CPM 2025-18 - January 2026 Pay Adjustments Memo - Pay Adjustment Guidance

Sep 16, 2026

Memorandum CPM 2025-18 outlines the January 2026 pay adjustments authorized by an executive order signed by the President. It explains a 1.0% across-the-board increase for statutory pay systems while keeping locality percentages at the 2025 levels, and it summarizes exclusions for senior political officials under a separate pay freeze. It also details effective dates, posted 2026 salary tables, and impacts across the General Schedule, Executive Schedule, Senior Executive Service, and Senior-Level/Scientific and Professional position pay ranges.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Memorandum Overview

Scope and Exclusions

New 2026 Salary Tables and Effective Date

Statutory Pay Systems

General Schedule and Other Statutory Systems

Executive Schedule

Special Base Rates

Senior Pay Systems

Senior Executive Service

Senior-Level and Scientific and Professional Positions

CPM 2025-18 December 18, 2025 Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies From: Scott Kupor Director Subject: January 2026 Pay Adjustments The President has signed an Executive order to implement the January 2026 pay adjustments. Pursuant to the President’s alternative plan issued under 5 U.S.C. 5303(b) and 5304a on August 28, 2025, the Executive order authorizes a 1.0 percent across-theboard increase for statutory pay systems and provides that locality percentages will remain at 2025 levels. This memorandum reviews relevant portions ofthe Executive order. The pay adjustment guidance in this memorandum does not apply to senior political officials who have been covered by a pay freeze. We will issue separate guidance regarding this pay freeze. New 2026 Salary Tables and Effective Date We have posted the 2026 salary tables on OPM’s website. The 2026 pay schedules are effective the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2026 (January 11, 2026, based on the standard biweekly payroll cycle) . The General Schedule and Other Statutory Pay Systems The Executive order provides an across-the-board increase of 1.0 percent in the rates of basic pay for the statutory pay systems—the General Schedule (GS), the Foreign Service schedule, and certain schedules for the Veterans Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Special base rates for law enforcement officers at GS grades 3 through 10 are also increased by 1.0 percent. (These law enforcement officers are assigned the “GL” pay plan code.) Special base rates for wildland firefighters are also increased by 1.0 percent. (These wildland firefighters are assigned the “GW” pay plan code.) Executive Schedule Under 5 U.S.C. 5318, the official Executive Schedule (EX) rates of pay are increased by 1.0 percent (rounded to the nearest $100) . The official EX salary table is available on OPM’s website. The official EX rates of pay are used in establishing pay limitations for employees and pay systems unaffected by any pay freeze for certain senior political officials. Senior Executive Service Under 5 U.S.C. 5382, the minimum rate of basic pay for the Senior Executive Service (SES) rate range is adjusted to be consistent with the increase in the minimum rate of basic pay for senior-level positions under 5 U.S.C. 5376 ($151,661 in 2026) . The applicable maximum rate of basic pay for the SES is $228,000 (EX-II) for SES members covered by an SES performance appraisal system certified pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5307(d) and $209,600 (EX-III) for SES members covered by an SES performance appraisal system that has not been certified. An SES member with a pay rate below the minimum rate of the new SES rate range must receive a pay increase effective January 11, 2026, that brings the SES member’s rate to at least the new minimum rate because an SES member may not receive less than the minimum rate of the SES rate range. Other SES pay adjustments must generally be made based on individual performance, contribution to the agency’s performance, or both, as determined under a rigorous performance management system, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5382. An agency’s determination to adjust the rate of basic pay for an SES member that is approved by the end of the first pay period in January 2026 (January 24, 2026) may be made effective as of the first day of that first pay period (January 11, 2026) . Determinations to adjust SES pay that are approved after January 24, 2026, will become effective at the beginning of the next pay period following the approval. OPM’s regulations for setting and adjusting SES pay are available at 5 CFR part 534, subpart D. Senior-Level and Scientific and Professional Positions The minimum rate of basic pay for the senior-level (SL) and scientific and professional (ST) rate range is increased by 1.0 percent, which is the amount of the base GS increase, and is $151,661 in 2026. An SL or ST em

FAQs

What is the overall pay adjustment for January 2026 and when does it take effect?

The memorandum states a 1.0% across-the-board increase for statutory pay systems. The relevant 2026 pay schedules are effective for the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2026 (January 11, 2026, under the standard biweekly payroll cycle).

Does the guidance apply to all officials and employees?

No. The pay adjustment guidance does not apply to senior political officials who are covered by a pay freeze, and separate guidance will be issued for those individuals.

How do the adjustments apply to Senior Executive Service (SES) pay?

The minimum rate for the SES pay range is adjusted to match the 2026 increase for senior-level positions, and SES members below the new minimum must receive a pay increase effective January 11, 2026. Other SES adjustments are generally based on individual performance or agency performance under the referenced performance management framework.

Sep 16, 2026

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