DAFI 36-128: PAY SETTING AND ALLOWANCES

DAFI 36-128 — index record

Number	DAFI 36-128
Title	PAY SETTING AND ALLOWANCES
Published	January 9, 2026
Certified current	January 9, 2026
Office of primary responsibility	AF/A1
Issued by	Headquarters, Department of the Air Force
Status on the index	Current
Last index action	UpdateContact, August 20, 2026
Source index	Air Force e-Publishing
Index last read	October 20, 2026

Copied from Air Force e-Publishing (index). The publication itself is the authority; this page does not summarize or interpret it. Verify the current edition on the index before acting.

From the publication itself

Text below is lifted mechanically from the official PDF (40 pages, read October 20, 2026) with no editing or interpretation. Quote the document, not this page.

Purpose, in the publication’s words

This publication implements Department of the Air Force Policy Directive (DAFPD) 36-1, Appropriated Funds Civilian Management and Administration. This publication applies to the United States Space Force, Regular Air Force, the Air Force Reserve, and the Air National Guard for setting pay rates for appropriated fund civilian employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) or under the Federal Wage System (FWS). It also prescribes procedures for approving recruitment and relocation incentives, retention allowances, and supervisory differentials. It does not apply to other pay systems that are a hybrid or specifically exempt from coverage under Title 5 (for example, Physicians and Dentists Pay Plan, Acquisition Demonstration Project, AF Research Laboratory Demonstration Project, etc.). This Department of Air Force Instruction (DAFI) may be supplemented at any level, but all supplements that directly implement this publication must be routed to AF/A1 OPR of this publication for coordination prior to certification

Summary of changes, as printed

This document has been substantially revised and must be completely reviewed. The DAFI number has been changed to align with the governing DAFPD. Major changes include changing publication title to DAFI 36-128, Pay-setting and Incentives to include Space Force. Allowances have been removed from this publication. Uniform allowances will be in a separate publication. Additional changes include providing the methods for computing promotion entitlement when moving between pay schedules; for determining GS and FWS Highest Previous Rate (HPR) and GS Maximum Payable Rate (MPR); deleting the time requirement for applying HPR or MPR upon reemployment of former Federal employees into permanent appointments following a voluntary separation; given certain circumstances, allowing the use of HPR or MPR following temporary promotion; deleting references to the General Manager pay plan; provides clarification with regards to current AF employees selected for centrally-managed positions; outlines specific procedures to justify, validate, and support superior qualifications and special needs appointments and recruitment, relocation and retention incentives; remove a diversity language from the paragraph 1.4.3 per AFI 34-301 to be in compliance with EO Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing and Protecting Women. Addresses alternate personnel systems and appropriate references.

Chapter 1—ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESp. 5
Chapter 2—PAY-SETTING AND PAY FLEXIBILITIES OVERVIEWp. 7
Chapter 3—PAY-SETTING GUIDANCE AND PROCEDURESp. 9
Chapter 4—GRADE AND PAY RETENTIONp. 19
Chapter 5—SUPERIOR QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL NEEDS APPOINTMENTSp. 24
Attachment 1—GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATIONp. 35
Attachment 2—SETTING RATES OF PAYp. 43

All 44 contents entries

Chapter 1—ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESp. 5
1.2. The Deputy Chief of Staff, Manpower and Personnel (AF/A1)p. 5
1.3. Civilian Force Management Directorate (AF/A1C)p. 5
1.4. MAJCOM, FLDCOM, C-NAF and equivalent Secretariat and Air Staff officialsp. 5
1.5. Commander, Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC/CC)p. 5
1.6. CPO at the host CPS will:p. 5
1.7. Hiring Officials will:p. 6
1.8. Employees arep. 6
Chapter 2—PAY-SETTING AND PAY FLEXIBILITIES OVERVIEWp. 7
2.1. Authority and Guidelines for Pay-setting and Pay Flexibilitiesp. 7
2.2. General Rules for Selecting Pay Ratesp. 7
Chapter 3—PAY-SETTING GUIDANCE AND PROCEDURESp. 9
3.1. New Appointmentp. 9
3.2. Reemploymentp. 9
3.3. Conversions or Transfersp. 11
3.4. Reassignmentsp. 12
3.5. Promotionsp. 12
3.6. Change to Lower Grade (CLG) and Re-promotion Requirementsp. 13
3.7. Dual Appointments for FWS Employeesp. 16
3.8. Overseas Return Rightsp. 16
3.9. Non-foreign Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA)p. 16
Chapter 4—GRADE AND PAY RETENTIONp. 19
4.1. Authorityp. 19
4.2. Grade retentionp. 19
4.3. Pay Retentionp. 20
4.4. Termination of Pay Retentionp. 22
Chapter 5—SUPERIOR QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL NEEDS APPOINTMENTSp. 24
5.1. Authorityp. 24
5.2. Authority to Set Payp. 24
5.3. Documentation Requiredp. 25
5.4. Pay Rate Determinationp. 26
6.1. Program Authorityp. 27
6.2. Delegation of Authorityp. 27
6.3. Recruitment and Relocation Incentivesp. 27
6.4. Retention Incentivesp. 28
6.5. Documentation Requiredp. 29
6.6. Service Agreementsp. 30
6.7. Payment of Incentives. Recruitment and Relocation Incentivesp. 32
6.8. Repayment of Recruitment, Relocation or Retention Incentivesp. 33
6.9. Record Keepingp. 33
6.10. AFPC and CPS Oversightp. 33
6.11. Supervisory Differentialsp. 34
Attachment 1—GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATIONp. 35
Attachment 2—SETTING RATES OF PAYp. 43

Other DAFI publications nearby in the series

500 DAFI records on the Air Force index. Search the full index.

Works of the United States Government are not subject to copyright (17 U.S.C. § 105). This site is not affiliated with the Department of the Air Force or any government agency.

DAFI 36-128

DAFI 36-128 — index record

From the publication itself

Purpose, in the publication’s words

Summary of changes, as printed

Contents

Other DAFI publications nearby in the series

Calculators for the subject of this series