Pay

The NIH is a federal agency and employs several thousand people under different employment mechanisms. Many NIH employees are appointed and paid under Title 5 (the General Schedule) and their pay is governed by regulations and guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Additionally, there are several other types of pay systems at NIH which provide differing benefits.

Please click on the pay resources below to learn more about the various types of pay systems.

NIH Pay Guide

The NIH Pay Guide is a collection of summary information on a variety of pay topics.

Premium Pay Entitlement Tool (P-PET)

Premium Pay Entitlement Tool

The Premium Pay Entitlement Tool (P-PET) will help you determine your eligibility for premium pay at NIH.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Employment Certification

OHR certifies employment for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which forgives the remaining balance on Direct Loans after an individual has made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan, while working full-time for a qualifying employer.

Title 5 Pay

Title 5 Pay covers employees under the General Schedule (GS) and Wage Grade (WG) pay plans. This section also includes Senior, Executive & Scientific pay under ES, SL, ST, and EX pay plans.

Title 38 Pay

Title 38 employees are paid under Physician and Dentist Pay program or who receive a special salary rate or premium pay based on their clinical duties.

Title 42 Pay

Scientists employed under Title 42 provide scientific, technical or clinical services.

SBRBPAS Pay

SBRBPAS Pay is a mechanism to recruit and retain outstanding and qualified scientific and technical experts in the fields of biomedical research, clinical research evaluation, and biomedical product assessment.

Senior Executive Service

The Senior Executive Service covers managerial, supervisory, and policy positions classified above GS-15.

Commissioned Corps Pay

Commissioned Corps Pay covers employees who serve in the Commissioned Corps Service.

Workers' Compensation

NIH’s Workers' Compensation Program is responsible for paying benefits to employees who are injured on the job.

Total Compensation

Total Compensation includes not only salary, but also the benefits, awards, leave, retirement and other incentives employees may receive as part of a rewarding work environment. 

Looking for salary tables for the present or past? Check out OPM’s website for the most current salary table, as well as salaries dating as far back as 1949.

Also, view OPM's frequently asked pay and leave questions.