Military retirees receive 12 retired pay deposits dated in 2027: the first on Monday, February 1, 2027, the last on Thursday, December 30, 2027. Of those, 3 come before the 1st because it falls on a weekend or a federal holiday.
What this page sets up
The calendar opens on military retired pay: one payment a month, due on the 1st, paid on the last business day before whenever the 1st is a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday. The table below lists the payments that come early, with the one due on January 1, which is always paid in December of the year before.
The rule is DFAS’s own, from the retiree pay schedule it publishes each year, and the calendar reproduces its retiree dates for 2021, 2022 and 2026. Only two holidays can fall on the 1st, New Year’s Day and Labor Day in a year when it’s September 1, so most moves are weekends. When New Year’s Day is a Saturday, federal offices take the Friday off, and December’s pay comes on the Thursday.
Months with two payments, or none
A payment pulled back into the month before leaves one month with two and the next with none. In 2027 the months that differ are January (0), April (2), May (0), July (2), August (0) and December (2). If your bills are due early in the month, a month with no payment dated in it isn’t a missed payment: it arrived on the last business day of the month before, so keep that deposit for the month ahead.
Retirees and annuitants
Survivor annuities follow the same due date but the opposite rule: DFAS pays annuitants on the first business day of the month. For December 2026’s payment, retirees are scheduled for Thursday, December 31, 2026 and annuitants for Monday, January 4, 2027. To see annuitant dates, change the weekend and holiday rule above to Next business day; the list and the downloads follow.
Using the calendar
Add the dates to your phone with the .ics file, or print the one-page PDF. Choose the next year to plan ahead. If you’re still serving, active duty pay comes twice a month: see the active duty pay dates. For a civilian federal job, use the federal pay period calendar, and for any other schedule the pay period calendar.
Paydays that move in 2027
| Scheduled | Paid | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | Thu, Dec 31, 2026 | New Year's Day |
| Sat, May 1, 2027 | Fri, Apr 30, 2027 | Weekend |
| Sun, Aug 1, 2027 | Fri, Jul 30, 2027 | Weekend |
| Sat, Jan 1, 2028 | Thu, Dec 30, 2027 | Weekend; New Year's Day (observed) on Fri, Dec 31 |