2025 Annual Review of Special Rates (Results)

CPM 2025-19 December 18, 2025 Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies From: Scott Kupor Director Subject: 2025 Annual Review of Special Rates (Results)

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) conducts an annual review of special rates established under 5 U.S.C. 5305 to determine the disposition of special rate schedules when General Schedule (GS) pay is adjusted under 5 U.S.C. 5303. OPM conducts such annual reviews under 5 CFR 530.307(a), and may terminate, decrease, or increase special rate tables based on such a review. This memorandum announces decisions I have made for January 2026 special rates based on the 2025 annual review of special rates. For the January 2026 adjustment of special rate tables, no special rate tables will be terminated or reduced. Further, all existing special rate tables will receive a 1.0 percent increase, consistent with 5 U.S.C. 5303(a) and the increase provided for GS base rates under President Trump’s alternative plan. The effective date for the January 2026 pay adjustment is the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2026 (January 11, 2026, based on the standard biweekly payroll cycle). As directed under the same alternative plan, OPM will use its special rate authority to implement an additional increase of approximately 2.8 percent for certain law enforcement personnel so that they will receive a 3.8 percent total increase in January 2026. The new law enforcement personnel special rates are being determined through a process separate from this annual review of existing special rate tables. Information on the new law enforcement special rates will be shared with agencies by separate memoranda. (OPM has posted a “2026 Special Rates for Certain Law Enforcement Personnel” document on its website that provides more information on this topic.) Please note that agencies having existing or likely staffing problems can submit special rate requests any time throughout a calendar year. Information on how agencies can make special rate requests is posted on the OPM website. Additional information regarding the 2025 annual review and January 2026 special rates is provided below.

Special Rates in Nonforeign Areas During the 2012 annual review of special rates, we analyzed data from the special data call for nonforeign areas detailed in CPM-2011-22. Based on that analysis, we subsequently announced in CPM 2012-14 that in 2013 we would not reduce the special rate additional adjustments in effect at the end of the 3-year phase in period (January 2010 - January 2012) established under the Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009 (NAREAA). As noted in CPM 2012-14, special rates in nonforeign areas, like all other special rates, will be reexamined yearly as part of the overall annual review of special rates. As a result of the 2025 Annual Review, no special rates in nonforeign areas will receive a pay adjustment different from the base GS increase for positions. Accordingly, special rates in nonforeign areas will receive a 1.0-percent increase. Also, special rate tables currently receiving Nonforeign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009 (NAREAA) additional adjustments will receive the NAREAA additional adjustments shown in Attachment 1. Capped Special Rates Under 5 U.S.C. 5305(a)(1), the maximum special rate is the rate payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule (EX-IV), which is $197,200 in 2026. Some special rates for 2026 are capped at that EX-IV rate. Attachment 2 lists capped special rates by table, grade, and step.

Terminated Special Rates Special rates are terminated based on OPM’s annual review of special rates when special rates no longer exceed GS locality rates of pay at the same grade and step due to increases in locality pay. (Under 5 U.S.C. 5305(h), an employee’s entitlement to a special rate ends if the employee is entitled to a higher rate of basic pay, such as a locality rate of pay under 5 U.S.C. 5304.) Since GS locality pay rates will remain the same in 2026 as in 2025, no special rates will be terminated in 2026 based on higher applicable locality rates of pay. Special rates may also be terminated when covered agencies report to OPM that applicable special rates are no longer necessary. Agencies may request OPM terminate existing special rates at any time. Additional Information Agency headquarters-level human resources offices may contact OPM at paypolicy@opm.gov. Employees should contact their agency human resources office for further information on this memorandum. Attachment 1 - 2026 Additional Adjustments for Special Rate Tables in Nonforeign Areas (see below) Attachment 2 - Capped Special Rates in 2026 (see below) cc: Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs), Deputy CHCOs and Human Resources Directors

