Military Retired Pay Dates 2026
Quick answer
Military retired pay and Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities are due on the 1st of the month after the month they cover. When the 1st is a weekend or holiday, DFAS pays retirees on the last business day before it and annuitants on the first business day after. In 2026 retirees and annuitants are paid on different days for January, February, July, October and December.
Next retired payday: Friday, October 30, 2026
† DFAS’s published table starts with October 2026. Earlier months use the rule DFAS states on the same page, which matches every month DFAS lists.
When is military retired pay in 2026?
| Pay for | Retirees | SBP annuitants |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 † | Fri, Jan 30due Sun, Feb 1 | Mon, Feb 2due Sun, Feb 1 |
| February 2026 † | Fri, Feb 27due Sun, Mar 1 | Mon, Mar 2due Sun, Mar 1 |
| March 2026 † | Wed, Apr 1 | Wed, Apr 1 |
| April 2026 † | Fri, May 1 | Fri, May 1 |
| May 2026 † | Mon, Jun 1 | Mon, Jun 1 |
| June 2026 † | Wed, Jul 1 | Wed, Jul 1 |
| July 2026 † | Fri, Jul 31due Sat, Aug 1 | Mon, Aug 3due Sat, Aug 1 |
| August 2026 † | Tue, Sep 1 | Tue, Sep 1 |
| September 2026 † | Thu, Oct 1 | Thu, Oct 1 |
| October 2026 | Fri, Oct 30due Sun, Nov 1 | Mon, Nov 2due Sun, Nov 1 |
| November 2026 | Tue, Dec 1 | Tue, Dec 1 |
| December 2026 | Thu, Dec 31due Fri, Jan 1 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027due Fri, Jan 1 |
Why are retirees and annuitants paid on different days?
DFAS states it directly: if the 1st “falls on a weekend or holiday, retirees are paid on the last business day of the month and annuitants are paid on the first business day of month.” That’s why, for example, the December 2026 payment reaches retirees on Thu, Dec 31, 2026 and annuitants on Mon, Jan 4, 2027.
When does a cost-of-living raise show up?
Retired pay COLAs take effect December 1, so they first appear in the payment for December. For the 2026 COLA (2.8%), DFAS said retirees would see it in the December 31, 2025 payment and SBP annuitants in the January 2, 2026 payment.
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Sources
- DFAS, Retired and annuitant pay schedule (Oct 2026–Dec 2027) (checked 2026-10-28)
- Federal Reserve, Holidays Observed by the Federal Reserve System (K.8) (checked 2026-10-28)
Last verified October 28, 2026 against the sources above. How we check dates · Corrections