President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to finalize a 1% pay raise for civilian federal employees in 2026, aligning with his alternative pay plan from August.
This executive order is an annual exercise to execute the president’s alternative pay plan for civilian federal employees.
The pay raise is the smallest since 2021, when President Trump also directed a 1% pay increase for all federal civilian employees.
However, the executive order directs the Office of Personnel Management “to assess whether to provide” a total increase of up to 3.8% for certain federal civilian law enforcement personnel.
The president did not include a locality pay adjustment for 2026.
For most federal employees, the pay raise will take effect during the first full pay period after Jan. 1.
Federal employees received a 2% pay raise in 2025. Their raise was 5.2% in 2024, 4.6% in 2023, and 2.7% in 2022.