Attachment 1—2026 Additional Adjustments for Special Rate Tables in Nonforeign Areas Under section 1915(b) of the Nonforeign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009 (NAREAA), during the January 2010-January 2012 transition period, special “additional adjustments” were added to the special rates that would have otherwise been payable in nonforeign areas. These additional adjustments were designed to provide special rate increases equal to the locality pay increases received by non-special rate employees during the transition period. They are added to the special rate supplement that would have otherwise applied. Special rate supplements and additional adjustments are payable only to the extent they do not cause the employee’s special rate to exceed the statutory EX-IV cap on special rates ($197,200 in 2026). The EX-IV cap will be reflected in published special rate schedules. 2026 Additional Adjustments for Special Rate Tables in the State of Alaska (Annual Amounts in Dollars) Grade 1 Step 1 7,308 Step 2 7,553 Step 3 7,796 Step 4 8,038 Step 5 8,281 Step 8 8,905 Step 9 8,915 Step 10 9,141 8,217 8,413 8,685 8,915 9,015 9,280 3 4 8,966 10,065 9,265 10,401 9,564 10,736 9,863 11,072 10,162 11,407 10,461 11,743 9,545 9,810 10,075 10,340 10,760 12,078 11,059 12,414 11,358 12,750 11,657 13,085 5 6 11,261 12,553 11,636 12,971 12,012 13,390 12,387 13,808 12,762 14,226 13,138 14,645 13,513 15,063 13,889 15,482 14,264 15,900 14,639 16,319 13,949 14,414 14,879 15,344 15,809 16,274 16,739 17,204 17,669 18,134 8 9 15,448 17,062 15,963 17,631 16,478 18,200 16,993 18,769 17,507 19,338 18,022 19,907 18,537 20,476 19,052 21,045 19,567 21,614 20,082 22,182 18,790 19,416 20,042 11 12 20,644 24,743 21,332 25,568 22,021 26,393 20,668 21,294 21,920 22,547 23,173 23,799 24,425 22,709 27,218 23,397 28,043 24,086 28,868 24,774 29,693 25,462 30,517 26,150 31,342

26,839 32,167 13 14 29,423 34,770 30,404 35,929 31,385 37,088 32,366 38,247 33,347 39,406 34,327 40,565 35,308 41,724 36,289 42,883 37,270 44,043 38,251 45,202 40,898 42,261 43,625 44,988 46,351 47,714 49,078 50,441 51,804 53,168 Step 6 8,423 Step 7 8,663 Attachment 1—2026 Additional Adjustments for Special Rate Tables in Nonforeign Areas 2026 Additional Adjustments for Special Rate Tables in the State of Hawaii (Annual Amounts in Dollars) Grade Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Step 9 Step 10 5,016 5,184 5,351 5,517 5,683 5,781 5,946 6,112 6,119 6,274 2 3 5,640 6,154 5,774 6,359 5,961 6,564 6,119 6,770 6,187 6,975 6,369 7,180 6,551 7,385 6,733 7,590 6,915 7,796 7,097 8,001 6,908 7,138 7,369 7,599 7,829 8,060 8,290 8,520 8,751 8,981 5 6 7,729 8,615 7,986 8,903 8,244 9,190 8,502 9,477 8,759 9,764 9,017 10,051 9,275 10,339 9,532 10,626 9,790 10,913 10,048 11,200 9,574 9,893 10,212 10,531 10,850 11,170 11,489 11,808 12,127 12,446 8 9 10,603 11,711 10,956 12,101 11,309 12,492 11,663 12,882 12,016 13,272 12,369 13,663 12,723 14,053 13,076 14,444 13,429 14,834 13,783 15,225 10 11 12,896 14,169 13,326 14,641 13,756 15,114 14,185 15,586 14,615 16,058 15,045 16,531 15,475 17,003 15,904 17,476 16,334 17,948 16,764 18,421 16,982 17,549 18,115 18,681 19,247 19,813 20,379 20,945 21,511 22,078 13 14 20,194 23,864 20,868 24,659 21,541 25,455 22,214 26,250 22,887 27,046 23,560 27,842 24,234 28,637 24,907 29,433 25,580 30,228 26,253 31,024 28,070 29,006 29,941 30,877 31,813 32,748 33,684 34,620 35,556 36,491 2026 Additional Adjustments for Special Rate Tables in Other Nonforeign Areas as Defined in 5 CFR Part 591 (Annual Amounts in Dollars) Grade 1 Step 1 3,853 Step 2 3,982 Step 3 4,110 Step 4 4,238 Step 5 4,365 Step 6 4,440 Step 7 4,567 Step 8 4,695 Step 9 4,700 Step 10 4,819 4,332 4,435 4,579 4,700 4,753 4,892 5,032 5,172 5,311 5,451 3 4 4,727 5,306 4,885 5,483 5,042 5,660 5,200 5,837 5,358 6,014 5,515 6,191 5,673 6,368

