5 U.S.C. § 423 — Pay of Inspectors General

(a) Certain Inspectors General
(1) Despite any other law, three Inspectors General get paid the same base rate: the Inspector General^* of the Intelligence Community, the Inspector General of the CIA, and the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Their pay follows the rate set for an Inspector General under section 401.

(2) These three Inspectors General also cannot get a cash bonus or award. The ban in section 403(f) applies to them.

(b) Inspectors General of Designated Federal Entities
Despite any other law, the Inspector General of each "designated Federal entity" (as defined in section 415(a)) must be classified at a grade, level, or rank at or above most of that entity's senior executives — people like its General Counsel, Chief Information Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Human Capital Officer, or Chief Acquisition Officer. This applies for pay and all other purposes. That Inspector General's pay must be at least equal to the average total pay, including bonuses, that the entity's senior executives get each year.

(c) Savings Provision for Newly Appointed Inspectors General
(1) When a career Senior Executive Service employee is appointed Inspector General, most of section 3392 applies to them. The only parts that do not apply are the terms "performance awards" and "awarding of ranks" in section 3392(c)(1).

(2) Despite any other law, a career federal employee appointed Inspector General under some other statute cannot have their base pay cut because of that appointment. This protection does not cover bonuses or performance awards — only base pay.