If you work for the Postal Service, you know the question comes up every two weeks: “When do I get paid?” Here’s your complete guide to every USPS pay period in 2026, including federal holidays and key dates you need to know.

How USPS Pay Periods Work

USPS employees are paid biweekly — that’s 26 pay periods per leave year. Each pay period runs for 14 days, starting on Saturday and ending on Friday. Your paycheck arrives the following Friday, one week after the pay period ends.

The leave year doesn’t perfectly align with the calendar year. Leave Year 2026 begins on December 27, 2025 (PP01) and ends on December 25, 2026 (PP26). This matters for annual leave accrual and carryover calculations.

2026 Pay Period Dates

Here are all 26 pay periods for Leave Year 2026:

PP01: Dec 27, 2025 – Jan 9, 2026 (Payday: Jan 16) — New Year’s Day
PP02: Jan 10 – Jan 23 (Payday: Jan 30) — MLK Day
PP03: Jan 24 – Feb 6 (Payday: Feb 13)
PP04: Feb 7 – Feb 20 (Payday: Feb 27) — Presidents’ Day
PP05: Feb 21 – Mar 6 (Payday: Mar 13)
PP06: Mar 7 – Mar 20 (Payday: Mar 27)
PP07: Mar 21 – Apr 3 (Payday: Apr 10)
PP08: Apr 4 – Apr 17 (Payday: Apr 24)
PP09: Apr 18 – May 1 (Payday: May 8)
PP10: May 2 – May 15 (Payday: May 22)
PP11: May 16 – May 29 (Payday: Jun 5) — Memorial Day
PP12: May 30 – Jun 12 (Payday: Jun 19)
PP13: Jun 13 – Jun 26 (Payday: Jul 3) — Juneteenth
PP14: Jun 27 – Jul 10 (Payday: Jul 17) — Independence Day
PP15: Jul 11 – Jul 24 (Payday: Jul 31)
PP16: Jul 25 – Aug 7 (Payday: Aug 14)
PP17: Aug 8 – Aug 21 (Payday: Aug 28)
PP18: Aug 22 – Sep 4 (Payday: Sep 11)
PP19: Sep 5 – Sep 18 (Payday: Sep 25) — Labor Day
PP20: Sep 19 – Oct 2 (Payday: Oct 9)
PP21: Oct 3 – Oct 16 (Payday: Oct 23) — Columbus Day
PP22: Oct 17 – Oct 30 (Payday: Nov 6)
PP23: Oct 31 – Nov 13 (Payday: Nov 20) — Veterans Day
PP24: Nov 14 – Nov 27 (Payday: Dec 4) — Thanksgiving
PP25: Nov 28 – Dec 11 (Payday: Dec 18)
PP26: Dec 12 – Dec 25 (Payday: Jan 1, 2027) — Christmas Day

Federal Holidays in 2026

USPS observes 11 federal holidays. If you work on a holiday, you receive your regular day’s pay plus premium pay at your base straight-time rate for hours worked — effectively double time. Here are the holidays that fall within the 2026 leave year and which pay period they’re in:

New Year’s Day (Jan 1, PP01), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan 19, PP02), Presidents’ Day (Feb 16, PP04), Memorial Day (May 25, PP11), Juneteenth (Jun 19, PP13), Independence Day (Jul 4, PP14), Labor Day (Sep 7, PP19), Columbus Day (Oct 12, PP21), Veterans Day (Nov 11, PP23), Thanksgiving (Nov 26, PP24), and Christmas Day (Dec 25, PP26).

Annual Leave Carryover for 2026

For leave year 2026, bargaining unit employees (APWU, NALC, NPMHU) can carry over 520 hours of annual leave thanks to current MOUs. EAS employees have a permanent carryover limit of 640 hours. Any balance above your limit at the end of the leave year is forfeited, so plan your leave carefully throughout the year.

Pay Scale Updates

The most recent pay adjustment was the March 7, 2026 COLA for APWU-represented employees, adding $250 annually ($0.12/hour). This is the third COLA under the 2024-2027 contract. NALC carriers also received a $250 COLA effective the same date. Use our Take-Home Pay Calculator to see your exact net pay with the current rates for your craft, grade, and step.