List every payday for 2026, 2027 or 2028 in seconds. Choose weekly, biweekly, twice-a-month or monthly pay, and the calculator lists each pay date, moves paydays that land on a weekend or public holiday, counts how many paychecks fall in the year, and shows which months get an extra one. Add an annual salary to see gross pay per check, and download the dates as a CSV for your payroll calendar.
Pay period calculator
| # | Payday | Month |
|---|
Rows shaded are months with more paydays than usual. Dates moved because of a weekend or holiday show the scheduled date underneath.
How many pay periods are there in 2027?
| Pay frequency | Paydays in 2027 | Usual number |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly (Fridays) | 52 | 52 |
| Biweekly (every other Friday) | 26 | 26 |
| Semi-monthly (twice a month) | 24 | 24 |
| Monthly | 12 | 12 |
For US employers that move a holiday payday to the business day before. 2027 starts on a Friday, so it has 53 Fridays. On a biweekly schedule whose cycle lands on Friday January 1, 2027, that holiday payday moves back to Thursday December 31, 2026, and Friday December 31, 2027 (when New Year’s Day 2028 is observed) moves back to Thursday December 30. The result is 26 paydays in 2027 for both biweekly cycles.
Why some employers have 27 paydays in 2026
A year has 52 weeks and one or two extra days, so every 11 years or so a biweekly schedule fits 27 paydays into one calendar year. It happens to many employers in 2026. If your biweekly Friday paydays include January 2, 2026, the cycle reaches Friday January 1, 2027. That day is a holiday and banks are closed, so payroll usually runs on Thursday December 31, 2026, the 27th payday of 2026.
| Biweekly cycle (2026) | Paydays in 2026 | Paydays in 2027 | Months with 3 paydays in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts Friday January 2, 2026 | 27 | 26 | July, December |
| Starts Friday January 9, 2026 | 26 | 26 | April, October |
A 27th payday matters for salaried staff. Some employers keep the usual paycheck (annual salary ÷ 26), so pay for the year comes out about 3.8% higher. Others divide the salary by 27 for that year, so each check is a little smaller. Payroll teams should also check benefit deductions that assume 26 pay periods.
Biweekly or semi-monthly: what’s the difference?
- Biweekly means every two weeks, on the same weekday: 26 paydays most years, with two months that get three paychecks.
- Semi-monthly means twice a month on fixed dates, such as the 15th and the last day: always 24 paydays, so each paycheck is a bit larger than on a biweekly schedule with the same salary.
- Weekly gives 52 paydays, and 53 in years where the payday weekday occurs 53 times.
- Monthly gives 12 paydays a year.
Weekend and holiday rules
When a scheduled payday is a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday, most employers pay on the business day before, so staff are not paid late. Some pay on the business day after. Pick the rule your employer uses, and pick the holiday list that matches your bank. For counting working days between dates, use the business days calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many biweekly pay periods are in 2027?
26 for both common Friday cycles, if holiday paydays move to the business day before. Change the first payday in the calculator to check your own schedule.
Which months have 3 paychecks in 2027?
On a biweekly Friday schedule it depends on your cycle: either April and October (paydays January 8, 22 and so on), or July and December (paydays January 15, 29 and so on).
Is 2026 a 27 pay period year?
For many employers, yes. Biweekly cycles that include Friday January 2, 2026 have 27 paydays in 2026 when the January 1, 2027 payday is moved back to December 31, 2026.
How do I work out pay per check?
Divide the annual salary by the number of pay periods in a normal year: 52 for weekly, 26 for biweekly, 24 for semi-monthly and 12 for monthly. This is gross pay, before tax and deductions.
Can I download the pay dates?
Yes. Use Download as CSV under the table to save the dates for a spreadsheet or calendar.