Military Pay Dates 2027: Every Mid-Month and End-of-Month Payday
All 24 active duty paydays for 2027, the six that land early because of a weekend or a federal holiday, the first payday at the 2027 rates, and what each payday is worth by rank. The dates come from the rule in federal law and the 2027 federal holiday calendar, checked against every payday on the DFAS 2026 schedule.
The bottom line up front
- 1.Active duty has a mid-month payday on the 15th and an end-of-month payday on the first day of the following month. A weekend or federal holiday moves the payday to the business day before.
- 2.Six 2027 paydays land early: Friday, February 12; Friday, April 30; Friday, May 14; Friday, July 30; Friday, August 13; and Thursday, December 30.
- 3.End-of-month pay for December 2026 lands on Thursday, December 31, 2026 at 2026 rates. The first payday at 2027 rates is Friday, January 15, 2027.
- 4.April, July and December 2027 each receive three deposits; January, May and August receive one. The longest gaps are 18 days after May 14 and 19 days after August 13.
Active duty pay arrives twice a month: a mid-month payday on the 15th and an end-of-month payday on the first day of the following month. When either date falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, the payday moves to the business day before it. That much is settled, and it is enough to lay out all of 2027. What we do not have yet is the DFAS processing schedule for 2027 (the cutoff dates behind each payday), so the dates below are built from the rule. The rule reproduces all 24 paydays on the DFAS 2026 schedule, with no exceptions.
Your bank decides the hour, and sometimes the day
These are the official paydays. Some banks and credit unions post military pay before the payday, and some post it late in the day. If your deposit shows up a day early every month, that is your bank, not a different pay schedule.
All 24 paydays for 2027
Each row is the pay earned in that month. The end-of-month payday for a month lands on the first day of the next month, or just before it. Dates in bold moved earlier because the usual date is a weekend or a holiday.
| Pay for | Mid-month payday | End-of-month payday |
|---|---|---|
| January | Fri, Jan 15 | Mon, Feb 1 |
| February | Fri, Feb 12 | Mon, Mar 1 |
| March | Mon, Mar 15 | Thu, Apr 1 |
| April | Thu, Apr 15 | Fri, Apr 30 |
| May | Fri, May 14 | Tue, Jun 1 |
| June | Tue, Jun 15 | Thu, Jul 1 |
| July | Thu, Jul 15 | Fri, Jul 30 |
| August | Fri, Aug 13 | Wed, Sep 1 |
| September | Wed, Sep 15 | Fri, Oct 1 |
| October | Fri, Oct 15 | Mon, Nov 1 |
| November | Mon, Nov 15 | Wed, Dec 1 |
| December | Wed, Dec 15 | Thu, Dec 30 |
The year starts one payday earlier than the table. End-of-month pay for December 2026 lands on Thursday, December 31, 2026, because January 1, 2027 is a federal holiday. And the last row reaches into the holiday week: January 1, 2028 is a Saturday, the holiday is observed on Friday, December 31, 2027, so December 2027 end-of-month pay moves to Thursday, December 30.
Why six paydays land early
- February 12: the 15th is Washington's Birthday, a Monday, so the payday backs up over the weekend to Friday.
- April 30: May 1 is a Saturday.
- May 14: the 15th is a Saturday.
- July 30: August 1 is a Sunday.
- August 13: the 15th is a Sunday.
- December 30: January 1, 2028 is a Saturday and the holiday is observed on Friday, December 31.
Early paydays bunch deposits together and leave long gaps after them. Counting by the calendar month the money arrives, April, July and December 2027 each receive three deposits, while January, May and August receive one. After the Friday, May 14 payday the next one is Tuesday, June 1, which is 18 days. After Friday, August 13 it is Wednesday, September 1, 19 days. Plan the bills that fall in those gaps.
The first payday at 2027 rates
A basic pay change takes effect January 1, but the December 31, 2026 payday is December pay at 2026 rates. The first payday that carries 2027 rates is Friday, January 15, 2027. As things stand, the President's alternative pay plan of August 26, 2026 raises basic pay on January 1 by 7% for E-1 to E-5, 6% for E-6 to O-3 and 5% for O-4 and above, and Congress can still change it. The status and the full table are in the 2027 pay chart and the pay raise guide.
What each payday is worth, by rank
Monthly basic pay is split across the two paydays. The 2026 column is the DFAS table in effect now. The 2027 column applies the plan percentages and is not a published DFAS table. Basic pay only, before allowances, taxes and deductions.
