Federal Pay Period Calendar 2026

The 2026 federal pay period calendar has 26 biweekly pay periods. Pay period 1 starts Sunday, January 11, 2026, and pay period 26 ends January 9, 2027. The tables below show each period, its pay dates for NFC, GSA and the Interior Business Center, and the federal holidays that fall in it. Your agency's payroll provider is authoritative for your own dates. See also the GS pay calculator.

Maintained by Archie Chang · Dates checked against the NFC, GSA, IBC and OPM calendars October 23, 2026 · Methodology & sources

The 2027 calendar is ready.

Pay period 1 of 2027 starts January 10, 2027. See the federal pay period calendar 2027 for all 26 periods and the NFC, GSA and IBC pay dates.

Not a payroll provider. FedRateCalc is an independent site and is not affiliated with OPM, NFC, GSA, DOI or any agency. Pay period numbers and pay dates differ by payroll provider; your agency's payroll provider and your earnings statement are authoritative. We did not check other providers' calendars (for example DFAS-paid civilians or agencies that publish their own), so confirm those dates with your payroll office.

NFC pay period 21

October 18, 2026 through October 31, 2026.

Paid by NFC on Thursday, November 12, 2026 (direct deposit November 9, 2026); GSA pay period 23, official pay date November 10, 2026; IBC pay period 2026-23, official pay date November 10, 2026.

2026 pay periods (NFC numbering)

Dates match the USDA NFC Pay Period Calendar 2026 (Form NFC-1217) and NFC's 2026 PAYE processing schedule. Pay dates are from NFC's online pay period calendar: direct deposit or paper check on the Monday nine days after the period ends (Tuesday when that Monday is a federal holiday: January 20, 2026, February 17, 2026, May 26, 2026, October 13, 2026, January 19, 2027) and the official pay date on the Thursday twelve days after it ends. Pay periods 25 and 26 of the 2025 leave year are paid in January 2026; the first row is the second of them.

2026 federal pay periods with NFC pay dates and holidays
Pay periodFirst day (Sun)Last day (Sat)NFC direct depositNFC official pay dateFederal holidays in period
26 (of 2025)December 28, 2025January 10, 2026January 20, 2026January 22, 2026New Year’s Day (January 1, 2026)
01January 11, 2026January 24, 2026February 2, 2026February 5, 2026Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 19, 2026)
02January 25, 2026February 7, 2026February 17, 2026February 19, 2026
03February 8, 2026February 21, 2026March 2, 2026March 5, 2026Washington’s Birthday (February 16, 2026)
04February 22, 2026March 7, 2026March 16, 2026March 19, 2026
05March 8, 2026March 21, 2026March 30, 2026April 2, 2026
06March 22, 2026April 4, 2026April 13, 2026April 16, 2026
07April 5, 2026April 18, 2026April 27, 2026April 30, 2026
08April 19, 2026May 2, 2026May 11, 2026May 14, 2026
09May 3, 2026May 16, 2026May 26, 2026May 28, 2026
10May 17, 2026May 30, 2026June 8, 2026June 11, 2026Memorial Day (May 25, 2026)
11May 31, 2026June 13, 2026June 22, 2026June 25, 2026
12June 14, 2026June 27, 2026July 6, 2026July 9, 2026Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19, 2026)
13June 28, 2026July 11, 2026July 20, 2026July 23, 2026Independence Day (July 3, 2026)
14July 12, 2026July 25, 2026August 3, 2026August 6, 2026
15July 26, 2026August 8, 2026August 17, 2026August 20, 2026
16August 9, 2026August 22, 2026August 31, 2026September 3, 2026
17August 23, 2026September 5, 2026September 14, 2026September 17, 2026
18September 6, 2026September 19, 2026September 28, 2026October 1, 2026Labor Day (September 7, 2026)
19September 20, 2026October 3, 2026October 13, 2026October 15, 2026
20October 4, 2026October 17, 2026October 26, 2026October 29, 2026Columbus Day (October 12, 2026)
21October 18, 2026October 31, 2026November 9, 2026November 12, 2026
22November 1, 2026November 14, 2026November 23, 2026November 26, 2026Veterans Day (November 11, 2026)
23November 15, 2026November 28, 2026December 7, 2026December 10, 2026Thanksgiving Day (November 26, 2026)
24November 29, 2026December 12, 2026December 21, 2026December 24, 2026
25December 13, 2026December 26, 2026January 4, 2027January 7, 2027Christmas Day (December 25, 2026)
26December 27, 2026January 9, 2027January 19, 2027January 21, 2027New Year’s Day 2027 (January 1, 2027)

