fix the rate of basic pay for each administrative appeals judge position within the agency.
( b ) Upon initial appointment, an agency must set the rate of basic pay of an administrative appeals judge at the minimum rate AA-1 of the administrative appeals judge pay system, except as provided in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this section.
( c ) An agency must set the pay of an employee under the General Schedule pay system who is appointed to an administrative appeals judge position without a break in service at the lowest rate of basic pay of the administrative appeals judge pay system that equals or exceeds the rate of basic pay the employee received immediately prior to such appointment, not to exceed the rate of basic pay for AA-6. If the resulting basic pay increase is less than one-half of the dollar value of the employee's next within-grade increase, the agency must set the employee's rate of basic pay at the next higher rate of basic pay in the basic rate range of the administrative appeals judge pay system, not to exceed the rate of basic pay for AA-6.
( d ) An agency may offer an administrative appeals judge applicant with prior Federal service a rate up to the lowest rate of basic pay of the administrative appeals judge pay system that equals or exceeds the employee's highest previous rate of basic pay in a Federal civil service position, not to exceed the rate of basic pay for AA-6. Before setting pay under this paragraph, an agency must establish a policy that includes the following elements: ( 1 ) Designation of officials with the authority to approve and set pay under this paragraph (d);
( 2 ) Whether use of this authority is discretionary or mandatory;
( 3 ) The factors the designated officials may or must consider in determining the rate at which to set the applicant's pay and which must include consideration of the rate of basic pay set for other administrative appeals judges (based on the level, type, or quality of the appointee's skills or competencies or other qualities and experiences); and
( 4 ) Documentation and recordkeeping requirements sufficient to allow reconstruction of the action.
( e ) An agency may offer an administrative appeals judge applicant (including a former administrative appeals judge) with superior qualifications who is not a current Federal employee a higher than minimum rate up to the maximum rate AA-6 when such a rate is clearly necessary to meet the needs of the Government. Superior qualifications for applicants include, but are not limited to, having legal practice before the hiring agency, having practice in another forum with legal issues of concern to the hiring agency, or having an outstanding reputation among others in the field. An agency must document all of the following: ( 1 ) The superior qualifications of the applicant;
( 2 ) The need of the Government for the applicant's services;
( 3 ) Consideration of how pay has been set for administrative appeals judges who had similar qualifications (based on the level, type, or quality of the applicant's skills or competencies or other qualities and experiences) and who have been newly appointed to positions that are similar to the applicant's position (based on the position's occupational series, organization, geographic location, or other job-relevant factors), if applicable; and
( 4 ) An explanation of the factors which were used to justify the rate at which the employee's pay is set, except an agency may not consider the applicant's salary history (*i.e.,* existing salary or prior salary) or a salary from a competing job offer.
( f ) Administrative appeals judges will advance successively to rates AA-2, 3, and 4 upon completion of 52 weeks of service in the next lower rate, and to rates 5 and 6 upon completion of 104 weeks of service in the next lower rate. Advancement to a higher rate takes effect on the first day of the first pay period beginning on or after completion of the required period of service. Time in a nonpay status is creditable service in the computation of a waiting period in so far as it does not exceed 2 weeks for each 52 weeks of service. Time in a nonpay status is fully creditable if the absence is due to military service, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 8331(13), or receipt of injury compensation under chapter 81 of title 5, United States Code. Time under pay systems outside the administrative appeals judge pay system is not creditable service in computing the required waiting period, except that time under the administrative law judge pay system established under 5 U.S.C. 5372 is creditable when an individual moves from that system to the administrative appeals judge pay system without a break in service.
( g ) An agency must use the following procedures to convert an administrative appeals judge's annual rate of basic pay to an hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly rate: ( 1 ) To derive an hourly rate, divide the annual rate of pay by 2,087 and round to the nearest cent, counting one-half cent and over as the next higher cent.
( 2 ) To derive a daily rate, multiply the hourly rate by the number of daily hours of service required by the administrative appeals judge's basic daily tour of duty.
( 3 ) To derive a weekly or biweekly rate, multiply the hourly rate by 40 or 80, as the case may be.
[66 FR 63908, Dec. 11, 2001, as amended at 89 FR 5756, Jan. 30, 2024]