Last Updated: October 5, 2026 Reading Time: 7 min
Every federal pay question eventually comes back to the calendar. The federal pay period calendar for 2026 runs 26 pay periods from January 11, 2026 through January 9, 2027 under OPM's leave-year definition, and the 2027 leave year starts January 10. Here is every date, the payday rules that explain why your deposit differs from your coworker's, and the deadlines hiding inside the schedule.
2026 Pay Period Calendar (OPM Leave Year)
All periods run Sunday through Saturday on the standard biweekly cycle. The pay date column uses IBC's second-Tuesday rule; if your agency pays through GSA, your direct deposit typically arrives the Friday after the period ends; if it pays through NFC, the deposit settles the second Monday after the period ends and the official pay date is the following Thursday (corrected September 27, 2026; the earlier text applied GSA's Friday rule to NFC). The full NFC schedule is in the NFC pay period calendar.
| PP | Start | End | Official pay date (IBC rule) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 11 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 |
| 2 | Jan 25 | Feb 7 | Feb 17* |
| 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| 4 | Feb 22 | Mar 7 | Mar 17 |
| 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 21 | Mar 31 |
| 6 | Mar 22 | Apr 4 | Apr 14 |
| 7 | Apr 5 | Apr 18 | Apr 28 |
| 8 | Apr 19 | May 2 | May 12 |
| 9 | May 3 | May 16 | May 26 |
| 10 | May 17 | May 30 | Jun 9 |
| 11 | May 31 | Jun 13 | Jun 23 |
| 12 | Jun 14 | Jun 27 | Jul 7 |
| 13 | Jun 28 | Jul 11 | Jul 21 |
| 14 | Jul 12 | Jul 25 | Aug 4 |
| 15 | Jul 26 | Aug 8 | Aug 18 |
| 16 | Aug 9 | Aug 22 | Sep 1 |
| 17 | Aug 23 | Sep 5 | Sep 15 |
| 18 | Sep 6 | Sep 19 | Sep 29 |
| 19 | Sep 20 | Oct 3 | Oct 13 |
| 20 | Oct 4 | Oct 17 | Oct 27 |
| 21 | Oct 18 | Oct 31 | Nov 10 |
| 22 | Nov 1 | Nov 14 | Nov 24 |
| 23 | Nov 15 | Nov 28 | Dec 8 |
| 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 |
| 25 | Dec 13 | Dec 26 | Dec 31† |
| 26 | Dec 27 | Jan 9, 2027 | Jan 19, 2027 |
*Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) is Monday, Feb 16, 2026; it doesn't move any pay date in this row. †December 31, 2026 is GSA's last official pay date of the year, per GSA's 2026 payroll calendar. FedTools 2026 compilation from OPM leave-year dates and the IBC payday rule.
2027 Pay Period Calendar (OPM Leave Year)
The 2027 leave year runs January 10, 2027 through January 8, 2028, 26 pay periods. NFC has already published its official 2027 calendar (Form NFC-1217); paydays follow the same provider rules as 2026.
| PP | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 23 |
| 2 | Jan 24 | Feb 6 |
| 3 | Feb 7 | Feb 20 |
| 4 | Feb 21 | Mar 6 |
| 5 | Mar 7 | Mar 20 |
| 6 | Mar 21 | Apr 3 |
| 7 | Apr 4 | Apr 17 |
| 8 | Apr 18 | May 1 |
| 9 | May 2 | May 15 |
| 10 | May 16 | May 29 |
| 11 | May 30 | Jun 12 |
| 12 | Jun 13 | Jun 26 |
| 13 | Jun 27 | Jul 10 |
| 14 | Jul 11 | Jul 24 |
| 15 | Jul 25 | Aug 7 |
| 16 | Aug 8 | Aug 21 |
| 17 | Aug 22 | Sep 4 |
| 18 | Sep 5 | Sep 18 |
| 19 | Sep 19 | Oct 2 |
| 20 | Oct 3 | Oct 16 |
| 21 | Oct 17 | Oct 30 |
| 22 | Oct 31 | Nov 13 |
| 23 | Nov 14 | Nov 27 |
| 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 11 |
| 25 | Dec 12 | Dec 25 |
| 26 | Dec 26 | Jan 8, 2028 |
Pay period 1 of 2027 is also where the proposed 2027 pay freeze would technically land if implemented. The letter says effective January 1; OPM implements from the first full pay period on or after that date. If the freeze takes effect, you won't see the seam: the 2027 rates would be the 2026 rates.
