2026 Military Pay Dates — Full Calendar
Military pay dates have turned into a moving target with all the weekend and holiday noise flying around — and 2026 has a few surprises baked in. The schedule itself hasn’t changed: the 1st and 15th of every month, same as always. But what actually hits your bank account? That’s a different story sometimes.
Here’s the thing most people miss. DFAS deposits money on the business day before those dates when they land on weekends or federal holidays. Not after. Before. I learned this the hard way during my first year tracking TSP contributions against actual deposit dates — spent about three weeks convinced something was broken with my allotments before a finance NCO finally set me straight over bad coffee at the S1 shop.
The piece that matters most here — but the calendar is what you’re here for. Every pay period for 2026 is laid out below, adjusted dates included:
| Pay Period | Standard Date | Actual Deposit Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Period | January 1 | December 31, 2025 | Holiday + Federal Day Off |
| 2nd Period | January 15 | January 15 | Thursday |
| 3rd Period | February 1 | February 2 | Sunday — Deposit February 2 |
| 4th Period | February 15 | February 13 | Friday (Saturday observed) |
| 5th Period | March 1 | March 2 | Sunday |
| 6th Period | March 15 | March 13 | Friday |
| 7th Period | April 1 | April 1 | Wednesday |
| 8th Period | April 15 | April 15 | Wednesday |
| 9th Period | May 1 | May 1 | Friday |
| 10th Period | May 15 | May 15 | Friday |
| 11th Period | June 1 | June 1 | Monday |
| 12th Period | June 15 | June 15 | Monday |
| 13th Period | July 1 | June 30 | Federal Holiday |
| 14th Period | July 15 | July 15 | Wednesday |
| 15th Period | August 1 | August 3 | Saturday + Monday Holiday |
| 16th Period | August 15 | August 14 | Friday |
| 17th Period | September 1 | September 1 | Tuesday |
| 18th Period | September 15 | September 15 | Tuesday |
| 19th Period | October 1 | October 1 | Thursday |
| 20th Period | October 15 | October 15 | Thursday |
| 21st Period | November 1 | November 1 | Sunday — confirm with DFAS |
That’s what makes the DFAS system endearing to us service members — it’s consistent right up until it isn’t. The early deposit rule saves you from overdrafts around holidays, sure. But it also means your “November 1st pay” might actually show up in October. Plan accordingly. Spare yourself the wrong turn I took of budgeting rent due dates against the standard calendar without double-checking the adjusted one first.
A few periods in 2026 worth flagging specifically. January 1st gets bumped all the way back to December 31, 2025 — so that money arrives before the new year even starts. The August 1st situation is the weird one: Saturday landing plus a Monday federal holiday pushes the deposit to August 3rd instead. That’s a full two days later than usual. Worth knowing ahead of time if you’ve got automatic payments set for early August.
Bookmark this page or screenshot the table. Seriously. myPay shows your deposit date eventually, but not always with enough lead time to rearrange anything if you’re caught off guard.
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