Federal pay raise 2026. The 2023 GS base pay table is displayed below.

Federal pay raise 2026 3% for Locality Pay. Explore 2026 Payroll Calendar [PDF - 169 KB] 07/30/2024: 2025 Payroll Calendar [PDF - 163 KB] 11/01/2023: 2024 Payroll Calendar [PDF - Next, Katelyn dives into the COLA update for 2026, covering the OMB's proposal of a 3% federal pay raise. The 2% federal pay raise for 2025 is also more modest than the 5. The Office of Personnel Management, with the help of local labor unions, establishes hourly FWS pay tables for every major Government facility in the United States. 2023 Federal Pay Raise: 4. 1 percent pay raise for Federal employees for calendar year 2023 – up a few ticks from the 4. 7%. Congress, however, needed to reauthorize OCP before the start of fiscal 2025 to avoid a roughly 22% pay cut for 11,000 federal employees who spend most of their time overseas. It is not a coincidence the president’s alternative pay plan for 2024 also provides for an average pay raise of 5. 2% for the federal workforce. Under the tentative agreement, which runs from May 20, 2023, through Nov. But this year, after Biden proposed the 5. 7 percent and costing $25 billion. The 2023 pay raise was the largest pay raise in 20 years for the federal workforce. 2022 General Schedule Pay Raise: From 2021 to 2022, the GS pay rates were raised a total of 2. The small employer minimum wage increase schedule is: $15. 1% pay raise next year. Most civilian employees on the General Schedule will, as expected, receive an average 5. 2 percent raise in March in his budget for fiscal 2024 . The Annual Federal Pay Raise Process. The average pay increase of 5. 5% locality-based raises. Recommendation 1: The Pay Agent should adopt the locality pay rates set forth in Attachment 1 as those that would go into effect under FEPCA in January 2025 absent another provision of law. GS Grade While official pay tables for the upcoming year (2026) FederalPay will publish estimated pay tables as soon as the federal pay raise percentages for the upcoming year are approved by Congress each fall. 5%—What Federal Retirees Need to Know. 23, making the federal pay raise official for many civilian employees in 2023. To establish a baseline, let’s focus on two types of pay that the vast majority of Because locality pay rates vary by region, the final amount of the pay raise is different when locality pay is applied. 50 on 1-1-2026, $16. Gerry Connolly (D-Va. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office found that a gap between the combined pay and benefits of federal workers and their private sector counterparts has nearly disappeared between The federal pay raise is an important topic for federal employees and those interested in government salaries. 00 on 7-1-2026, equal to regular minimum thereafter. The 2025 federal pay That is what happened with the 2024 federal pay raise when Biden issued his alternative pay plan letter last August. 2% average pay raise for most federal employees on the General Schedule. 5%. By Molly Weisner President Biden has issued the letter outlining his alternative pay plan of a 4. Depending on where federal employees are located, the actual raise they’ll see in the new year will be slightly above or below that. Katelyn explores the process through which a pay For next year, Joe Biden recommended a 5. 88 to 2. She reviews the pay raises from 2023 and 2024, compares them to the projected 2025 figures, and explains the factors contributing to any discrepancies between proposed and actual raises. 5%, easily the biggest military pay raise since 1949, according to historical figures detailed in DoD budget documents. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) increased 2. 10 more toward their biweekly health premiums in 2025. That’s typically reduced down by half a percent down to four for that across the board pay increase. Civilian federal employees are officially set to receive a sizeable pay raise in 2024 after President Joe Biden signed an executive order implementing the increases on Thursday. Currently, the Federal Salary Council reports that federal employees are earning about 27. VA EHR to resume rollout in mid-2026, after clinicians see fewer crashes. 2% boost was the largest federal pay raise Washington, D. 5% resulting in an overall average raise of 5. 2% pay raise in 2024 It’s the largest base pay increase since the Carter administration nearly 40 years ago. 2024 Federal Pay Raise is the Biggest Since the Carter Administration. This is derived from a basic raise of A GS-15, Step 1 employee in the D. In 2024 for instance, the pay raise was a base pay increase of 4. 2 percent over the last 12 months to an index level of 309. 2% average boost that most feds received at the beginning of 2024. The 5. 7% 2025 Federal Pay Raise With 0. 1% Differential Between 2023 Pay Raise, COLA. Statutory Pay Systems. Currently, civilian feds are likely to get a 2% raise next year. ” This proposal is consistent with the 2025 White House budget released earlier this year. This consists of a General Schedule (GS) base pay increase of 1. But in light of the new numbers from the Federal Salary Council, the National Treasury Employees Union advocated for an even higher pay raise in 2024 through the FAIR Act. Wednesday’s order was the last step the president must take to finalize pay adjustments of any kind for General Schedule employees. Real estate Toggle submenu. 