26 or 27 Pay Periods in 2026? Both.
This is the question that fills HR inboxes every December, and the answer depends on which calendar you mean:
- OPM leave year (26 periods): January 11, 2026 to January 9, 2027. This governs annual leave accrual and the use-or-lose deadline. See our 27 pay periods explainer for the paycheck-math side.
- GSA calendar-year count (Pay Period 27, 27 paydays): the paycheck for the period ending December 27, 2025 lands in January 2026, and the period ending December 26, 2026 pays December 31. Twenty-seven deposits hit in one calendar year.
- IBC earnings year (26 periods): December 14, 2025 to December 12, 2026, counting when the work was performed.
None of these is wrong. If you are planning leave, use the OPM leave year. If you are planning cash flow or TSP percentages, count your actual deposits.
The Deadlines Hiding in the Calendar
Use-or-lose leave: annual leave above your carryover ceiling must be scheduled by November 28, 2026 (November 27 in 2027) or it is forfeited. The Federal Leave Optimizer maps your balance against the remaining pay periods.
TSP contribution pacing: the 2026 elective deferral limit is $24,500 (IRS IR-2025-111). Spread evenly that is $942.31, rounded up to $943 per pay period over 26 periods, or $907.41, rounded up to $908 over 27 paydays if your agency's cycle gives you 27 deposits this calendar year. Front-loading costs real money: the agency match is computed each pay period. FERS employees need to contribute at least 5% of basic pay each period to receive the full 4% matching contribution. CSRS participants do not receive an agency match.
Retirement dates: the classic end-of-month versus end-of-leave-year decision runs through this table too; retiring at the end of PP 26 maximizes the annual leave lump sum by carrying the full year's accrual.
See What One Pay Period Is Worth
Run your grade and locality through the free Federal Take-Home Pay Calculator to see your per-period net, then check it against the deposit dates above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 2026 have 26 or 27 federal pay periods?
Both, by definition. The OPM leave year has 26 (Jan 11, 2026 to Jan 9, 2027); GSA's 2026 payroll calendar numbers a Pay Period 27 and shows 27 paydays landing in 2026. Leave accrual follows the 26-period leave year.
Why is my payday different from my coworker's at another agency?
Different payroll providers. IBC's official pay date is the second Tuesday after a period ends; GSA's usual EFT date is the preceding Friday; NFC settles on the second Monday after the period ends (Tuesday when that Monday is a federal holiday) and calls the following Thursday its official payment date. Same period, different disbursement calendars.
When does the 2026 leave year end for use-or-lose leave?
The leave year ends January 9, 2027; the use-or-lose scheduling deadline is November 28, 2026.
Which pay period would the proposed 2027 pay freeze take effect?
PP 1 of 2027, beginning January 10. If the proposed 2027 pay freeze is enacted as proposed, GS base and locality rates would stay at 2026 levels and no across-the-board change would hit that paycheck; excluded groups and individual changes (a step, a promotion, a new FEHB premium) still move it.
How much per pay period maxes out TSP in 2026?
For the 2026 elective deferral limit of $24,500 (IRS IR-2025-111): about $943 per pay period across 26 pay periods ($942.31, rounded up), or $908 across 27 paydays ($907.41, rounded up) if your agency's calendar-year cycle has 27. Spread it evenly. FERS employees need to contribute at least 5% of basic pay each period to receive the full 4% matching contribution. CSRS participants do not receive an agency match.
Related Resources
- 27 Pay Periods in 2026: What It Means for Your Paycheck: The paycheck-math deep dive on the extra-payday year.
- Federal Leave Optimizer: Your use-or-lose plan against the remaining periods.
- 2027 Federal Pay Freeze: Grade-by-Grade Impact: What PP 1 of 2027 will and won't change.
- Federal Take-Home Pay Calculator: Your per-period net by grade and locality.
Sources: OPM Leave Year Beginning and Ending Dates · IBC Payroll Announcements · NFC Pay Period Calendars · TSP Contribution Limits