This article was last updated on November 13, 2026, and we'll keep updating it as decisions land. The 2027 law enforcement pay raise looks confusing at first. The proposal for most GS employees is a 0% raise, yet some law enforcement officers could see 3.8% or even about 6.7%. Which number you get depends on your job series, your pay system, and a few rules that decide who's in. Let's break it down so you can find your own number. Our 2027 pay raise tracker has the big picture.
What is final and what is not
Final (these are facts on the record):
- On August 26, 2026, the President's alternative pay plan letter proposed 0% across the board and 0% locality for GS employees in January 2027. Base and locality rates would stay at 2026 levels.
- Without that letter, the standard formula (FEPCA) would have produced about 3.1% across the board.
- OPM sent a memo on November 6, 2026 on special rates for January 2027, as FedSmith reported on November 9.
Not final:
- Nothing is final until the President signs the pay executive order, usually mid-to-late December.
- Agencies can opt out of the special rates. Letters are due to OPM by November 25, 2026.
- Special rates for certain firefighters and CBP agricultural specialists are under consideration, but not decided.
- The current stopgap funding law expires December 11, 2026.
For the full freeze story, read our guide to the proposed 2027 pay freeze and what happens next.
Background: how a freeze turned into special rates
The August 26 letter did two things. It froze GS base and locality pay. It also told OPM to use its special salary rate authority for certain law enforcement personnel.
So what's a special rate table? Think of it as a separate pay chart. Some jobs are hard to fill or keep, so the government sets higher pay for them. If you're covered, your salary comes from that chart instead of the regular base-plus-locality chart. Our article on special rate vs locality pay explains how the two fit together.
Law enforcement officers (LEOs) already have two other pay pieces: LEAP (availability pay) and special retirement coverage. Those are separate from this raise. For background, see our guide to LEO special salary rates in 2026. Ask HR how LEAP is figured on your new rate.
The tables in question are called L001-L140. They cover about 140,000 employees today. Now they're being used to deliver raises while everyone else on the GS scale waits.
LEO special rates 2027: who gets 3.8%
If you're already covered by the L001-L140 tables, you generally get 3.8%. Some non-GS groups also get 3.8%:
- Secret Service Uniformed Division
- U.S. Park Police
- Diplomatic Security Service
- NNSA nuclear materials couriers
Under consideration, but not decided, is 3.8% for certain firefighters and CBP agricultural specialists. Don't count on that one yet.
Federal law enforcement 6.7% raise: who gets the bigger number
Newly covered employees get 3.8% plus a 2.77% catch-up. Why? These groups got only the 1% across-the-board raise in January 2026.
The math: 1.038 × 1.0277 − 1 = 6.68%, or about 6.7%.
1811 pay raise 2027
Criminal investigators (series 1811) are newly covered GS employees. So are criminal investigators outside GS at Commerce, the Peace Corps, and the SEC. They get 6.68%.
0083 police pay raise 2027
Police officers (series 0083) are newly covered. VA police are handled separately, so VA officers should ask HR where they stand.
Other newly covered GS groups
- Employees in approved LEO positions under 5 U.S.C. 5541(3). This leaves out people covered only because they have frequent contact with detainees.
- Security administration staff (series 0080) who have both law enforcement duties and arrest authority.
Who gets nothing, and what can cut your raise
Here's the part that surprises people. If your job isn't on the lists above, you get the GS outcome. As proposed, that's 0%.
Even if you're covered, three things can shrink your raise:
- The pay cap. Special rates can't exceed Executive Schedule level IV, which stays frozen at $197,200 in 2027. Employees near the cap get less than the full raise, or none. Our GS pay caps guide explains the ceiling.
- Agency opt-outs. An agency head or designee can send OPM a letter by November 25, 2026 to opt out.
- Timing. Nothing is final until the executive order is signed.