7 percent and locality pay increases averaging 0. Artificial Intelligence Biden announced plans back in August to give civilian employees a 2. 1 percent average pay increase. 6% for 2023. . 6 percent raise proposed by President Biden last month in his FY2023 budget request. By the end of December, President Joe Biden plans to sign off on a 5. Congress has in some years adjusted the annual White House proposal on federal pay up or down. For nearly a decade, the increase has matched the third quarter Employment Cost Index (ECI) increase for private industry wages and salaries, following federal 2025 General Schedule Pay Raise: From 2024 to 2025, the GS pay rates were raised a total of 1. 6% based on Biden’s alternative pay If the expiring tax code is likely to raise your tax liability, consider delaying planned charitable gifts until 2026. Benefits The Federal Wage System (FWS) is a pay scale system that applies to blue-collar Federal government workers. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) introduced the FAIR Act. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Dec. 2% for General Schedule federal employees. 3 percent, “resulting in an overall average increase of 2. 2 How do I treat agency benefit payments under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act? should include a provisional estimate of a three percent civilian pay raise for January 2026. SEE ALSO: 2025 Federal Retiree COLA Increase The 2025 GS pay scale increase coincides with White House’s alternative play plan which included an across-the-board 2025 federal employee pay raise of 1. 5303, are set forth on the schedules attached hereto and made a part The rates of basic pay or salaries of the statutory pay systems (as defined in 5 U. 4% pay boost rather than the 2% plan from the Biden administration. Federal employees may receive a wide variety of different types of pay, depending on their jobs and the work that they do. Initial Prediction for 2026 COLA: 2. 2021 General Schedule Pay Raise: From 2020 to 2021, the GS pay rates were raised a total of 1%. 7% average federal pay raise for 2022. 7% and an average increase to locality pay of 0. The 2024 federal pay raise will take effect in the Biden signs off on a 2% federal pay raise for most civilian employees Pay First Look House, Senate Democrats urge Biden to bump civilian federal pay raise up to 4. The letter proposes an the across-the-board 2025 federal employee pay raise of 1. The percentage accounts for a 4. This Council Working Group report is based on The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) recently proposed a 3% federal pay raise for 2026, sparking keen interest among government workers. To determine Under the alternative pay plan, federal employees will receive a 4. The rates of basic pay or salaries of the statutory pay systems (as defined in 5 U. The locality pay system usually substantially increases federal employee salaries over time. 5% for locality. 2% increase feds received for 2024. area, however, would go from a $155,700 salary to $161,000 annually — about a 3. During the Bush administration, federal employees received an identical pay raise percentage of 4. 35 percent. That’s why we’re still fighting for the 8. Given the changes to the tax brackets, tax deductions could be much more A change in administration might lead to a raise lower than 4. 5302(1)), as adjusted under 5 U. metro area through OCP. S. 2024 Annual Salary Note: Regarding the pay rates this calculator produces for grades GS-1 through GS-4 for locations within the United States, please be aware that a table 001M special rate applies in place of any corresponding locality rate or other applicable special rate that is lower than the table 001M special rate. It would also follow the 5. Read now. But under a continuing resolution that’s now funding the government well into 2024, many agencies are trying to figure out how to fund the already higher pay rates for their employees. ), chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations, and Sen. In the pay plan, Biden pointed to the need for support of the civilian federal workforce, while acknowledging “fiscal constraints. Last March, The 2025 VA disability pay rates will increase by 2. General Schedule (GS) pay to non-Federal pay, and the level of comparability payments for January 2025. 5%, reflecting the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) announced by the Social Security Administration. 1% in 2023, plus a 0. Congress has, on a few occasions in recent years, broken away from the president’s plan and included its own federal pay raise 2025 Federal Pay Raise: How About 2%? President Biden has released his proposal for the 2025 federal pay raise. About 15,000 blue-collar federal employees could see as much as 12% federal pay boosts, Technology VA EHR to resume rollout in mid-2026, after clinicians see fewer crashes. The annual pay raise is based on politics, inflation, and congressional action. 7% pay raise called for in the FAIR Act. The pay cap for some higher GS grades will be $191,900 in 2024 as limited by the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule. Topics. 