When will the Office of Personnel Management publish the 2026 pay plan and locality tables?
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Executive summary
OPM says it will publish the 2026 special-rate and updated pay tables before the end of calendar year 2025, with the changes tentatively effective the first pay period of 2026 (January 11, 2026) for the General Schedule base increase and law‑enforcement special rates [1] [2]. Multiple secondary outlets repeat that timing but note the tables await final administrative steps (agency consultations, approvals) and could change pending Congress or further OPM guidance [1] [3] [4].
1. What OPM itself has said: “End of calendar year” and a January 11 effective date
OPM’s public materials and its FAQ language state the agency “anticipates releasing the special rate tables by the end of the calendar year” after consulting with agencies and finalizing coverage, and it ties the tentative effective date for the GS base increase and special law‑enforcement rates to January 11, 2026 — described as the first pay period of the year [1] [2].
2. Why OPM can’t yet publish final locality tables: consultation and approvals matter
OPM’s timeline depends on internal consultations with executive departments and agencies to identify which law‑enforcement categories get special rates and to approve final coverage lists; those consultations began September 2025 under the Alternative Pay Plan process, and OPM frames the December release as contingent on wrapping that work [1] [5].
3. Secondary reporting repeats OPM’s schedule — but flags contingency
A range of reporting and practitioner sites (FedSmith, FederalPensionAdvisors, Marca, Tax March) cite OPM’s statement that pay tables will be published before the end of 2025 and implemented January 11, 2026, while reminding readers the tables remain subject to final administrative action and possible congressional involvement [2] [4] [3] [6].
4. Locality pay freeze and special‑rate nuance that affects publication
The Administration’s Alternative Pay Plan announced a 1% across‑the‑board base increase and directed locality rates to remain at 2025 levels; at the same time it authorized OPM to use special‑rate authority to give certain law‑enforcement personnel an additional adjustment. That split (base increase + frozen locality, plus separate special rates) explains why OPM focuses on publishing “special rate tables” and updated GS tables in December rather than wholesale new locality percentage schedules [1] [2] [3].
5. What could delay or change the December release
Sources note several possible contingencies: Congressional action could alter the pay plan; OPM’s consultations with agencies might change which positions receive special rates; and final OPM approvals and an implementing Executive Order or formal issuance in December are typical administrative steps before posting official tables [3] [6] [1]. Those contingencies are visible in the federal rulebook and repeated in reporting [5] [6].
6. Practical guidance for federal employees tracking the tables
Practitioner outlets and pay‑tracking sites recommend monitoring OPM.gov in late December for formal publication and using agency HR for applicability questions — because although media and third‑party sites publish estimates, the official tables and coverage decisions arrive from OPM’s December posting [2] [3] [7].
7. Where reporting agrees and where it diverges
Reporting across sources is consistent that OPM expects to publish tables before the end of 2025 with a January 11, 2026 effective date for base and special rates [1] [2] [4]. Differences are in emphasis: some outlets present the schedule as near‑certain; others stress the word “anticipates” and the conditional nature of the release pending agency consultations and any congressional interventions [1] [2] [3].
Limitations and final note
Available sources do not mention an exact calendar date in December for publication beyond “before the end of the calendar year” or provide the hour of posting; they also do not include OPM’s final published tables because those were not in the provided materials [1] [2]. For the official, legally binding tables and locality listings, watch OPM.gov in December as OPM has signaled and confirm applicability with your agency HR once OPM posts the files [1] [3].