2025 Federal Payroll Calendar

The 2025 federal payroll calendar provides a comprehensive overview of federal employee pay dates for the upcoming year. This article offers a detailed analysis of the calendar, highlighting key dates and important changes from previous years. Whether you’re a federal employee looking to plan your finances or an employer responsible for payroll processing, this article will provide valuable information and insights.

The calendar features 26 pay periods in 2025, with each pay period covering a two-week period. Federal employees will receive their pay on a bi-weekly basis, with pay dates falling on Wednesdays. The first pay date of 2025 is January 8, and the final pay date is December 31. Notably, there are two pay dates that fall on holidays, namely, Juneteenth (June 19) and Independence Day (July 4). In these instances, federal employees will receive their pay on the preceding business day.

Compared to the 2024 federal payroll calendar, there are no significant changes in the 2025 calendar. The pay dates remain consistent, and there are no additional holidays or changes to the pay schedule. This consistency provides stability and predictability for federal employees and payroll professionals alike. By understanding the pay dates and any potential adjustments, individuals can ensure timely and accurate payroll processing, as well as plan their financial obligations and budgets accordingly throughout the year.

Key Dates for Federal Employees in 2025

2025 Federal Payroll Schedule

Federal employees are paid on a biweekly schedule, with paydays falling on Wednesdays. In 2025, there will be 26 pay periods, with the first payday on January 8th and the last payday on December 31st. The table below provides a detailed breakdown of the 2025 federal payroll schedule:

Pay Period	Payday
1	January 8
2	January 22
3	February 5
4	February 19
5	March 5
6	March 19
7	April 2
8	April 16
9	April 30
10	May 14
11	May 28
12	June 11
13	June 25
14	July 9
15	July 23
16	August 6
17	August 20
18	September 3
19	September 17
20	October 1
21	October 15
22	October 29
23	November 12
24	November 26
25	December 10
26	December 31

Pay Periods and Direct Deposit Schedule

Federal employees are paid on a biweekly schedule, with 26 pay periods in a calendar year. The pay periods begin on a Sunday and end on a Saturday, with the exception of the last pay period of the year, which begins on December 26th and ends on December 31st.

Direct Deposit Schedule

Federal employees who have elected to receive their pay by direct deposit will have their pay deposited into their bank accounts on the Wednesday following the end of the pay period. For example, the pay for the pay period that ends on May 13th, 2025, will be deposited into employee bank accounts on May 17th, 2025.

The following table provides a detailed schedule of the 2025 federal payroll pay periods and direct deposit dates:

Pay Period End Date	Direct Deposit Date
March 15th, 2025	March 22nd, 2025
March 29th, 2025	April 5th, 2025
April 12th, 2025	April 19th, 2025
April 26th, 2025	May 3rd, 2025
May 10th, 2025	May 17th, 2025
May 24th, 2025	May 31st, 2025
June 7th, 2025	June 14th, 2025
June 21st, 2025	June 28th, 2025
July 5th, 2025	July 12th, 2025
July 19th, 2025	July 26th, 2025
August 2nd, 2025	August 9th, 2025
August 16th, 2025	August 23rd, 2025
August 30th, 2025	September 6th, 2025
September 13th, 2025	September 20th, 2025
September 27th, 2025	October 4th, 2025
October 11th, 2025	October 18th, 2025
October 25th, 2025	November 1st, 2025
November 8th, 2025	November 15th, 2025
November 22nd, 2025	November 29th, 2025
December 6th, 2025	December 13th, 2025
December 20th, 2025	December 27th, 2025
December 31st, 2025	January 3rd, 2026

Holiday Observances for Federal Workers

Federal workers are entitled to paid time off for certain holidays. These holidays are established by law and are typically observed on a Monday or Friday to create a three-day weekend. In 2025, federal workers will have the following holidays:

New Year’s Day	Thursday, January 1
Martin Luther King Jr. Day	Monday, January 20
Washington’s Birthday	Monday, February 17
Memorial Day	Monday, May 26
Juneteenth National Independence Day	Friday, June 20
Independence Day	Friday, July 4
Labor Day	Monday, September 1
Columbus Day	Monday, October 13
Veterans Day	Tuesday, November 11
Thanksgiving Day	Thursday, November 27
Christmas Day	Thursday, December 25

In addition to these federal holidays, some states and localities have their own holidays that are observed by state and local government employees.