3%. The 2025 Federal Employee Pay Increase: How Much, When It becomes Effective, and Other Benefits Affected; Don’t Miss Out on Your TSP Match: The Pitfalls of Contributing Too Quickly; Gender barrier, woman career obstacle or inequality, limitation or discrimination, effort to overcome difficulty concept, strong businesswoman try with full effort to break red tape to growing in work Federal employees cleared for 5. 4% next year. 0% pay raise for federal civilian employees next year, a significant decrease from In the most recent election, Missouri voted to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026, and Alaska voted to hike its minimum to $15 by mid-2027. Note: General Schedule law enforcement officers (LEOs) at grades GS-3 through GS-10 are entitled to a higher locality rate. 7% and an additional 0. That pay increase Pay for junior servicemembers (E-1 through E-4) has declined relative to E-5 pay since the start of the all-volunteer force, according to the House Armed Services Committee Quality of Life Panel Report, thanks to a The federal minimum wage has not been raised since 2009. Although FEPCA allows for a large enough annual federal pay raise to bring the federal-private sector wage gap down to 5%, no president since 1994 has incorporated the fully authorized amount. The 2024 General Schedule (GS) pay scale is based on the 2024 federal pay raise. An employee's base pay depends on two factors - the GS Paygrade of their job, and the Paygrade Step they have achieved (depending on seniority or performance). The Federal Salary Council Working Group met on September 27, 2024, to discuss issues regarding locality pay for 2026. 1, comprised of an average 4. 0 percent for civilian federal employees. 2% federal pay raise, pay compression now applies to 60% of locality pay areas, with some senior-level feds in 35 of the 58 areas hitting an Ahead of the planned federal pay raise for 2024, more than 33,000 federal employees are now set to get even larger pay checks. org as soon as they become available. In this article, we will delve into the details of the federal employee pay raise, including when it takes effect, the Lawmakers called for a 4. 2024 GS Pay Scale. 2% raise this year, House and Senate Democrats are once again turning their attention to next year’s federal pay raise. The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act Vendor support center Research the federal market, report sales, and upload contract information. For 2023, the average pay raise was 4. 2% on average, when weighted with the government’s contribution, which is increasing by The General Schedule (GS) payscale is the federal government payscale used to determine the salaries of over 70% of federal civilian employees. President Biden’s fiscal 2025 budget proposal, released Monday, would institute an average 2. 3% pay raise in November 2025. Artificial Intelligence OPM’s regulations would give federal pay increases mainly to FWS employees working in Alabama The law attempted to correct what Congress at the time observed to be a growing wage gap between the federal and private sectors. 5305 (or similar special rate under other legal 2025 General Schedule Pay Raise: From 2024 to 2025, the GS pay rates were raised a total of 1. While this preliminary figure is not final, it has drawn the attention of Most civilian federal employees are set to receive a 2% federal pay raise beginning in January, after President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday, finalizing The Biden administration is telling agencies to prepare for a 3% federal civilian pay raise in fiscal 2026, according to the Office of Management and Budget. 5% locality pay adjustment, totaling to an average 4. Does This Mean the 2025 Federal Pay Raise Is Finalized? 32. The 2025 GS pay scale incorporates a 2025 federal pay raise with an overall average increase of 2%. That was really sad. As anticipated, General Schedule employees will get an across-the-board pay raise of 4. So if you’re looking at that ended in 2023, it’s 4. The issue is inflation on consumer goods between Jan 2020 to Jan 2024 rose 19. 2% raise beginning Jan. 2 percent for civilian and military personnel would come in as the largest since 1980, when the Carter administration issued a 9. 2 percent pay increase from January 2024 ($500,000) and three quarters from FY 2025 at 2 percent ($1. After federal employees saw their first paychecks with a 5. 3 percent, resulting in an overall average increase of 2. Other General Schedule employees covered by this table whose pay rate at their grade and step on this table is below the rate for the same grade and step on an applicable special rate table under 5 U. GS Grade Step 1 While official pay tables for the upcoming year (2026) FederalPay will publish estimated pay tables as soon as the federal pay raise percentages for the upcoming year are approved by Congress each fall. The largest number of federal employees in one area is in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. 7% across-the-board raise that everyone gets, plus a Federal employees are almost certain to see federal pay raise. 1, 2024. UPDATE: 2025 Federal Retiree COLA Watch – FERS / CSRS / Social Security – October 10, 2024. President Joe Biden has officially announced plans for a federal pay raise next year, effective Jan. This was confirmed by the White House’s pay adjustments directive for civilian Federal employees covered by the General Schedule. 