2027 Military Pay Dates
Active-duty service members are paid twice a month, on the 1st and the 15th, and military retirees and annuitants once a month. Here are all 2027 dates with the weekend and holiday shifts.
Status on November 12, 2026: the retired and annuitant dates are copied from DFAS's 2027 pay schedule. DFAS has not yet posted its 2027 active-duty payday table, so the active-duty dates are expected dates: they apply the rule that matches DFAS's published 2021, 2022 and 2026 tables date by date. We will switch to DFAS's table as soon as it is published. This site is not affiliated with DFAS or the Department of Defense. Download PDF · Download Excel (.xlsx)
2027 active-duty pay dates (expected)
| Pay month | Mid-month payday | End-of-month payday |
|---|---|---|
| January | Fri, Jan 15 | Mon, Feb 1 |
| February | Fri, Feb 12 (Feb 15 is Presidents Day) | Mon, Mar 1 |
| March | Mon, Mar 15 | Thu, Apr 1 |
| April | Thu, Apr 15 | Fri, Apr 30 (May 1 is a Saturday) |
| May | Fri, May 14 (May 15 is a Saturday) | Tue, Jun 1 |
| June | Tue, Jun 15 | Thu, Jul 1 |
| July | Thu, Jul 15 | Fri, Jul 30 (Aug 1 is a Sunday) |
| August | Fri, Aug 13 (Aug 15 is a Sunday) | 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 (Jan 1, 2028 is a Saturday; Dec 31 is the observed New Year's Day holiday) |
The end-of-month pay for a month is deposited on the 1st of the following month, so the January end-of-month pay arrives February 1. When the 1st or the 15th is a weekend or a federal holiday, pay moves to the business day before.
Remaining 2026 active-duty paydays (DFAS)
- Fri, Nov 13, 2026: mid-month pay for November
- Tue, Dec 1, 2026: end-of-month pay for November
- Tue, Dec 15, 2026: mid-month pay for December
- Thu, Dec 31, 2026: end-of-month pay for December (January 1, 2027 is New Year's Day)
From the DFAS 2026 active duty paydays table.
2027 military retired and annuitant pay dates (DFAS)
| Pay for | Retired pay date | Annuitant pay date |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | Tue, Dec 1, 2026 | Tue, Dec 1, 2026 |
| December 2026 | Thu, Dec 31, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4 |
| January 2027 | Mon, Feb 1 | Mon, Feb 1 |
| February 2027 | Mon, Mar 1 | Mon, Mar 1 |
| March 2027 | Thu, Apr 1 | Thu, Apr 1 |
| April 2027 | Fri, Apr 30 | Mon, May 3 |
| May 2027 | Tue, Jun 1 | Tue, Jun 1 |
| June 2027 | Thu, Jul 1 | Thu, Jul 1 |
| July 2027 | Fri, Jul 30 | Mon, Aug 2 |
| August 2027 | Wed, Sep 1 | Wed, Sep 1 |
| September 2027 | Fri, Oct 1 | Fri, Oct 1 |
| October 2027 | Mon, Nov 1 | Mon, Nov 1 |
| November 2027 | Wed, Dec 1 | Wed, Dec 1 |
| December 2027 | Fri, Dec 31 | Mon, Jan 3, 2028 |
Retired and annuitant pay is due on the 1st of the month after the month it covers. When the 1st is a weekend or holiday, DFAS pays retirees on the last business day of the month before and annuitants on the first business day after, which is why the two columns differ in some months.
Military paydays per month in 2027
Counting deposits dated in each calendar month: active-duty members get three in April, July and December and one in January, May and August. Retirees get two in April, July and December and none in January, May and August. Plan monthly bills around those gaps.
