2026 has 27 biweekly paydays on schedule A (first payday January 2) and 26 on schedule B (first payday January 9). Three-paycheck months are January, July and December on schedule A and May and October on schedule B.
A biweekly payroll pays every 14 days. With Friday paydays there are two possible schedules, named here by their first payday of 2026: schedule A (January 2) and schedule B (January 9). A payday that falls on a bank holiday moves to the previous business day (see bank holidays). The example pay period is two weeks, Sunday to Saturday, ending six days before payday; your employer's period may differ.
Schedule A (first payday January 2): 27 paydays
#
Payday
Example pay period
1
Sun, Dec 14, 2025 – Sat, Dec 27, 2025
2
Sun, Dec 28, 2025 – Sat, Jan 10
3
Sun, Jan 11 – Sat, Jan 24
4
Sun, Jan 25 – Sat, Feb 7
5
Sun, Feb 8 – Sat, Feb 21
6
Sun, Feb 22 – Sat, Mar 7
7
Sun, Mar 8 – Sat, Mar 21
8
Sun, Mar 22 – Sat, Apr 4
9
Sun, Apr 5 – Sat, Apr 18
10
Sun, Apr 19 – Sat, May 2
11
Sun, May 3 – Sat, May 16
12
Sun, May 17 – Sat, May 30
13
(June 19 is Juneteenth — paid the business day before)
Sun, May 31 – Sat, Jun 13
14
(federal offices closed; banks open)
Sun, Jun 14 – Sat, Jun 27
15
Sun, Jun 28 – Sat, Jul 11
16
Sun, Jul 12 – Sat, Jul 25
17
Sun, Jul 26 – Sat, Aug 8
18
Sun, Aug 9 – Sat, Aug 22
19
Sun, Aug 23 – Sat, Sep 5
20
Sun, Sep 6 – Sat, Sep 19
21
Sun, Sep 20 – Sat, Oct 3
22
Sun, Oct 4 – Sat, Oct 17
23
Sun, Oct 18 – Sat, Oct 31
24
Sun, Nov 1 – Sat, Nov 14
25
Sun, Nov 15 – Sat, Nov 28
26
Sun, Nov 29 – Sat, Dec 12
27
(January 1 is New Year's Day — paid the business day before)
Sun, Dec 13 – Sat, Dec 26
Schedule B (first payday January 9): 26 paydays
#
Payday
Example pay period
1
Sun, Dec 21, 2025 – Sat, Jan 3
2
Sun, Jan 4 – Sat, Jan 17
3
Sun, Jan 18 – Sat, Jan 31
4
Sun, Feb 1 – Sat, Feb 14
5
Sun, Feb 15 – Sat, Feb 28
6
Sun, Mar 1 – Sat, Mar 14
7
Sun, Mar 15 – Sat, Mar 28
8
Sun, Mar 29 – Sat, Apr 11
9
Sun, Apr 12 – Sat, Apr 25
10
Sun, Apr 26 – Sat, May 9
11
Sun, May 10 – Sat, May 23
12
Sun, May 24 – Sat, Jun 6
13
Sun, Jun 7 – Sat, Jun 20
14
Sun, Jun 21 – Sat, Jul 4
15
Sun, Jul 5 – Sat, Jul 18
16
Sun, Jul 19 – Sat, Aug 1
17
Sun, Aug 2 – Sat, Aug 15
18
Sun, Aug 16 – Sat, Aug 29
19
Sun, Aug 30 – Sat, Sep 12
20
Sun, Sep 13 – Sat, Sep 26
21
Sun, Sep 27 – Sat, Oct 10
22
Sun, Oct 11 – Sat, Oct 24
23
Sun, Oct 25 – Sat, Nov 7
24
Sun, Nov 8 – Sat, Nov 21
25
Sun, Nov 22 – Sat, Dec 5
26
(December 25 is Christmas Day — paid the business day before)
Sun, Dec 6 – Sat, Dec 19
Paychecks per month in 2026
Number of paydays in each month for every pay frequency. Months with three biweekly paychecks or five weekly paydays are marked.
Semi-monthly payroll here pays on the 15th and the last day of each month; monthly payroll pays on the last business day. A date on a weekend or bank holiday moves to the previous business day. Employers choose their own dates — some pay on the 1st and 15th.
2026 has 52 Fridays, and 53 weekly paychecks are paid in 2026. Months with five weekly paydays: January, May, July, October and December.
Friday, January 1, 2027 is New Year's Day, so that payday moves to Thursday, December 31, 2026 and counts toward 2026.
26 or 27 pay periods in 2026?
A biweekly schedule pays every 14 days, and 26 × 14 = 364 days — one day short of a common year and two short of a leap year. Each year the same schedule's paydays land one day earlier on the calendar (two days after a February 29), so roughly every 11 years a schedule fits 27 paydays into one calendar year. Paychecks count toward the year in which they are paid, so a payday moved from Friday, January 1 to Thursday, December 31 belongs to the earlier year.
Why it matters for salaried employees. On a $60,000 salary, dividing by 26 gives $2,307.69 per paycheck and dividing by 27 gives $2,222.22. In a 27-paycheck year an employer either keeps the usual amount — 27 × $2,307.69 = $62,307.63 paid in that calendar year — or divides the salary by 27 so each check is smaller. Check your employer's policy, including how per-paycheck benefit and retirement deductions are handled.
2026 bank holidays used for pay dates
Paydays here never fall on a weekend or a Federal Reserve holiday: such a payday moves to the previous business day (some employers use the next business day instead). The Federal Reserve observes the 11 federal holidays; one that falls on a Sunday is observed on Monday. In 2026 the Federal Reserve is closed on: New Year's Day – Thu, Jan 1; Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Mon, Jan 19; Presidents' Day – Mon, Feb 16; Memorial Day – Mon, May 25; Juneteenth – Fri, Jun 19; Labor Day – Mon, Sep 7; Columbus Day – Mon, Oct 12; Veterans Day – Wed, Nov 11; Thanksgiving Day – Thu, Nov 26; Christmas Day – Fri, Dec 25.
When a federal holiday falls on a Saturday, federal offices close on the Friday before but Reserve Banks stay open, so direct deposits are not delayed and the Friday remains a payday: Independence Day (observed) – Fri, Jul 3.
Frequently asked questions
Does 2026 have 27 pay periods?
Yes. Schedule A has 27 paydays, including Thursday, December 31, 2026 for the Friday, January 1, 2027 payday (New Year's Day); if your employer pays on the next business day, Monday, January 4, 2027, it has 26 in 2026; schedule B has 26 paydays. The next year with 27 Friday paydays: 2032 for the schedule with a payday on January 2, 2032; 2037 for the schedule with a payday on January 2, 2037.
What is the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly pay?
Biweekly pay arrives every other week on the same weekday — 26 paychecks in most years, 27 in some. Semi-monthly pay arrives on two fixed dates each month, so there are always 24 paychecks and the weekday changes. On a $60,000 salary a semi-monthly check is $2,500.00 and a biweekly check $2,307.69.
When is the last payday of 2026?
Biweekly schedule A: Thursday, December 31, 2026; schedule B: Thursday, December 24, 2026; semi-monthly and monthly payroll: Thursday, December 31, 2026; weekly Friday payroll: Thursday, December 31, 2026.