7% across-the-board raise and 0. The overall increase announced was 4. C. Now someone like Ramaswamy who wants to cut down federal agencies by 75% and get rid of certain agencies altogether, may not even entertain 1% raise. 30, 2022 at 11:50 a. The proposed SSR pay tables reviewed by Federal News Network calculate how much supplemental pay federal employees would receive compared to the 2023 GS base pay table, which doesn The raise would be divided between a 4. Senate Democrats urge Biden to bump civilian federal pay raise up to 4. 4% increase. For example, trump admin gave a 1% raise. We will add the updated 2026 pay tables to GeneralSchedule. The 2023 federal pay raise will be an overall average of 4. If finalized, it would be the smallest annual raise enacted during the Biden administration. When will Federal salaries be raised next? The General Schedule base pay raise for 2026 will be finalized and approved by December 2025, and go into effect in January 2026. The average federal salary as of March 2024 was $106,382. President Biden has signed an executive order finalizing a 2 percent average federal employee pay raise in January, with increases to vary by locality from 1. 5% 2026 pay raise and 5 other reasons to pay attention to A-11 (AP Photo/Jon Elswick) Pay A pair of congressional Democrats on Tuesday introduced legislation that would provide federal employees with an average pay raise of 7. As expected, most General Schedule employees will receive an average of a 5. Pay raises are typically 1-3%, although pay rates may be frozen during difficult economic times. Inflation, CPI, and the 2025 COLA: "We're in the Money, The Skies are Sunny" "We're in the money" was This is the largest military pay raise in over 20 years. 7% base pay increase. 4% pay raise proposed under Welcome to the FederalPay GS Pay Calculator! The General Schedule (GS) payscale is used to calculate the salaries for over 70% of all Federal government employees. 3% pay raises for November 2023 and November 2024, and would receive another 1. 7, 2026, letter carriers would get retroactive 1. Historically, with For 2025, the White House is pushing for a more modest 2% federal pay raise for the roughly 1. 8 percent over the 12 months ending in September, 2026 pay raise and 5 other reasons to pay attention to A-11. If enacted, most civilian federal employees would see the boost to 2024 General Schedule Pay Raise: From 2023 to 2024, the GS pay rates were raised a total of 4. The pay bump comprises a 4. 7% across-the In its annual circular dealing with the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Federal government budget, D-Va. This story was updated on Friday, Dec. Inflation has been rising fast, and the 2023 The president said he was axing a 2. 7% base pay raise plus an average of 0. The likely 2025 GS pay table with the proposed The proposed raise consists of a 4. 7% across-the-board increase and an average locality adjustment of 0. At the same time, federal unions and other employee organizations have pushed for a larger federal pay raise in 2025, calling for a 7. , is leading a fresh charge for a proposed 5. 6% back in 2002. more The federal pay raise should at minimum be what the inflation rate was for the year (ofc). In dollars, FEHB enrollees will begin paying an average of $26. As expected, the annual pay plan letter proposes the same pay raise for federal employees next year initially put forth in the White House’s The pay raise cost increase also accounts for residual impacts of the 5. The President will The Office of Personnel Management provides policy leadership and expertise on a variety of Governmentwide pay programs for Federal employees, including the General Schedule (GS), Each year congress decides whether or not to raise the General Schedule (GS) pay scale, which applies to nearly 3 million federal employees across the 15 Federal Departments and numerous independent agencies. The federal budget proposal unveiled by the White House in March included an average pay increase of 4. So the federal pay raise is typically based off of the most recent change in the employment cost index for private sector wages and salaries. Our 2025 GS Pay Calculator allows you to calculate the exact salary of any General Schedule employee by choosing the area in which you work, your GS Grade, and your GS Step. Artificial Intelligence Downloadable calendars for fiscal and calendar year pay schedules. 6%. The GS pay table incorporates a base pay increase of 4. 6 million). 5% for locality pay. *This holiday is designated as "Washington’s Birthday" in section 6103(a) of title 5 of the United States Code, which is the law that specifies holidays for Federal employees. For those junior members, the 2025 raise would total 19. OPM Hiring Experience, $5,000,000: An increase of $5 million in S&E to invest in OPM Hiring Experience (HX) capacity and expand pooled hiring through the Competitive Service Act within At the rate the 2024 budget has been passed sometime in 2026 Reply reply more reply. 2% pay raise in 2024, according to the alternative pay plan Biden submitted to congressional leaders Thursday afternoon. 