| Month | Active-duty deposits (expected) | Count | Retired pay deposits | Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Jan 15 | 1 | — | 0 |
| February | Feb 1, Feb 12 | 2 | Feb 1 | 1 |
| March | Mar 1, Mar 15 | 2 | Mar 1 | 1 |
| April | Apr 1, Apr 15, Apr 30 | 3 | Apr 1, Apr 30 | 2 |
| May | May 14 | 1 | — | 0 |
| June | Jun 1, Jun 15 | 2 | Jun 1 | 1 |
| July | Jul 1, Jul 15, Jul 30 | 3 | Jul 1, Jul 30 | 2 |
| August | Aug 13 | 1 | — | 0 |
| September | Sep 1, Sep 15 | 2 | Sep 1 | 1 |
| October | Oct 1, Oct 15 | 2 | Oct 1 | 1 |
| November | Nov 1, Nov 15 | 2 | Nov 1 | 1 |
| December | Dec 1, Dec 15, Dec 30 | 3 | Dec 1, Dec 31 | 2 |
Why December 2027 pay is expected on Dec 30
The end-of-month pay for December is due January 1, 2028. That is a Saturday, and federal offices observe New Year's Day on Friday, Dec 31, so DFAS's rule moves the payday back to Thu, Dec 30, 2027. DFAS did the same the last time this happened: January 1, 2022 was also a Saturday, and DFAS paid the December 2021 end-of-month pay on Thu, Dec 30, 2021. Retired pay for December 2027 is on Fri, Dec 31, 2027 in DFAS's published schedule, one day later than the expected active-duty date.
How military pay dates work
- Active duty: paid on the 1st and 15th of each month. A payday that falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday moves to the last business day before it.
- Leave and Earnings Statement: DFAS releases the mid-month pay notice and the end-of-month LES in myPay before payday. In its 2026 table they came 5 to 10 days before the deposit.
- Retirees and annuitants: paid once a month, on the 1st, for the month before.
- Early deposits: some banks and credit unions post military direct deposits a day or two before the official payday. That is the bank's choice and is not guaranteed by DFAS.
FAQ
When is the first military payday of 2027?
Fri, Jan 15, 2027, the mid-month payday for January. The end-of-month pay for December 2026 arrives on Thu, Dec 31, 2026, because January 1, 2027 is New Year's Day (DFAS 2026 table).
When is the last military payday of 2027?
Expected on Thu, Dec 30, 2027. The end-of-month pay for December is normally deposited on January 1; in 2028 that is a Saturday and federal offices observe the holiday on Fri, Dec 31, 2027, so the deposit moves to Dec 30.
Has DFAS published the 2027 military pay schedule?
Partly. DFAS has published its 2027 schedule for retired and annuitant pay (copied in the table above). As of November 12, 2026, its 2027 active-duty payday page has no table yet, so the active-duty dates here are expected dates that follow the rule in DFAS's published tables.
Do military retirees get paid on the same day as active duty?
Usually, for the end-of-month pay. In 2027 the exception is December: retired pay on Dec 31, active-duty pay expected on Dec 30. Retirees are paid once a month; active-duty members are also paid mid-month.
What if payday falls on a weekend or holiday?
Active-duty pay moves to the business day before. In 2027 that happens 6 times: Fri, Feb 12 (instead of the 15th); Fri, Apr 30 (instead of the 1st); Fri, May 14 (instead of the 15th); Fri, Jul 30 (instead of the 1st); Fri, Aug 13 (instead of the 15th); Thu, Dec 30 (instead of the 1st). Retired pay moves to the last business day of the month before, and annuitant pay to the first business day after.
Receiving VA disability compensation too? See the 2027 VA disability pay dates. Federal civilian employees: see the 2027 federal pay period calendar.
Related pages
Sources and method
Pay dates move off weekends and bank holidays. Bank holidays follow the Federal Reserve schedule (a federal holiday on Sunday closes banks on Monday; a holiday on Saturday does not close banks on Friday). Federal office closures follow OPM (Saturday holidays observed Friday, Sunday holidays Monday) and are used for work-day counts and federal pay periods. Tax-year treatment follows IRS Publication 15. Federal pay periods follow the NFC/OPM 14-day cycle; federal pay dates are taken from the calendars published by NFC and GSA; military pay dates from DFAS; VA payment dates from 38 U.S.C. 5120(e). How these calendars are built and checked.
- OPM: Federal holidays
- Federal Reserve: Holiday schedule (banks closed)
- IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide
- USDA National Finance Center (federal pay period calendar)
- USDA National Finance Center: pay period calendar with pay dates
- GSA: 2027 payroll calendar
- DFAS: retired and annuitant pay schedule
- DFAS: 2026 active duty paydays
- 38 U.S.C. 5120: payment of VA benefits (weekend and holiday rule)
Last reviewed: . Found a wrong date? Tell us and we will fix it.