OPMFinal Rule

Prevailing Rate Systems: Change in Criteria for Defining Appropriated Fund Federal Wage System Wage Areas

Labor & WorkplaceFinance & Banking

Summary

The federal government is changing how it determines pay areas for federal workers who earn hourly wages. This update affects which regions are grouped together for wage-setting purposes, which can influence how much federal employees in different locations get paid.

Key Points

  • 1The government is revising the criteria used to define geographic wage areas for federal hourly workers paid from appropriated funds (regular government budgets)
  • 2These wage areas determine local pay rates for federal employees, so changes could affect salary levels for workers in different regions
  • 3The new criteria will determine how cities and regions are grouped together when setting prevailing wage rates for federal jobs
  • 4This primarily affects federal agencies and their hourly wage employees, particularly in construction, maintenance, and trade positions
  • 5The regulation was published on January 21, 2025, and establishes new standards for how the government decides fair local wages going forward

Key Dates

Published

January 21, 2025

This summary is for informational purposes only. It may not capture all nuances of the regulation. Always refer to the official text for authoritative information.

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