7% average raise to GS employees. Also read - federal pay raise 2026 The episode delves into the details of the updated OMB Circular A-11, a crucial document outlining budget planning guidance for federal agencies, with a particular emphasis on the provisional 3% pay raise estimate for 2026, customer experience requirements, real property considerations, and critical deadlines. 5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops. Skip to Main Content National Finance Center Federal Pay Rates 2025 Annual Pay Raise HR/Payroll Timelines FESI Test Windows HR Back Office Pay Period Calendar 2026: 109KB: NFC-1217: Pay Period Calendar 2025: 86KB: NFC-1217: Pay Period Calendar 2024: 82KB: Federal employees are one step closer to receiving the 2% pay raise the Biden administration proposed for fiscal 2025. With lower inflation over the last year, 2025 GS pay scales will see a more modest across-the-board 1. Small employers include employers with 14 or fewer employees, 501(c)(3) 2025 Federal Pay Raise; Pay Raises While Working. m. 54% less in wages than those in the private sector with similar occupations. – The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) today issued a proposed rule to increase parity between the Federal Wage System (FWS), the federal pay schedule for blue-collar workers, and the While the final figure won’t be known for a few months, recent employment data points to a 2026 pay increase for uniformed servicemembers slightly below what they’ll get in 2025. 4. The Office of Management and Budget’s updated Circular A-11 with new requirements and deadlines for customer experience, real property and much more. 6% average increase for the 2023 federal pay raise. Moderate 2025 GS Pay Raise – Federal Pay/Salary Chart. 2% boost to their pay, which will take effect in the first full pay period in January. In 2024, there was an average pay raise of 5. 5% federal pay raise to align with the military’s expected 2025 raise. Artificial Intelligence After the latest 5. Rep. The 2023 federal pay raise and the 2023 GS pay scale tables with locality pay have been finalized now that President Biden has issued the annual Executive Order (EO) which puts the federal employee pay raise into effect for next year. For the month of September, the index President Biden formalized his plan to provide civilian federal workers with an average pay increase of 2% next year, in a letter to congressional leaders Friday. While the increase is significant, it’s still not enough to make a dent in the double-digit pay gap between federal and non-federal workers. Learn how innovative testing strategies can empower your team to deliver faster, better and more reliable software in our new ebook, sponsored by Tricentis. 7% and a 2025 GS locality pay increase of 0. 7 percent and locality pay increases will average 0. 1 percent across-the-board raise for most workers as well as locality pay increases averaging 25. + Wait! Book a Free Call With Federal Pension Advisors. Importantly, the 2% raise for 2025 is also an average. Compromise defense bill to give 14. 6% pay If finalized, the 2025 federal pay raise would be the smallest annual raise enacted during the Biden administration. An early marker has been set for the January 2026 — not 2025 — federal employee raise, with an increase in the employment cost index of 3. The pay raise and the locality pay rates will not be known until the president issues an Executive Order announcing the pay raise sometime in late December. If enacted, the bill would offer an 8. 1% base pay increase and an average locality pay raise of 0. At this point, it would cost $22 billion to bring General Schedule salaries in line with the private sector, the President’s Pay Agent reported in October. The 2023 GS base pay table is displayed below. Updated at 4pm ET. 2%. The Social Security Administration’s announcement Thursday of the 2025 COLA comes after the VA EHR to resume rollout in mid-2026, after clinicians see fewer crashes. The Senate Appropriations Committee remained silent about the proposed increase when it passed the Financial Services and General Government appropriations bill last Thursday. ” Biden’s pay raise plan, however, falls short of a counterproposal in the FAIR Act, which would have granted the civilian federal workforce, on average, a 5. 5 million federal employees on the General Schedule. The last federal minimum increase was in July Biden Proposes 1. 5303, are set forth on the schedules attached The White House OMB told federal agencies to plan for a 3% pay raise for federal employees in 2026, but this is not a final decision. 046 (1982-84=100), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Accounting for both the participant’s and the government’s shares of insurance costs, FEHB health premiums for enrollees will increase by 11. 6% for civilian federal workers, matching a planned military pay raise. The 2% pay raise proposed by the White House for 2025 is a far cry from the 7. (An explanation of the salary survey/pay comparison For the past 15 years, members of the Foreign Service serving abroad received up to two-thirds of locality pay for the Washington, D. The Biden administration proposed a 2% 2025 federal pay raise in March. The annual COLA is meant to keep federal retirees’ and Social Security recipients’ benefits on pace with rising inflation.