When will the 2026 federal employee pay plan and locality adjustments be published?

1. The formal trigger: presidential alternative pay plan sets the framework

Under current reporting, President Trump transmitted an Alternative Pay Plan on August 28, 2025 proposing a 1.0% across‑the‑board GS raise and no increase in locality pay; that submission is the formal executive action that tells OPM what adjustments to implement unless Congress acts differently ^{[5] [6] [1]}. The alternative plan is the practical starting point for OPM’s technical work on pay tables and locality percentages ^[5].

2. What OPM has said about timing for special rates and tables

The Office of Personnel Management has stated it “anticipates releasing the special rate tables by the end of the calendar year” and tied the tentative effective date of those special rates to January 11, 2026 — the date OPM expects the GS base increase to be effective — meaning publication is expected before year‑end so agencies and payroll offices can implement the January pay period ^[1]. OPM’s notice explicitly links the end‑of‑year release to agency consultations and approvals ^[1].

3. Practical calendar: January effective date but publication precedes it

Multiple sources confirm that federal pay adjustments normally take effect with the first applicable pay period in January — the Administration’s documents say changes “shall take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2026,” and industry trackers list January 11, 2026 as the effective date used for special rates and GS increases ^{[3] [7] [1]}. That creates a predictable window: OPM must publish final tables in December 2025 (or very early January) for payroll systems to apply the change on that January pay date ^{[1] [2]}.

4. What “published” looks like and where to watch

Official tables and locality listings are released by OPM on its website; third‑party aggregators update when OPM posts final GS pay tables and locality percentages, often noting “as soon as the data becomes available” ^[2]. The clearest single place to monitor is OPM’s pay and leave pages and the OPM notice for “2026 Special Rates” referenced above ^[1].

5. Competing perspectives and possible delays

News coverage and union commentary acknowledge two levers that could change timing: congressional action or further administrative adjustments. Congress could modify pay laws or funding during appropriations, and industry analysts caution that final tables can shift slightly during the interagency review process ^{[8] [5]}. Those outlets also note OPM’s end‑of‑year target is contingent on agency consultation and approval, opening the door to late‑December timing or, at worst, early January publication ^{[1] [5]}.

6. What employees should do now

Expect OPM to publish final GS base, locality tables and any special‑rate tables between late December 2025 and early January 2026, with pay effective in the January 11, 2026 pay period in OPM’s current notices; monitor OPM’s pay pages and agency HR notices for the official posting ^{[1] [2]}. Employee‑facing outlets and unions have already summarized the Administration’s proposed plan and will flag the OPM release when it appears ^{[6] [8]}.

Limitations and transparency: available sources do not mention a specific calendar date for the final OPM posting beyond “by the end of the calendar year” and “as soon as the data becomes available,” so exact publication day is not reported in current materials ^{[1] [2]}.