States Department of Veterans Affairs have different procedures as a result of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs has discretion to suspend, demote, remove, or take other actions against SES career appointees or other high-level executives if the Secretary determines that the individual’s misconduct or performance warrants such action, with abbreviated notice and appeals rights. By contrast, noncareer and limited-term SES appointees are generally not subject to removal protections and may be removed from the SES at any time. Pay rates Unlike the General Schedule (GS) grades, 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 ($126,148 for 2018). 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 Schedule ($203,700 for 2022). If the agency does not have a certified system, the maximum pay is set at Level III of the Executive Schedule ($187,300 for 2022). Total aggregate pay is limited to the salary of the Vice President of the United States ($261,400 for 2022). Prior to 2004, the SES used a six-level system. It was replaced with the current open band system on January 1, 2014. See also Senior Foreign Service Grands corps de l'État of France Indian Administrative Service of India References External links Civil service in the United States 1979 introductions