5,830 6,545 5,988 6,721 6,146 6,898 5 6 5,937 6,618 6,135 6,838 6,333 7,059 6,530 7,280 6,728 7,500 6,926 7,721 7,124 7,941 7,322 8,162 7,520 8,382 7,718 8,603 7,354 7,599 7,844 8,089 8,334 8,580 8,825 9,070 9,315 9,560 8 9 8,144 8,995 8,416 9,295 8,687 9,595 8,958 9,895 9,230 10,195 9,501 10,495 9,773 10,795 10,044 11,095 10,315 11,395 10,587 11,694 9,906 10,236 10,566 10,896 11,226 11,556 11,886 12,216 12,547 12,877 11 12 10,883 13,045 11,246 13,479 11,609 13,914 11,972 14,349 12,335 14,784 12,698 15,219 13,061 15,654 13,423 16,089 13,786 16,523 14,149 16,958 13 14 15,512 18,330 16,029 18,941 16,546 19,552 17,063 20,164 17,580 20,775 18,097 21,386 18,614 21,997 19,131 22,608 19,649 23,219 20,166 23,830 21,561 22,280 22,999 23,717 24,436 25,155 25,874 26,592 27,311 28,030 Attachment 2—Capped Special Rates in 2026 Under 5 U.S.C. 5305(a)(1), the maximum special rate is the rate payable for level IV of the Executive Schedule ($197,200 in 2026). A total of 533 special rates are capped in 2026 and these are shown in the table below by special rate table code, grade, and step. Special Rate Table Code 0565 0566 0571 0576 0576 0701 0702 0703 0704 0705 0706 0710 0711 0712 0714 0715 0717 0718 0719 0720 0721 0722 0734 0735 0736 0737 0738 0739 0740 0741 0742 0743 0744 0745 0746 0747 0748 0748 0749 0749 0750 0750 0752 0759 Grade 15 15 15 14 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 14 15 14 15 14 15 15 13 1 Capped Steps 8-10 9-10 6-10 9-10 4-10 8-10 5-10 5-10 5-10 6-10 5-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 8-10 8-10 8-10 8-10 7-10 7-10 7-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 6-10 5-10 5-10 5-10 10 4-10 10 4-10 8-10 2-10 5-10 10

Attachment 2—Capped Special Rates in 2026 Special Rate Table Code 0759 0759 0760 0760 0761 0761 0762 0762 0763 0763 0764 0764 0765 0766 0767 0777 0777 0778 0785 0788 0788 0789 0789 0790 0790 0791 0791 0792 0793 0794 0795 0796 0797 0797 0798 0799 0804 0804 0805 0806 0806 0807 0807 0808 0808 0809 0810 0811 0812 290A 290A 290H 290P Grade 14 15 14 15 14 15 14 15 14 15 14 15 15 15 15 14 15 14 14 14 15 14 15 14 15 14 15 15 15 15 15 15 14 15 15 15 14 15 15 14 15 14 15 14 15 15 15 15 15 14 15 15 15 2 Capped Steps 6-10 3-10 8-10 4-10 8-10 5-10 9-10 6-10 10 6-10 10 7-10 8-10 8-10 9-10 8-10 2-10 8-10 9-10 6-10 1-10 8-10 3-10 9-10 3-10 10 4-10 5-10 6-10 6-10 7-10 8-10 9-10 4-10 7-10 5-10 8-10 5-10 8-10 9-10 6-10 10 6-10 10 7-10 8-10 9-10 5-10 6-10 8-10 4-10 7-10 8-10 Attachment 2—Capped Special Rates in 2026 Special Rate Table Code 499A 499A 499H 499P 558A 558A 558H 558H 558P 565A 565A 565F 565H 565H 566A 566A 566F 566H 566H 700H 700H 811F 812F Grade 14 15 15 15 14 15 14 15 15 14 15 15 14 15 14 15 15 14 15 14 15 15 15 Capped Steps 10 5-10 8-10 10 8-10 4-10 10 7-10 8-10 5-10 1-10 8-10 8-10 2-10 6-10 1-10 9-10 9-10 3-10 10 4-10 5-10 6-10