NIH Salary Cap

Effective January 1, 2023, the NIH salary cap will increase from $203,700 to $212,100. 

You should begin using the new salary cap in proposals and applications for funding as per NIH Notice #NOT-OD-23-056. The notice states: 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, restricts the amount of direct salary to Executive Level II of the Federal Executive pay scale. The Office of Personnel Management released new salary levels for the Executive Pay Scale and effective January 1, 2023, the salary limitation for Executive Level II is $212,100.

For issued awards that were restricted to the previous Executive Level II, including competing awards already issued in FY 2023, if adequate funds are available in active awards, and if the salary cap increase is consistent with the institutional base salary, recipients may rebudget funds to accommodate the current Executive Level II salary level.

For a historical record of the salary cap, including effective dates, see the Salary Cap Summary 

For new and ongoing awards from HHS, including NIH, the new salary cap is $212,100.

Every year since 1990, Congress has legislatively mandated a provision limiting the direct salary that an individual may receive under an NIH grant. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, restricts the amount of direct salary to Executive Level II of the Federal Executive pay scale.  NIH grant/contract awards for applications/proposals that request direct salaries of individuals in excess of the applicable rate will be adjusted in accordance with the new salary limitation. 

Click here for additional information from the Procedure Library about applying a salary cap.