Grade and service
| Grade and service | Monthly basic pay 2026 | Per payday 2026 | Plan | Monthly 2027 under the plan | Per payday 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-3, under 2 years | $2,836.80 | $1,418.40 | 7% | $3,035.40 | $1,517.70 |
| E-5, over 6 years | $4,110.00 | $2,055.00 | 7% | $4,397.70 | $2,198.85 |
| E-7, over 12 years | $5,591.70 | $2,795.85 | 6% | $5,927.20 | $2,963.60 |
| O-1, under 2 years | $4,150.20 | $2,075.10 | 6% | $4,399.20 | $2,199.60 |
| O-3, over 6 years | $7,737.00 | $3,868.50 | 6% | $8,201.20 | $4,100.60 |
| O-5, over 16 years | $11,391.30 | $5,695.65 | 5% | $11,960.90 | $5,980.45 |
For an E-5 over 6 years that is $143.85 more per payday, and for an E-7 over 12 years, $167.75. Your own deposits will not be exactly half of basic pay: allowances, taxes, allotments and one-time items all change the split. The basic pay calculator gives your monthly figure and the LES guide shows where each line sits.
Navy Federal and other banks that post pay early
Search for pay dates and half the results are bank calendars. They are the same paydays with the bank's own posting policy on top. Navy Federal, for one, advertises early pay on its Free Active Duty Checking account, which requires a qualifying direct deposit. Each institution sets its own timing and conditions and can change them, so read your bank's current terms and do not set an automatic payment against a deposit the bank is not obligated to post early.
Retirees follow the same end-of-month pattern
Retired pay is paid once a month. DFAS states it is due the first of the month and moves to the last business day of the prior month when the first is a weekend or a holiday, which is the same pattern as the end-of-month column above. Annuitants are the exception: their payment moves forward to the first business day instead. The 2027 COLA guide covers what the December 2026 retired pay increase is worth.
The bottom line
There are 24 active duty paydays for 2027 and six land early: February 12, April 30, May 14, July 30, August 13 and December 30. The first payday at 2027 rates is January 15. The dates follow the rule in 37 U.S.C. § 1014 and the 2027 federal holidays, and the same rule matches every payday DFAS published for 2026. Basic pay figures are the DFAS 2026 table; the 2027 figures are the plan percentages applied to it. Always verify with your finance office before making financial decisions.
Sources
- 37 U.S.C. § 1014(a): basic pay and allowances "shall be paid on the first day of the month beginning after the month during which the right to such compensation accrues"; (b): this "does not preclude one payment in midmonth" (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/37/1014)
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Federal Holidays, 2027: New Year's Day Friday, January 1; Washington's Birthday Monday, February 15; with the rule that a holiday on a Saturday is observed the preceding Friday (https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/)
- DFAS, 2026 DJMS/AC Mid-Month and End-of-Month Schedules (the site's copy in server/data/djms-cutoff-2026.json): all 24 published 2026 paydays match the rule used here, including January 30, February 13, February 27, March 13, July 31, October 30 and December 31
- House Document 119-189, Alternative Plan for Pay Adjustments, August 26, 2026: 2027 basic pay increase of 7.0% for E-1 to E-5, 6.0% for E-6 to O-3 and 5.0% for O-4 and above, effective January 1, 2027 (https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CDOC-119hdoc189/pdf/CDOC-119hdoc189.pdf)
- DFAS 2026 basic pay table (server/data/base-pay-2026.json): E-3 under 2 years $2,836.80, E-5 over 6 $4,110.00, E-7 over 12 $5,591.70, O-1 under 2 $4,150.20, O-3 over 6 $7,737.00, O-5 over 16 $11,391.30 (https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/)
- DFAS, Retired and Annuitant Pay Schedule: retired pay is due the first of the month and moves to the last business day of the prior month when the first is a weekend or holiday; annuitants move forward to the first business day (https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/manage/payschedule/)
- Navy Federal Credit Union, Free Active Duty Checking: early pay offered with a qualifying direct deposit, page read October 3, 2026 (https://www.navyfederal.org/checking-savings/checking/active-duty-checking.html)
Figures reflect 2026 rates and regulations. This guide is general information, not personalized financial or tax advice. Always verify with your finance office or a tax professional before making a decision. How we research and source: our methodology.
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Run your own numbers
REF: Military Toolkit Guides, effective 2026
Official 2026 DoD, DFAS, DTMO, IRS, and VA sources. See each guide’s Sources list
Results are estimates. Always verify with your finance office.
Reviewed by Guilherme Correia · Military Toolkit editorial