Trump admin gave park cops a 3.8% raise and left most federal workers at 1%

Law enforcement rangers receive 3.8 percent raise

Law enforcement rangers at Grand Teton National Park and across the federal system got a 3.8 percent pay raise starting Jan. 11, 2026. Most other federal civilian workers received just 1 percent with no change to locality pay.

That makes the law enforcement bump nearly four times larger. President Trump signed the executive order on Dec. 18, 2025, and OPM Director Scott Kupor finalized the special salary rates in a Dec. 31 memo to agency heads.

Special rate adds 2.8 percent on top

OPM used its special salary rate authority to stack about 2.8 percent on top of the 1 percent base raise.

The combined 3.8 percent matches what military service members received.

But all law enforcement pay tops out at $197,200 per year, the Level IV Executive Schedule rate for 2026. That cap could keep some higher-paid officers from seeing the full increase.

OPM also told agencies they can request to add more law enforcement positions to the special rate at any time.

OPM calls the roles mission-critical

OPM said the special rates support hiring for roles it calls mission-critical.

Without higher pay, the agency warned it may struggle to recruit and keep officers needed for border security, federal law enforcement, and public safety.

The raise fits into a broader push from the Trump administration to boost pay for federal law enforcement.

A retired Grand Teton law enforcement ranger said the park had seen far fewer applicants for those jobs in recent years.

Raise covers agencies beyond park service

The raise reaches well beyond the national parks. It covers Customs and Border Protection agents, ICE special agents, Secret Service personnel, U.S. Marshals, FBI special agents, ATF agents, and federal correctional officers.

National Park Service law enforcement rangers, U.S. Park Police, and Forest Service law enforcement also qualify.

In January 2026, OPM expanded the list further to include positions at the Homeland Security, Treasury, and Commerce departments.

What law enforcement rangers actually do

Law enforcement rangers at Grand Teton handle speeding, DUI enforcement, resource violations, and illegal camping. They also respond to emergencies, wildlife conflicts, and search-and-rescue operations.

These rangers are different from interpretive rangers, who lead educational programs and staff visitor centers.

Law enforcement rangers already earn more than other rangers at each pay step on the federal pay scale, and the new raise widens that gap further.

Park law enforcement dropped 48 percent since 2010

The raise comes after years of steep decline. Park law enforcement positions fell 48 percent between 2010 and 2023, according to data Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

That includes a 27 percent drop between 2021 and 2023 alone. Seasonal law enforcement slots went from 825 in 2010 to just 43 in 2023.

An Interior Department task force found that low staffing hurt response times, officer safety, and retention.

Grand Teton lost nearly all supervisors

Grand Teton felt the cuts sharply. In early 2025, the park lost 16 of its 17 supervisory positions.

That left one person to hire, train, and supervise dozens of seasonal employees.

The cuts came as part of a broader reduction across the National Park Service that included about 1,000 probationary employees. Grand Teton was not alone.

Major parks like Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Zion faced similar reductions.

Park service lost 24 percent of workforce

The National Park Service has lost 24 percent of its permanent workforce since January 2025, according to the National Parks Conservation Association.

The system had about 20,000 full-time and seasonal employees under normal operations. Meanwhile, national parks set a record with 331.9 million visits in 2024.

Visitor numbers have climbed steadily for more than a decade while staffing has moved in the opposite direction.

Other federal workers push back on split

Federal employee groups criticized the split raise.

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association said the 1 percent increase fails to keep up with inflation.

The group also pointed out that remaining employees carry heavier workloads after large-scale layoffs.

At parks like Grand Teton, interpretive rangers, trail maintenance workers, and other non-law-enforcement staff will receive only the 1 percent bump, widening the pay gap within the same workplaces.

Senate bill targets outdated 911 systems

Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming sponsored the Making National Parks Safer Act to upgrade 911 call centers at national parks.

The bipartisan bill would equip dispatch centers with Next Generation 911 technology, allowing them to receive texts, images, and videos alongside traditional calls.

The National Park Service operates 41 call centers nationwide, many running on outdated systems.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed the bill unanimously in early February 2026, and it now heads to the full Senate.

Visitors may see mixed results

The pay raise could help parks attract and keep law enforcement rangers, which would improve emergency response times.

But shortages among non-law-enforcement staff may still mean longer entrance lines, reduced visitor center hours, and fewer guided programs.

The gap between law enforcement staffing and other park roles could widen if recruitment improves for rangers but not for the rest of the workforce.

Whether the raise puts more officers on the ground at places like Grand Teton is not yet clear.

A system stretched thin for over a decade

The 2026 raise addresses one piece of a staffing problem that built up over more than a decade. Park law enforcement has declined since at least 2010, while visitor numbers and emergency calls have grown.

The current administration has focused resources on law enforcement roles while reducing the overall federal workforce.

The National Park Service faces ongoing questions about how to run hundreds of sites with fewer people and tighter budgets.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• Trump admin, NPS is hiring 500 law enforcement officers to defend America’s parklands
• After a Brutal 2025, National Park Employees Are Facing a New Blow
• Covering Trump’s Face on Park Passes Can Get You Fined