GSA and IBC pay dates for 2026

The two-week periods are the same everywhere; the numbers and pay dates are not. GSA numbers periods by the year they are paid, so its 2026 calendar runs from pay period 1 (ends December 27, 2025) to pay period 27 (ends December 26, 2026). IBC numbers by the year of the official pay date. GSA dates are from its 2026 payroll calendar page; IBC's official pay date is the second Tuesday after the period ends, per IBC's published rule (IBC's 2026 calendar PDF lists report and processing dates rather than pay dates, and IBC says some agencies are paid by direct deposit earlier, normally the first Friday).

2026 pay periods by NFC, GSA and IBC numbering and pay date
Period endsNFCGSAGSA official pay dateGSA EFTIBCIBC official (Tue)
December 27, 202525 (2025)2026-01January 7, 2026January 2, 20262026-01January 6, 2026
January 10, 202626 (2025)2026-02January 21, 2026January 16, 20262026-02January 20, 2026
January 24, 2026012026-03February 4, 2026January 30, 20262026-03February 3, 2026
February 7, 2026022026-04February 18, 2026February 13, 20262026-04February 17, 2026
February 21, 2026032026-05March 4, 2026February 27, 20262026-05March 3, 2026
March 7, 2026042026-06March 18, 2026March 13, 20262026-06March 17, 2026
March 21, 2026052026-07April 1, 2026March 27, 20262026-07March 31, 2026
April 4, 2026062026-08April 15, 2026April 10, 20262026-08April 14, 2026
April 18, 2026072026-09April 29, 2026April 24, 20262026-09April 28, 2026
May 2, 2026082026-10May 13, 2026May 8, 20262026-10May 12, 2026
May 16, 2026092026-11May 27, 2026May 22, 20262026-11May 26, 2026
May 30, 2026102026-12June 10, 2026June 5, 20262026-12June 9, 2026
June 13, 2026112026-13June 24, 2026June 18, 20262026-13June 23, 2026
June 27, 2026122026-14July 8, 2026July 2, 20262026-14July 7, 2026
July 11, 2026132026-15July 22, 2026July 17, 20262026-15July 21, 2026
July 25, 2026142026-16August 5, 2026July 31, 20262026-16August 4, 2026
August 8, 2026152026-17August 19, 2026August 14, 20262026-17August 18, 2026
August 22, 2026162026-18September 2, 2026August 28, 20262026-18September 1, 2026
September 5, 2026172026-19September 16, 2026September 11, 20262026-19September 15, 2026
September 19, 2026182026-20September 30, 2026September 25, 20262026-20September 29, 2026
October 3, 2026192026-21October 14, 2026October 9, 20262026-21October 13, 2026
October 17, 2026202026-22October 28, 2026October 23, 20262026-22October 27, 2026
October 31, 2026212026-23November 10, 2026November 6, 20262026-23November 10, 2026
November 14, 2026222026-24November 25, 2026November 20, 20262026-24November 24, 2026
November 28, 2026232026-25December 9, 2026December 4, 20262026-25December 8, 2026
December 12, 2026242026-26December 23, 2026December 18, 20262026-26December 22, 2026
December 26, 2026252026-27December 31, 2026December 31, 20262027-01January 5, 2027
January 9, 2027262027-01January 20, 2027January 15, 20272027-02January 19, 2027

