Military pay dates, December 2026
DFAS's 2026 active-duty table, read October 10, 2026. Bank windows from each institution's own page, read October 28, 2026.
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Tuesday, December 1
Pay for the second half of November.
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Tuesday, December 15
Pay for the first half of December.
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Thursday, December 31
Pay for the second half of December, the deposit that would otherwise land on the 1st of next month; moved up from the 1st of next month because that date is a holiday-adjacent date.
In December 2026 the 1st is a Tuesday and the 15th is a Tuesday. Federal holiday this month: Christmas Day (Friday the 25th), which banks skip when they count business days. Tuesday the 1st comes 11 business days after the previous payday; Tuesday the 15th comes 10 business days after the previous payday; Thursday the 31st comes 11 business days after the previous payday.
Earliest each deposit could post, by institution
The five with published calendars print their own dates on their pages (linked). The rest state a window for eligible deposits; "earliest" counts that window back from the DFAS date, skipping weekends and federal holidays, and is a best case, not a promise.
| Institution | DFAS December 1 | DFAS December 15 | DFAS December 31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy Federal | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| USAA | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| PenFed | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| Armed Forces Bank | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| Service Credit Union | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page | Published calendar: see its page |
| Ally Bank (up to 2 business days) | Friday, November 27 | Friday, December 11 | Tuesday, December 29 |
| Andrews FCU (up to a day early) | Monday, November 30 | Monday, December 14 | Wednesday, December 30 |
| Capital One (up to 2 days) | Friday, November 27 | Friday, December 11 | Tuesday, December 29 |
| Chase (up to two business days) | Friday, November 27 | Friday, December 11 | Tuesday, December 29 |
| Chime (up to 2 days) | Friday, November 27 | Friday, December 11 | Tuesday, December 29 |
| Current (up to 2 days) | Friday, November 27 | Friday, December 11 | Tuesday, December 29 |
| Hanscom FCU (up to two days) | Friday, November 27 | Friday, December 11 | Tuesday, December 29 |
| Langley FCU (up to 3 days) | Wednesday, November 25 | Thursday, December 10 | Monday, December 28 |
Early posting depends on when DFAS sends the file, so set autopay to the DFAS date. November | January | all of 2026 and every bank's policy
Frequently asked questions
When does the military get paid in December 2026?
Tuesday, December 1 (pay for the second half of November); Tuesday, December 15 (pay for the first half of December); Thursday, December 31 (pay for the second half of December, the deposit that would otherwise land on the 1st of next month, moved up from the 1st of next month because that date is a holiday-adjacent date).
Why does December 2026 have 3 paydays?
The 1st and the 15th, each moved to the prior business day where needed.
Tools for this topic
- Deployment pay calculator Special pays plus the tax a combat-zone month removes.
- SDP calculator What the deployed 10% program pays.
- Savings calculator What the 6% cap saves you per month and per year.
Heads up: SCRA Saver publishes general information, not legal or financial advice. Laws change and every situation differs. Confirm details with your installation legal assistance office (free for service members) or a licensed professional.