Despite concerns of a freeze to GS pay scales for 2026 the Trump Administration’s has ended up proposing a small raise for covered federal employees in 2026, per the recently submitted alternative pay plan. However locality pay adjustments were kept unchanged.
Key updates are as follows and the the table below shows the updated GS pay chart based on this raise that will be effective from January 2026.
- General Base Pay Increase: GS covered federal employees are proposed to receive a 1.0% across-the-board base pay increase.
- Locality Pay: Locality pay rates are proposed to be frozen at 2025 levels, meaning there would be no additional percentage increase based on geographic location (including 11 new ones that have been proposed).
- Special Increase for Law Enforcement: Certain federal law enforcement personnel are proposed to receive a total increase of 3.8% (a 1.0% base increase plus an additional approximate 2.8%). This increase is intended to match the proposed military pay raise for 2026.
The final pay adjustment is subject to change by Congress, but as has been the trend in past years the President’s proposal will generally be accepted. I will post updates should this change as the bill is finalized by Congress and you can subscribe via the options below to get the latest news.