President Trump has issued an executive order finalizing the 2026 federal pay raise.

President Trump has issued the Executive Order finalizing the 2026 pay raise for federal employees. 

2026 Federal Pay Raise: 1%

The 2026 federal pay raise will be an across the board 1% raise for most federal employees with no increase for locality pay.

It will be effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

This is in line with expectations based on Trump’s alternative pay plan letter issued at the end of August. That letter outlined the 1% raise, however, it did offer a surprise in the sense that expectations at that time were that there would be no pay raise for federal employees because the White House 2026 budget proposal was silent on a pay raise for federal employees which created the expectation that there would be no 2026 federal pay raise.

Additional 2026 Pay Raise for Law Enforcement

The president also determined in his alternative pay plan that some federal employees in law enforcement should receive a 3.8% pay raise to be in line with the raise that is being given to members of the military in 2026. He directed the Office of Personnel Management to “consult with executive departments and agencies to identify the categories of law enforcement personnel that will be eligible for this pay increase.”

In his annual pay plan letter, Trump wrote:

Separately, to increase recruitment and retention in critical law enforcement roles and to ensure our great Federal law enforcement officers are treated fairly, in addition to the 1.0 percent base pay increase, at my direction the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shall use its statutory authority to increase 2026 compensation for certain categories of law enforcement personnel by an additional amount to be in line with the 3.8 percent increase being given to military personnel pursuant to 37 U.S.C. 1009. That change is part of a separate process from the establishment of this alternative pay plan under 5 U.S.C. 5303(b) and 5 U.S.C. 5304a. Starting September 2, 2025, OPM shall consult with executive departments and agencies to identify the categories of law enforcement personnel that will be eligible for this pay increase.

OPM is creating special rate tables for certain law enforcement positions for this additional pay increase. OPM wrote in a memo:

We are issuing a separate memorandum announcing the results of OPM’s annual review of special rates and a 1.0-percent across-the-board increase for special rate tables in January 2026. OPM is also establishing new special rate tables effective in January 2026 for certain law enforcement personnel, as directed in the President’s alternative pay plan. Covered law enforcement positions will receive the 1.0-percent across-the-board increase and an additional increase of approximately 2.8 percent so that they will receive a 3.8 percent total increase in January 2026. (OPM is using its special rate authority to implement that additional increase and has posted a “2026 Special Rates for Certain Law Enforcement Personnel” document on its website that provides more information on this topic.)

OPM has a webpage set up with frequently asked questions about the additional 2026 pay raise for law enforcement. As of the time of this writing, it says that these are the categories of law enforcement it expects to be included:

• Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – law enforcement, including Border Patrol Agents, CBP Officers, Air and Marine Interdiction Agents
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel including – Criminal Investigators (Special Agents), Detention and Deportation Officers, Deportation Officers, and Technical Enforcement Officers
• Secret Service personnel – to include the Uniformed Division, Special Agents, and Technical Law Enforcement
• Federal Protective Service Officers
• Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officers
• Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agents
• Drug Enforcement Administration Agents
• U.S. Marshals Service Officers
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agents
• National Park Service – U.S. Park Police Officers

2026 GS Pay Scale

The 2026 General Schedule (GS) pay scale is based on the 2026 federal pay raise. The GS pay table incorporates a base pay increase of 1% with no additional increase for locality pay.

The annual pay cap for some higher GS grades will be $197,200 in 2026 as limited by the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule. This is 1.02% higher than the limit in 2025 which was $195,200.

You can view the complete listing of 2026 GS locality pay tables on this page. OPM has also published all the 2026 GS pay scale tables on its website.

Executive Order for the 2026 Federal Pay Raise

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Statutory Pay Systems.  The rates of basic pay or salaries of the statutory pay systems (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5302(1)), as adjusted under 5 U.S.C. 5303, are set forth on the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof:

(a)  The General Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5332(a)) at Schedule 1;

(b)  The Foreign Service Schedule (22 U.S.C. 3963) at Schedule 2; and

(c)  The schedules for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (38 U.S.C. 7306, 7401, 7404; section 301(a) of Public Law 102–40) at Schedule 3.

Sec. 2.  Senior Executive Service.  The ranges of rates of basic pay for senior executives in the Senior Executive Service, as established pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5382, are set forth on Schedule 4 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

Sec. 3.  Certain Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries.  The rates of basic pay or salaries for the following offices and positions are set forth on the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof:

(a)  The Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5311–5318) at Schedule 5;

(b)  The Vice President (3 U.S.C. 104) and the Congress (2 U.S.C. 4501) at Schedule 6; and

(c)  Justices and judges (28 U.S.C. 5, 44(d), 135, 252, and 461(a)) at Schedule 7.

Sec. 4.  Uniformed Services and Other.  The rates of monthly basic pay (37 U.S.C. 203(a)) for members of the uniformed services, as adjusted under 37 U.S.C. 1009, and the rate of monthly cadet or midshipman pay (37 U.S.C. 203(c)) are set forth on Schedule 8 attached hereto and made a part hereof.  Additionally, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (Director) is directed to assess whether to provide up to a total increase of 3.8 percent (inclusive of the increase provided under Section 1) to the rates of pay of certain Federal civilian law enforcement personnel, as determined by the Director following coordination with agencies and consistent with 5 U.S.C. 5305.

Sec. 5.  Locality-Based Comparability Payments.  (a)  Pursuant to section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, and my authority to implement an alternative level of comparability payments under section 5304a of title 5, United States Code, locality-based comparability payments shall be paid in accordance with Schedule 9 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

(b)  The Director shall take such actions as may be necessary to implement these payments and to publish appropriate notice of such payments in the Federal Register.

Sec. 6.  Administrative Law Judges.  Pursuant to section 5372 of title 5, United States Code, the rates of basic pay for administrative law judges are set forth on Schedule 10 attached hereto and made a part hereof.

Sec. 7.  Effective Dates.  Schedule 8 is effective January 1, 2026.  The other schedules contained herein are effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

Sec. 8.  Prior Order Superseded.  Executive Order 14132 of December 23, 2024 (Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay), is superseded as of the effective dates specified in section 7 of this order.

DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,

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