Law Enforcement Pay Rises Expand to New Groups
The Office of Personnel Management has widened the covered law enforcement category for federal pay increases taking effect in January 2027.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Law Enforcement
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The Office of Personnel Management issued a memo on November 6, 2026 expanding the covered law enforcement category for 2027 federal pay raises. Newly covered law enforcement workers will receive approximately 6.7% pay increases in January 2027, while most federal workers face a pay freeze.
Why it matters
The expansion is intended to achieve common pay levels across covered law enforcement positions. Without extended special rate coverage, the government may find it difficult to recruit and retain personnel needed to enforce federal laws and protect public safety.
Covered law enforcement personnel receive a 3.8% increase in 2027, and newly covered employees receive an additional 2.77% on top of that. The total headcount affected by the expansion and the applicable statutory pay caps are not stated.
The players
Office of Personnel Management
The federal agency that manages the civil service workforce and issues government-wide pay policy memos.
Donald Trump
The U.S. President who sent the 2027 federal pay letter to Congress in August 2026.
The details
The OPM memo added certain law enforcement officers, federal police officers, federal security employees with arrest powers, and federal criminal investigators to the special rate category. Newly covered positions span inspectors general offices, the Department of Commerce, the Peace Corps, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. For a $100,000 salary, the 3.8% increase adds $3,800, and the additional 2.77% brings the total to about $106,674.
Timeline
August 2026: President Donald Trump sent a letter to Congress on 2027 federal pay.
November 6, 2026: OPM issued the memo expanding law enforcement special rate coverage.
January 2027: Covered and newly covered law enforcement pay increases take effect.
Season Trajectory
The expansion extends the federal special rate pay framework that covers law enforcement positions, adding inspectors general offices, the Peace Corps, and the Securities and Exchange Commission to its coverage. It arrives while most other federal workers face a pay freeze in 2027.
Federal law enforcement officers, criminal investigators, and security employees in the newly covered agencies will see pay rise by about 6.7% in January 2027. Other federal workers face a pay freeze, which may affect staffing levels in agencies that rely on general pay schedules.
The takeaway
Federal pay policy can change quickly when special rate categories are expanded, and readers tracking public safety staffing should watch how these increases affect recruitment in the coming year.
What happens next
Covered and newly covered law enforcement pay increases take effect in January 2027.
Further reading
Explore more on Law Enforcement to see how federal pay policy shapes agency recruiting.
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Should federal law enforcement workers get bigger pay raises than other federal employees?