GSA lists the period ending December 26, 2026 (its 2026 pay period 27) as paid December 31, 2026 for both the official pay date and the EFT; the official date would otherwise fall in early January 2027. GSA's EFT is normally Friday and moves back to Thursday when that Friday is a federal holiday (June 18, July 2 and December 31, 2026 here), and GSA's official pay date for the period ending October 31 is Tuesday, November 10 because Wednesday, November 11 is Veterans Day. The IBC numbers in the table are the ones in IBC's 2026 calendar, except that IBC's holiday table puts Labor Day in 2026-19 while its own calendar grid has September 7 in 2026-20, which is what this page uses.

Month by month

  • January

    • Pay period 26 of 2025 ends January 10, 2026
    • Pay period 01 ends January 24, 2026
    • New Year’s Day: January 1, 2026
    • Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.: January 19, 2026

  • February

    • Pay period 02 ends February 7, 2026
    • Pay period 03 ends February 21, 2026
    • Washington’s Birthday: February 16, 2026

  • March

    • Pay period 04 ends March 7, 2026
    • Pay period 05 ends March 21, 2026

  • April

    • Pay period 06 ends April 4, 2026
    • Pay period 07 ends April 18, 2026

  • May

    • Pay period 08 ends May 2, 2026
    • Pay period 09 ends May 16, 2026
    • Pay period 10 ends May 30, 2026
    • Memorial Day: May 25, 2026

  • June

    • Pay period 11 ends June 13, 2026
    • Pay period 12 ends June 27, 2026
    • Juneteenth National Independence Day: June 19, 2026

  • July

    • Pay period 13 ends July 11, 2026
    • Pay period 14 ends July 25, 2026
    • Independence Day: July 3, 2026

  • August

    • Pay period 15 ends August 8, 2026
    • Pay period 16 ends August 22, 2026

  • September

    • Pay period 17 ends September 5, 2026
    • Pay period 18 ends September 19, 2026
    • Labor Day: September 7, 2026

  • October

    • Pay period 19 ends October 3, 2026
    • Pay period 20 ends October 17, 2026
    • Pay period 21 ends October 31, 2026
    • Columbus Day: October 12, 2026

  • November

    • Pay period 22 ends November 14, 2026
    • Pay period 23 ends November 28, 2026
    • Veterans Day: November 11, 2026
    • Thanksgiving Day: November 26, 2026

  • December

    • Pay period 24 ends December 12, 2026
    • Pay period 25 ends December 26, 2026
    • Christmas Day: December 25, 2026

Pay period 01 of 2026 starts January 11, 2026; pay period 26 ends January 9, 2027.

Federal holidays 2026

OPM's 2026 holiday schedule under 5 U.S.C. 6103 lists 11 holidays. Independence Day falls on Saturday, July 4, so most federal employees get Friday, July 3 as the holiday. There is no Inauguration Day in 2026.

Federal holidays 2026 with observed dates and NFC pay period
HolidayCalendar dateObservedNFC pay period
New Year’s DayThursday, January 1, 2026Same day26 (of 2025)
Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.Monday, January 19, 2026Same day01
Washington’s BirthdayMonday, February 16, 2026Same day03
Memorial DayMonday, May 25, 2026Same day10
Juneteenth National Independence DayFriday, June 19, 2026Same day12
Independence DaySaturday, July 4, 2026Friday, July 3, 202613
Labor DayMonday, September 7, 2026Same day18
Columbus DayMonday, October 12, 2026Same day20
Veterans DayWednesday, November 11, 2026Same day22
Thanksgiving DayThursday, November 26, 2026Same day23
Christmas DayFriday, December 25, 2026Same day25
New Year’s Day 2027Friday, January 1, 2027Same day26

Federal pay days: how paydays work by payroll provider

Federal employees are paid every two weeks, for a pay period that ended days earlier, and the payroll provider your agency uses decides which day the money arrives. The periods are the same Sunday-to-Saturday cycle at NFC, GSA and IBC; what differs is the weekday and the pay period number.

