Federal Pay Raise 2026

Per Executive Order 14368 (signed December 18, 2025; published in the Federal Register Vol. 91 No. 22 on February 3, 2026, 91 FR 7510), the 2026 federal civilian pay raise was finalized at 1.0% across-the-board, with locality pay frozen at 2025 levels. This was the smallest increase since 2021. The total effective raise for nearly all General Schedule employees is therefore approximately 1.0%, while federal law-enforcement officers receive an additional ~2.8% (total 3.8%) via special-rate tables.

Per the official 2026 federal pay raise chart with locality published by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) under authority of Executive Order 14368 and 5 U.S.C. § 5304, geographic pay differentials apply to GS base salaries. Locality markups range from 17.06% for Rest of U.S. (RUS) up to 46.34% in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, 37.95% in New York-Newark, and 33.94% in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington. All 58 OPM-defined locality pay areas are supported as codified in Schedule 9 of EO 14368.

Per 5 U.S.C. § 5542 (Title 5 overtime) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S.C. § 207) as referenced in OPM's 2026 pay administration guidance, federal overtime is computed as follows: GS employees classified as FLSA non-exempt receive standard 1.5x time-and-a-half for all hours exceeding 40 per week, calculated as (Hourly Rate) × 1.5. For FLSA-exempt employees whose basic pay exceeds GS-10, Step 1, overtime is legally capped at the greater of 1.5x the hourly rate of GS-10, Step 1 in that locality, or the employee's own regular hourly rate, per 5 U.S.C. § 5542(a)(2).

Per the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (5 U.S.C. § 5303) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Cost Index (ECI) third-quarter reporting protocol referenced in prior presidential alternative pay plans, the 2027 federal pay raise prediction will be benchmarked against the ECI Q3 2026 release. Preliminary forecasts anticipate a 2027 civil service raise between 3.2% and 4.0%, with the White House releasing its alternative pay letter in late August 2026 and final OPM executive orders (expected EO 14380+) issued in December 2026.

Per 5 U.S.C. § 5335 (within-grade step increases) and the General Schedule pay structure codified by Executive Order 14368, an annual pay raise is an across-the-board adjustment that increases the baseline dollar values of all 15 GS grades simultaneously, whereas a Step increase (Within-Grade Increase, or WGI) is an individual advancement to the next pay step (from Step 1 up to Step 10) based on tenure and satisfactory job performance. Step advancements occur after statutory waiting periods of 1, 2, or 3 years and deliver an additional 2.5% to 3.3% pay boost on top of the annual general pay raise.

Per 5 U.S.C. § 5303(a) and the operative clause of Executive Order 14368 (published 91 FR 7510, February 3, 2026), the 2026 federal pay adjustment takes effect on the first day of the first full biweekly pay period of calendar year 2026, which began on January 11, 2026 for most agencies. Adjusted salary is reflected in the following biweekly paycheck distribution.

Per 5 U.S.C. § 5303(f) and Schedule 8 of Executive Order 14368 (91 FR 7510, February 3, 2026), total General Schedule pay (base + locality) is capped at Executive Schedule Level IV — $197,200 in 2026 (raised from $195,200 in 2025). The cap binds GS-15 Step 3 and above in the San Francisco locality, GS-15 Step 6 and above in Washington-Baltimore, and is never reached in Rest of U.S.

Yes, under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 (GEFTA, 31 U.S.C. § 1341(c)), all civil service employees affected by a federal government funding lapse—including excepted personnel working without pay and furloughed personnel prohibited from working—are guaranteed full retroactive back pay at the earliest date possible after appropriations are restored.

The Federal Salary Council — established under 5 U.S.C. § 5304(d) — is a 9-member body of federal pay experts that annually recommends the size of the locality pay adjustment. For 2026, the Council recommended a base pay increase of 3.30% plus a locality adjustment of 18.88% to fully close the public-private pay gap, but the President's Pay Agent (typically the OMB Director, OPM Director, and Secretary of Labor) adopted the 1.0% / frozen-locality alternative instead via Executive Order 14368.

Per 5 U.S.C. § 5305 and OPM's Special Rate Tables program, OPM special rate tables (most commonly table 001M) provide additional pay above the standard General Schedule for specific occupations where recruiting or retention is difficult. In 2026, special rate table 001M applies to all GS-1 through GS-4 positions nationwide, plus certain white-collar trades and crafts (e.g., WG-1 to WG-4). Special rates are not included in this calculator — they must be added on top of the GS base. Use the OPM Special Rate Tables search at opm.gov to confirm eligibility.

Per 5 U.S.C. § 5303 and the LEO special-rate schedule reaffirmed by Executive Order 14368, federal law enforcement officers (LEOs) and certain other 6c-covered positions receive a special base pay adjustment that is typically 2.8 percentage points higher than the standard GS raise. For 2026, the LEO special-rate adjustment remains at 2.8%, bringing the total LEO raise to 3.8% compared to the 1.0% general schedule raise. LEO base pay and locality percentages are also capped differently under 5 U.S.C. § 5304(d) and are tracked in OPM tables 041, 042, 043, and 044.