Leave Accrual and Usage

Annual Leave Accrual

Federal employees accrue annual leave (vacation time) at the rate of 4 hours (1/2 day) or 8 hours (1 day) per pay period, depending on their length of service. Annual leave accrues regardless of whether the employee works the full pay period.

Sick Leave Accrual

Employees earn sick leave at the rate of 4 hours per pay period (13 days per year). Sick leave is used for illness, injury, appointments, or family emergencies. It does not carry over from year to year unless the employee has unused leave at the end of the year.

Additional Leave Accruals

Some employees may be eligible for additional types of leave, such as parental leave or military leave. These types of leave have specific accrual and usage guidelines.

Leave Usage

Employees can request to use leave by submitting a leave request form. Leave is approved at the discretion of the supervisor. Employees must plan their leave in advance and provide sufficient notice to allow for scheduling adjustments.

Restrictions on Leave Usage

There are certain restrictions on when employees can use leave. For example, employees may not take leave during periods of high workload or when their absence would create a hardship for the agency. Additionally, employees may not take leave to engage in outside employment or activities that conflict with their duties.

Leave Type	Accrual Rate
Annual Leave	4 hours per pay period (1/2 day) or 8 hours per pay period (1 day)
Sick Leave	4 hours per pay period (13 days per year)

Retirement Contributions

Federal employees have the option to contribute to their retirement accounts through the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The TSP is a defined contribution plan that offers a variety of investment options. Employees can choose to contribute pre-tax or post-tax dollars to their TSP account. Pre-tax contributions reduce your current taxable income, while post-tax contributions are made with after-tax dollars. The maximum amount that employees can contribute to their TSP account in 2023 is $22,500. Employees who are age 50 or older can make catch-up contributions of up to $7,500.

TSP Investment Options

The TSP offers a variety of investment options, including:

C Fund (Common Stock Index Fund)
S Fund (Small Cap Stock Index Fund)
I Fund (International Stock Index Fund)
G Fund (Government Securities Investment Fund)
F Fund (Fixed Income Index Investment Fund)

C Fund

The C Fund is a stock index fund that invests in large-cap U.S. stocks.

S Fund

The S Fund is a stock index fund that invests in small-cap U.S. stocks.

I Fund

The I Fund is a stock index fund that invests in international stocks.

G Fund

The G Fund is a government securities investment fund that invests in short-term U.S. Treasury securities.

F Fund

The F Fund is a fixed income index investment fund that invests in a broad range of fixed income securities.

Fund	Expense Ratio
C Fund	0.045%
S Fund	0.045%
I Fund	0.045%
G Fund	0.015%
F Fund	0.045%

Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax Payments

Federal Income Tax Withholding

The federal government withholds income tax from your paycheck based on your income and withholding allowances. You can adjust your withholding allowances by completing Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate.

Estimated Tax Payments

Self-employed individuals and those with significant non-wage income may need to make estimated tax payments. Estimated taxes are due quarterly on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 of the following year.

Tax Due Dates for Employers

Employers are responsible for filing and paying payroll taxes, including withholding taxes and FICA taxes. The due dates for payroll tax payments depend on the size of the business and the amount of taxes owed.

Tax Year

The federal tax year runs from January 1 to December 31. Tax returns are typically due on April 15, but this date can change if it falls on a holiday or weekend.

Tax Filing

Individuals can file their tax returns electronically, by mail, or through a tax preparer. The IRS website provides instructions and resources for filing taxes.

Tax Refunds and Owed Taxes

If you have overpaid your taxes, you will receive a refund from the IRS. If you owe taxes, you will be required to pay the balance due by the tax deadline.

New Payroll Deductions and Benefits

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

FSAs allow employees to set aside pre-tax dollars for qualified medical, dental, vision, and transportation expenses. The 2025 limit for health FSAs is $3,050, while the limit for dependent care FSAs is $5,000.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)

HSAs are similar to FSAs, but they are only available to individuals with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). The 2025 contribution limits are $3,850 for individuals and $7,750 for families.

Retirement Savings Plans

Employees can contribute pre-tax dollars to their retirement accounts, including 401(k)s and IRAs. The 2025 contribution limits for 401(k)s are $22,500 for individuals and $63,500 for those who are age 50 or older. The IRA contribution limit for 2025 is $6,500, with an additional $1,000 catch-up contribution for those who are age 50 or older.

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

EAPs provide confidential counseling and support services to employees and their families. These services can include mental health counseling, financial planning, and legal assistance.