  • NFC (USDA): direct deposit on the Monday nine days after the period ends and an official pay date on the Thursday twelve days after it ends. For the period ending January 24, 2026, that is February 2, 2026 and February 5, 2026.
  • GSA: an EFT on the Friday six days after the period ends and an official pay date on the Wednesday eleven days after it ends. For the same period, that is January 30, 2026 and February 4, 2026.
  • IBC (Interior): an official pay date on the second Tuesday after the period ends, February 3, 2026 for that period. Some IBC customers are paid by EFT on the first Friday.

Direct deposit and EFT dates that land on a federal holiday move (NFC to the next day, GSA to the day before), so check the tables above for holiday weeks. NFC's official pay date can fall on a federal holiday and is not moved: NFC lists Thanksgiving, November 26, 2026, as an official pay date. Military members are not on this cycle; they are paid on the 1st and 15th, see military pay dates. Use the GS pay calculator to turn your salary into a per-period amount.

Federal pay period calendar questions

When does the first pay period of 2026 start?

Pay period 1 of 2026 starts on Sunday, January 11, 2026, and ends Saturday, January 24, 2026, in the USDA National Finance Center (NFC) numbering. January 1 through 10, 2026 are the last days of pay period 26 of the 2025 leave year (December 28, 2025 through January 10, 2026), which is paid in January 2026. Other payroll providers use the same two-week periods but number them differently.

How many pay periods are in 2026?

NFC counts 26 pay periods in the 2026 leave year, from January 11, 2026 through January 9, 2027. GSA's 2026 payroll calendar numbers 27: its pay period 1 ends December 27, 2025 and its pay period 27 ends December 26, 2026, because GSA numbers periods by the year they are paid. The leave year is still 26 periods, but the calendar year is different for GSA-paid employees: GSA lists 27 paydays in calendar 2026, the last on December 31 for the period ending December 26, while NFC and IBC pay 26 times. That can matter for W-2 wages and for per-paycheck TSP contributions, so check your earnings statement. By our calculation the next 27-period leave year under 5 CFR 630.201 is 2034.

What are the federal holidays in 2026?

OPM lists these 2026 holidays with the day federal offices observe them: New Year’s Day (January 1, 2026); Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 19, 2026); Washington’s Birthday (February 16, 2026); Memorial Day (May 25, 2026); Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19, 2026); Independence Day (July 3, 2026); Labor Day (September 7, 2026); Columbus Day (October 12, 2026); Veterans Day (November 11, 2026); Thanksgiving Day (November 26, 2026); Christmas Day (December 25, 2026). Independence Day falls on a Saturday, so most federal employees get Friday, July 3. New Year’s Day 2027 falls on a Friday and is observed January 1, 2027, in pay period 26 of the 2026 leave year. There is no Inauguration Day holiday in 2026.

What are the federal pay dates for 2026?

Pay dates depend on the payroll provider. For the first 2026 pay period (ends January 24, 2026), NFC direct deposit is Monday, February 2, 2026, and the official pay date is Thursday, February 5, 2026; GSA pays an EFT on Friday, January 30, 2026, with an official pay date of February 4, 2026; IBC’s official pay date is February 3, 2026. The table below lists every period. Your agency’s payroll provider and your earnings statement are authoritative.

Is the 2027 federal pay period calendar available?

Yes. NFC, GSA and IBC have published their 2027 calendars. Pay period 1 of 2027 starts Sunday, January 10, 2027. The pay period lookup on this page also covers 2027, and the full 2027 table is on the federal pay period calendar 2027 page. Federal pay period calendar 2027.

Sources: USDA NFC: Pay Period Calendar 2026 (NFC-1217) · USDA NFC: 2026 PAYE processing schedule · USDA NFC: online pay period calendar (pay dates) · GSA: 2026 payroll calendar · DOI IBC: 2026 payroll calendar · DOI IBC: EFT and official pay date rule · OPM: federal holidays · 5 CFR 630.201: leave year