Federal Employee Pay Calendar 2026

Federal employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) and most other federal pay systems receive their wages on a biweekly basis, resulting in 26 pay periods per year in 2026. Each pay period spans exactly 14 days, beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday. The first pay period of 2026, designated PP01, starts on December 28, 2025, and ends on January 10, 2026, with an official check date of Friday, January 16, 2026. However, the very first payday that falls in the 2026 calendar year is January 2, which corresponds to the final pay period of the 2025 leave year.

Understanding the pay period numbering system is essential for tracking your earnings, leave accrual, and benefits deductions throughout the year. Pay periods are numbered sequentially from PP01 through PP26. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publishes the official pay period calendar each fall for the upcoming year, and individual agencies distribute adjusted calendars that account for holiday shifts and EFT timing. The General Services Administration (GSA) also maintains a publicly accessible pay period calendar that federal employees can reference at any time.

One of the most common questions about federal pay involves Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) deposit timing. If you are enrolled in direct deposit, which the vast majority of federal employees are, your funds typically arrive one business day before the official check date. This means that for a Friday check date, your bank account will generally reflect the deposit on Thursday. When holidays intervene, the EFT date shifts to the preceding business day. For example, when a Friday check date coincides with a federal holiday, EFT deposits may arrive on Wednesday instead.

Key dates to note in 2026 include adjustments around New Year's Day (January 1), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19), Presidents' Day (February 16), Memorial Day (May 25), Juneteenth (June 19), Independence Day (observed July 3), Labor Day (September 7), Columbus Day (October 12), Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving (November 26), and Christmas Day (December 25). Any pay date that falls on or immediately after one of these holidays may see an adjusted EFT deposit date.

It is also worth noting the concept of a 27-pay-period year. Because biweekly pay periods do not align perfectly with the 365-day calendar, approximately once every 11 years a 27th pay period occurs. While 2026 is a standard 26-period year for most GS employees, some agencies using slightly different pay cycle start dates may experience a 27th period. If your agency issues a 27th paycheck, your per-period deductions for benefits such as health insurance and life insurance may be adjusted so that your total annual deductions remain correct. Check with your agency's payroll office if you are unsure whether this applies to you.

Leave accrual also follows the biweekly pay period cycle. Full-time employees accrue annual leave and sick leave each pay period based on their years of federal service. Employees with fewer than 3 years of service earn 4 hours of annual leave per period, those with 3 to 15 years earn 6 hours, and those with more than 15 years earn 8 hours. Sick leave accrues at 4 hours per pay period regardless of tenure. Tracking your leave alongside your pay calendar helps you plan time off and avoid forfeiting use-or-lose annual leave at the end of the leave year.

For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult the GSA payroll calendar page or your agency's human resources office. Bookmark this page to quickly reference your 2026 federal pay dates throughout the year.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many pay periods do federal employees have in 2026?

Federal employees on the standard General Schedule (GS) biweekly pay cycle will receive 26 paychecks in 2026. Each pay period covers exactly 14 calendar days, which results in 26 pay periods fitting neatly into the calendar year. Some years produce a rare 27th pay period due to the way biweekly cycles align with the calendar, but 2026 is a standard 26-period year. The pay period numbering runs from PP01, which begins on December 28, 2025, through PP26, which ends on December 26, 2026.

When is the first federal payday in 2026?

The first federal payday in 2026 is Friday, January 2, 2026. This corresponds to Pay Period 01 (PP01), which runs from December 28, 2025 through January 10, 2026. However, because January 1 is a federal holiday (New Year's Day), employees receiving their pay via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) will typically see the deposit arrive on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. EFT deposits are generally available one business day before the official check date, and holiday adjustments can push that date even earlier.

What is the difference between check date and EFT date?

The check date is the official pay date printed on paper paychecks and used for payroll records. The EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) date is typically one business day before the check date, which is when direct deposit funds become available in your bank account. For most federal employees enrolled in direct deposit, the EFT date is the practical payday. For example, if the official check date is a Friday, EFT funds usually appear on Thursday. When holidays or weekends interfere, the EFT date shifts to the last business day before the check date, which can sometimes mean receiving funds two or three calendar days early.

Do federal employees get paid on holidays?

Federal employees do not receive paychecks on federal holidays because government payroll offices and banks are closed on those days. Instead, when a scheduled payday falls on a federal holiday, the payment is processed on the last business day before the holiday. For EFT recipients, this typically means the deposit arrives one additional day earlier than it normally would. For instance, if a Friday payday coincides with a federal holiday, EFT deposits may arrive on Wednesday rather than the usual Thursday. Paper checks would be dated and mailed to arrive by Thursday in such cases. Always check the adjusted pay date calendar published by your agency at the beginning of each year.

Explore More