Free Guide: How to Read Your Civilian LES
A deduction you don't recognize. Leave you're about to lose. A remark about a debt. The DFAS guide to the civilian Leave and Earnings Statement runs 37 pages. This puts it in plain words on four, with every block numbered on a sample LES. Free. No email required.
Read the full DFAS Civilian LES Guide, the official source
What's inside
Page 1: a sample LES with every block numbered and color-coded, plus a two-minute check for every payday
Page 2: all 22 numbered blocks, what each one means, and the one thing worth checking
Page 3: earnings, a decoder for the deduction codes people ask about, how to read the leave section, and what your agency pays on top of your salary
Page 4: the remarks that need action, from held pay to overpayment collections to leave you are about to lose, and who to call
Who it's for
Federal civilians paid through DCPS, the DFAS civilian payroll system: DoD appropriated-fund civilians, VA, Energy, HHS, the Executive Office of the President, and USAGM. Dual-status technicians get their own notes, including why comp time is never paid out.
Help keep this accurate
DFAS and OPM are the official sources, and this guide points you to them. If something here no longer matches your LES, send me a note with the line and what changed. Never include your SSN, DoD ID number, or bank details.
Version 2.4. Checked October 2026 against the DFAS Civilian LES Guide (19-3, 37 pages).
The fine print
This is an unofficial plain-language summary of DFAS and OPM guidance, not policy. Your LES, your SF-50, and your payroll and HR offices are the record. Mission-Ready Tools is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by DFAS, OPM, or DoD. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice.
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Built by Brian Mongold, retired Chief Master Sergeant. See more Federal employee tools or all free tools.