Frequently Asked Questions
Implementing Law Enforcement Personnel
2026 Special Pay Rates as Mentioned in the Alternative Pay Plan Announcement

On August 28, 2025, President Trump issued an Alternative Pay Plan under 5 U.S.C. 5303(b) and 5 U.S.C. 5304a that announced to Congress his decision regarding January 2026 pay adjustments to provide for a 1 percent base increase and to otherwise freeze 2026 locality rates at 2025 levels for employees under the General Schedule and certain other pay systems. The President has also directed the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to use other special pay authorities to provide an additional approximately 2.8 percent pay increase for certain law enforcement officials, in line with the planned 3.8 percent military pay increase. The following frequently asked questions provide additional information on the law enforcement pay increases.

How will OPM increase pay for covered law enforcement employees, as directed by the President?
OPM will use its special salary rate authority under 5 U.S.C. 5305 and 5 CFR 530, subpart C, to increase pay for certain law enforcement employees after consulting with affected agencies. 

What are special salary rates?
Special salary rates may be established by OPM to address existing or likely significant recruitment or retention problems for groups or categories of employees under the General Schedule and other pay systems. The recruitment or retention problem may be due to significantly higher non-Federal pay rates; location remoteness; undesirability of the work/working conditions; or any other circumstances OPM considers appropriate. Special rates are set higher than regular locality pay rates and are typically applied to specific geographic areas and/or job categories. Special rates are basic pay for most purposes (e.g., retirement, overtime pay and other premium pay, and incentives computed as a percentage of base pay).  

Why are special salary rates being developed for certain law enforcement personnel?
Certain front-line law enforcement personnel are critical to implementing the President’s strategy to secure the border, protect our country, and keep American citizens safe. Without special salary rates, the Government may find it difficult to recruit and/or retain the number of these personnel needed to properly enforce our borders, uphold our immigration laws, and protect law-abiding citizens.

Which categories of law enforcement are included? 
OPM will consult with agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior to identify eligible law enforcement categories. OPM will work with agencies to establish special rates to support law enforcement recruitment and retention and the President’s priorities to secure the border and keep Americans safe.

OPM expects these consultations will initially involve the following law enforcement categories:

• Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – law enforcement, including Border Patrol Agents, CBP Officers, Air and Marine Interdiction Agents
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel including – Criminal Investigators (Special Agents), Detention and Deportation Officers, Deportation Officers, and Technical Enforcement Officers
• Secret Service personnel – to include the Uniformed Division, Special Agents, and Technical Law Enforcement
• Federal Protective Service Officers
• Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officers
• Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agents
• Drug Enforcement Administration Agents
• U.S. Marshals Service Officers
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agents
• National Park Service – U.S. Park Police Officers

When will the pay tables be available?
OPM anticipates releasing the special rate tables by the end of the calendar year after consulting with agencies on coverage and approving the special rates with a tentative effective date of January 11, 2026 (the date the General Schedule base pay increase will be effective). 

Will all law enforcement employees in the above agencies receive a 3.8 percent pay increase?
The list of law enforcement categories above is where OPM’s initial consultations with agencies will start. OPM will work with agencies to identify the final categories of law enforcement personnel that will be eligible for the special rates. The special salary rates are subject to salary caps required by 5 U.S.C. 5305, establishing level IV of the Executive Schedule (projected to be $197,200) as the maximum special rates, which will reduce the increase in some limited circumstances.

What other flexibilities are available to agencies to address recruitment or retention difficulties in law enforcement or other positions?
Agencies have discretionary authority with appropriate funding to use a variety of pay and leave flexibilities to address significant recruitment and retention problems for individual or groups of positions.