Title 5Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§13143 Outside earned income limitation

Title 5 › Part PART IV— - ETHICS REQUIREMENTS › Chapter CHAPTER 131— - ETHICS IN GOVERNMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - LIMITATIONS ON OUTSIDE EARNED INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT › § 13143

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Members and certain senior officials or noncareer employees in high-level jobs—either above GS‑15 or paid at least 120% of the GS‑15 minimum—cannot earn more from outside work in any calendar year than 15% of the yearly basic pay for Level II of the Executive Schedule (the rate under section 5313) as of January 1 of that year. If someone enters such a job partway through the year, the 15% limit is prorated by the number of days they served that year divided by 365. They cannot accept any honorarium while serving. If an honorarium is instead paid to a charity on their behalf, it is not counted as received only if the gift is $2,000 or less and the charity does not financially benefit the person or their parent, sibling, spouse, child, or dependent relative.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §13143

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Except as provided by paragraph (2), a Member or an officer or employee who is a noncareer officer or employee and who occupies a position classified above GS–15 of the General Schedule or, in the case of positions not under the General Schedule, for which the rate of basic pay is equal to or greater than 120 percent of the minimum rate of basic pay payable for GS–15 of the General Schedule, may not in any calendar year have outside earned income attributable to such calendar year which exceeds 15 percent of the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of this title, as of January 1 of such calendar year.
(2)In the case of any individual who during a calendar year becomes a Member or an officer or employee who is a noncareer officer or employee and who occupies a position classified above GS–15 of the General Schedule or, in the case of positions not under the General Schedule, for which the rate of basic pay is equal to or greater than 120 percent of the minimum rate of basic pay payable for GS–15 of the General Schedule, such individual may not have outside earned income attributable to the portion of that calendar year which occurs after such individual becomes a Member or such an officer or employee which exceeds 15 percent of the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of this title, as of January 1 of such calendar year multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of days such individual is a Member or such officer or employee during such calendar year and the denominator of which is 365.
(b)An individual may not receive any honorarium while that individual is a Member, officer or employee.
(c)Any honorarium which, except for subsection (b), might be paid to a Member, officer or employee, but which is paid instead on behalf of such Member, officer or employee to a charitable organization, shall be deemed not to be received by such Member, officer or employee. No such payment shall exceed $2,000 or be made to a charitable organization from which such individual or a parent, sibling, spouse, child, or dependent relative of such individual derives any financial benefit.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 131435 U.S.C. App. (EGA § 501)Pub. L. 95–521, title V, § 501, as added Pub. L. 101–194, title VI, § 601(a), Nov. 30, 1989, 103 Stat. 1760; amended Pub. L. 101–280, § 7(a), May 4, 1990, 104 Stat. 161; Pub. L. 102–378, § 4(b)(1), (2), Oct. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 1357.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

GS–15, referred to in subsec. (a), is contained in the General Schedule, which is set out under section 5332 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 13143

Title 5Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73