Congress could also act. In 2019, a freeze was proposed and Congress enacted a 1.9% raise in February 2019, in the law that ended the 35-day partial shutdown. It applied back to January. From 2011 to 2013, there were three years with no across-the-board raise. We can't predict which path 2027 takes.
Practical examples with real numbers
These use example salaries, not 2027 table amounts. Dollar figures are before taxes. Per-paycheck amounts divide the yearly change by 26.
Example 1: Already on a special rate table (3.8%)
An example salary of $80,000 at 3.8%:
- Yearly raise: $80,000 × 0.038 = $3,040
- Per paycheck: $3,040 ÷ 26 = about $116.92
- New salary: $83,040
Example 2: Newly covered 1811 or 0083 (6.68%)
The same example salary of $80,000 at 6.68%:
- Yearly raise: about $5,344
- Per paycheck: $5,344 ÷ 26 = about $205.54
- New salary: about $85,344
The catch-up is worth about $2,304 more per year than the 3.8% group gets.
Example 3: Near the cap
Say an example salary of $195,000. A full 3.8% would reach $202,410. But the cap is $197,200. So the raise stops at $2,200 a year, about $84.62 per paycheck.
Example 4: Not covered
A GS-12 earning $90,000 (an example salary) gets 0% as proposed. Base and locality stay at 2026 levels. But a freeze does not stop within-grade step increases, promotions, or quality step increases. See our guide to GS step increases.
Want to run your own salary through these percentages? The federal pay raise calculator is the easiest way to get your exact numbers. It's free and quick. Your official 2027 amounts will still come from OPM's tables and your HR office.
What this means for Federal Wage System employees
This article is about GS and related pay, but wage grade readers deserve a quick note. FWS employees (WG, WL, WS) don't get a GS raise directly. Their annual raises are tied to the GS raise by a cap and floor set in each year's appropriations act. They take effect on each wage area's own date, not January 10 for everyone.
The OPM special rate memo, as reported, doesn't list wage grade positions. So your raise depends on the GS outcome and the appropriations language. Our 2027 FWS pay raise guide has more.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
- "A freeze means no pay increase of any kind." Not true. Steps, promotions, and quality step increases continue.
- "Every law enforcement job gets 6.7%." No. Existing table employees generally get 3.8%. Unlisted jobs get the GS outcome.
- "The raise is guaranteed." It isn't. It's a proposal until the executive order is signed. Opt-outs and Congress could change things.
- "I'm a police officer, so I'm covered." Series 0083 is covered, but VA police are handled separately.
- "Job title decides it." Your series and position designation decide it. A title alone won't tell you.
- "Everyone gets the full percentage." The $197,200 cap can limit it.
Step-by-step: find out where you stand
- Find your series and pay plan. Look at your SF-50 or pay stub. Note whether you're 1811, 0083, 0080, or something else.
- Check your current table. Are you already on an L001-L140 special rate table? If yes, think 3.8%. If no, ask about the newly covered rules.
- Ask HR directly. Confirm your coverage, whether your agency is opting out, and how LEAP is figured on your new rate.
- Check the cap. If your pay is close to $197,200, expect less than the full raise.
- Run your numbers. Use the calculator and compare with the GS pay tables.
- Watch OPM. Look for the 2027 special rate tables on OPM's salary and wages page.
- Plan for both outcomes. Budget with the raise you're sure of. Treat the rest as a bonus until December.
For ongoing coverage, FedWeek and GovExec also follow this story.
The bottom line
The 2027 law enforcement pay raise is a split picture. As proposed, GS base and locality pay stay frozen at 0%. Employees already on the L001-L140 tables generally get 3.8%. Newly covered groups, including 1811 criminal investigators and 0083 police, get about 6.68%. Everyone else gets the GS outcome.
None of it is final until the pay executive order is signed. The agency opt-out deadline is November 25, and the stopgap funding law expires December 11. Confirm your coverage with HR, and try the calculator to see your personal results. Bookmark our 2027 pay raise tracker for updates. For more pay topics, visit our pay info page.