Wellness Programs

Many employers offer wellness programs to promote healthy lifestyles among their employees. These programs may include health screenings, fitness workshops, and nutrition counseling.

Paid Parental Leave

In 2025, some employers will be required to provide paid parental leave to their employees. The details of this law are still being finalized, but it is expected to provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents.

Student Loan Repayment Assistance

Some employers offer student loan repayment assistance programs to help their employees pay off their student loans. These programs may provide matching contributions or loan repayment assistance as part of an employee’s compensation package.

Special Pay Provisions for Certain Employees

Certain employees are entitled to special pay provisions under the federal payroll calendar. These provisions include:

Overtime Pay

Employees who work more than 80 hours in a biweekly pay period are entitled to overtime pay at a rate of one and one-half times their regular rate of pay.

Holiday Pay

Certain employees are entitled to paid leave for federal holidays. These employees include:

Full-time employees with at least 12 months of service
Part-time employees with at least 1,040 hours of service in the previous 12 months
Temporary employees with at least 120 days of service in the previous 12 months

Sunday Premium Pay

Certain employees who are required to work on Sundays are entitled to premium pay at a rate of one and one-half times their regular rate of pay.

Night Differential Pay

Certain employees who are required to work at night are entitled to differential pay at a rate of 10% of their regular rate of pay.

Hazard Pay

Certain employees who are exposed to hazardous working conditions are entitled to hazard pay at a rate of up to 25% of their regular rate of pay.

Shift Differential Pay

Certain employees who are required to work on non-standard shifts are entitled to differential pay at a rate of 10% of their regular rate of pay.

Training Pay

Certain employees who are required to attend training are entitled to pay at their regular rate of pay.

Electronic Payroll Access and Security Measures

Employees can access their pay stubs and other payroll information electronically through the Employee Self-Service (ESS) portal. To access ESS, employees will need their Employee Identification Number (EIN) and a password. Passwords must be at least 9 characters long and must contain at least one upper case letter, one lower case letter, one number, and one special character (!@#$%^&*). Employees must change their passwords every 90 days.

Password Reset Procedures

If an employee forgets their password, they can reset it by clicking on the “Forgot Password” link on the ESS login page. Employees will be prompted to enter their EIN and answer two security questions. Once the security questions have been answered correctly, the employee will be able to create a new password.

Security Measures

The ESS portal is protected by a number of security measures to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of employee payroll information. These measures include:

Encryption of all transmitted data
Two-factor authentication
Regular security audits

In addition, employees are responsible for taking steps to protect their own passwords and personal information. Employees should not share their passwords with anyone and should be careful about clicking on links in emails or text messages that they do not recognize.

Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble accessing the ESS portal or if you have any questions about payroll security, please contact the HR department at [email protected]

Security Measure	Description
Encryption	All data transmitted to and from the ESS portal is encrypted using 256-bit SSL encryption. This ensures that the data cannot be intercepted and read by unauthorized individuals.
Two-factor authentication	Two-factor authentication is a security measure that requires users to provide two different forms of identification when logging into the ESS portal. This makes it more difficult for unauthorized individuals to access employee payroll information.
Regular security audits	The ESS portal is regularly audited by independent security experts to ensure that it is secure and compliant with all applicable security standards.

Updates to the 2025 Federal Payroll Calendar

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has released the 2025 federal payroll calendar, which includes the following key updates:

New Year’s Day (January 1) and Juneteenth (June 19) will be observed as federal holidays.
Inauguration Day (January 20) will be observed as a holiday for employees in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
The pay schedule for 2025 has been adjusted to reflect the new holidays.

Resources for Human Resources Professionals

The following resources are available to human resources professionals to assist them in managing the 2025 federal payroll calendar:

OPM’s website: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-administration/payroll-calendars/
The Federal Register: https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/office-of-personnel-management
The General Services Administration (GSA): https://www.gsa.gov/

10. Key Dates for Human Resources Professionals

The following table provides key dates that human resources professionals should be aware of for the 2025 federal payroll calendar:

Date	Event
January 1	New Year’s Day (federal holiday)
January 20	Inauguration Day (federal holiday for employees in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area)
March 31	End of the first pay period of 2025
June 19	Juneteenth (federal holiday)
September 1	Labor Day (federal holiday)
November 11	Veterans Day (federal holiday)
November 27	Thanksgiving Day (federal holiday)
December 25	Christmas Day (federal holiday)