2026 Special Rates for Certain Additional Law Enforcement Personnel

CPM 2026-01 January 23, 2026 Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies From: Scott Kupor Director Subject: 2026 Special Rates for Certain Additional Law Enforcement Personnel

On December 31, 2025, CPM-2025-25 announced OPM’s approval of special salary rates under 5 U.S.C. 5305 and 5 CFR 530, subpart C, to provide an approximately 2.8 percent additional increase above the 1-percent January base pay adjustment, resulting in a total pay increase of approximately 3.8 percent for certain law enforcement personnel effective January 11, 2026. This memorandum supplements CPM-2025-25 and extends OPM’s approval of the special salary rates under 5 U.S.C. 5305 and 5 CFR 530, subpart C, to certain additional law enforcement personnel with the same January 11, 2026, effective date. These additional positions also support ongoing agency hiring efforts for mission-critical law enforcement occupations essential to implementing the Administration’s priorities to secure the border, enforce federal laws, and protect public safety. This memorandum documents OPM’s approval for coverage of additional General Schedule (GS) positions at various agencies, as shown below. The GS special rate schedules are posted here (tables L001 – L140). Tables L001 – L118 cover employees in covered positions at all steps and all grades in each locality pay area and the area outside the United States. The additional special rate tables (L133 – L140) are based on tables that applied to employees covered by special rates in 2025. The special rate that applies to an employee in a covered position is based on the employee’s grade and step and location of the employee’s official duty station, as documented on his or her most recent SF-50. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) coverage is limited to the employees listed below (in addition to previously authorized DHS positions under CPM 2025-25): (1) in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, GS-1811 Criminal Investigators; (2) in United States Coast Guard, GS-1811 Criminal Investigators;

(3) in Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, GS-1811 Criminal Investigators and GS-0080 Physical Security Specialists who meet the definition of “law enforcement officer” in 5 U.S.C. 5541(3); (4) in Federal Emergency Management Agency, GS-0083 Police Officers and GS0080 Police Chief and Deputy Chief positions; and (5) in Customs and Border Protection, GS-1801 Investigative Program Specialists and Protective Security Investigators who meet the definition of “law enforcement officer” in 5 U.S.C. 5541(3). Department of the Treasury coverage is limited to Internal Revenue Service GS/GL1811 Special Agents (at all grades). This coverage will automatically trigger parallel special rate supplements for IR-1811 Special Agents covered by an independent pay system authorized under 5 U.S.C. 9509. Department of Commerce coverage is limited to the General Schedule employees listed below: (1) in Bureau of Industry and Security, GS-1811 Criminal Investigators/ Special Agents; and (2) in Office of Security, GS-0083 Police Officers.

In addition, OPM is approving coverage of certain employees in the Commerce Alternative Personnel System (CAPS) under GS special rates that would apply to those employees but for their coverage under CAPS. Coverage under those special rates will automatically trigger parallel pay adjustments under CAPS for covered employees. The affected CAPS employees are ZS-0083 Police Officers, ZA-0080 Police Chief and Deputy, ZA-1811 Criminal Investigators in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and ZA-1801 Enforcement Officers with arrest authority in NOAA. Special rates at grades that correspond to a given pay band will be used to determine CAPS rates providing parallel pay adjustments. The special rate tables have also been updated to provide coverage of certain law enforcement positions that provide personal protection services within the following agencies: U.S Trade Representative, Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Commerce, Department of Transportation, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Small Business Administration, and Department of Veterans Affairs. Coverage for all the positions described above is effective on January 11, 2026. The schedules provide a 3.8 percent increase over 2025 pay rates for covered employees, subject to a statutory limit on special rates of the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule or $197,200 in 2026. Agency headquarters-level human resources offices are encouraged to contact paypolicy@opm.gov with questions. Employees should contact their agency human resources office for further information on this memorandum. cc: Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs), Deputy CHCOs, and Human Resources Directors