DFAS active duty pay
Military Pay Dates 2026
Active duty members are paid on the 1st and the 15th. When one of those is a weekend or federal holiday, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service pays the business day before, so 9 paydays in 2026 arrive early.
2026 military pay calendar
| Month | Payday for the 1st | Payday for the 15th |
|---|---|---|
| January | Early: New Year's Day | |
| February | Early: Sunday | Early: Sunday |
| March | Early: Sunday | Early: Sunday |
| April | ||
| May | ||
| June | ||
| July | ||
| August | Early: Saturday | Early: Saturday |
| September | ||
| October | ||
| November | Early: Sunday | Early: Sunday |
| December |
Rule source: DFAS 2026 active duty paydays (the table DFAS has published so far; other years follow the same rule). Holidays from OPM and the Federal Reserve. Dates are computed and compared with the published DFAS calendar below.
Compared with DFAS
DFAS: Active duty paydays 2026
All 24 published dates match this page. Official source
The end-of-month pay is paid on the 1st of the next month. DFAS has not published 2027 yet.
Military retired and annuitant pay dates 2026
Retired pay is due on the 1st and, when the 1st is a weekend or holiday, paid the last business day before. Annuitant pay is paid the first business day after.
| Pay for | Retired pay | Annuitant pay |
|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | Wed, Dec 31, 2025 | Fri, Jan 2, 2026 |
| January 2026 | Fri, Jan 30, 2026 | Mon, Feb 2, 2026 |
| February 2026 | Fri, Feb 27, 2026 | Mon, Mar 2, 2026 |
| March 2026 | Wed, Apr 1, 2026 | Wed, Apr 1, 2026 |
| April 2026 | Fri, May 1, 2026 | Fri, May 1, 2026 |
| May 2026 | Mon, Jun 1, 2026 | Mon, Jun 1, 2026 |
| June 2026 | Wed, Jul 1, 2026 | Wed, Jul 1, 2026 |
| July 2026 | Fri, Jul 31, 2026 | Mon, Aug 3, 2026 |
| August 2026 | Tue, Sep 1, 2026 | Tue, Sep 1, 2026 |
| September 2026 | Thu, Oct 1, 2026 | Thu, Oct 1, 2026 |
| October 2026 | Fri, Oct 30, 2026 | Mon, Nov 2, 2026 |
| November 2026 | Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | Tue, Dec 1, 2026 |
DFAS: Military annuitant pay dates 2026 (from October 2026 entitlement)
All 2 published dates (Nov 2, 2026 to Dec 1, 2026) match this page. Official source
DFAS publishes a rolling schedule; this covers entitlement months October 2026 to December 2027.
DFAS: Military retired pay dates 2026 (from October 2026 entitlement)
All 3 published dates (Oct 30, 2026 to Dec 31, 2026) match this page. Official source
DFAS publishes a rolling schedule; this covers entitlement months October 2026 to December 2027.
2026 calendar
- Military payday
- Bank holiday or federal day off
- Payday moved off a weekend or holiday
January 2026
TodayFebruary 2026
TodayMarch 2026
TodayApril 2026
TodayMay 2026
TodayJune 2026
TodayJuly 2026
TodayAugust 2026
TodaySeptember 2026
TodayOctober 2026
TodayNovember 2026
TodayDecember 2026
TodayComputed schedules for planning. Your employer's payroll calendar is the final word.
Questions
When is military payday in 2026?
On the 1st and the 15th of every month. When either falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, DFAS pays the business day before. 9 of the 24 paydays in 2026 come early for that reason.
When is the January 2027 military payday?
January 1, 2027 is New Year's Day, so the pay arrives Thursday, December 31, 2026, in 2026.
Why is the end-of-month pay on the 1st?
Active duty pay is split in two: the mid-month payment on the 15th and the end-of-month payment on the 1st of the next month. The 1st pays for the second half of the month before.