How to use the pay period calendar
- Choose how often you're paid: weekly, every two weeks (biweekly), twice a month (semi-monthly) or monthly.
- For weekly and biweekly pay, enter any payday on your schedule, such as your next one. The calendar extends the pattern forward and back. For semi-monthly pay, pick your two days; for monthly, the day of the month.
- Choose what happens when a payday lands on a weekend or holiday. Most employers pay on the business day before. Pick US bank holidays if your pay comes by direct deposit and your employer follows the Federal Reserve calendar.
- Read the year view and payday list, then download a one-page PDF, add every payday to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook with the .ics file, or copy a link to share the schedule.
26 or 27 pay periods?
Biweekly pay usually means 26 paychecks, but 26 two-week periods cover only 364 days. The leftover day (two in a leap year) moves your paydays one calendar day earlier each year. About every 11 years the first payday falls on January 1, or January 2 in a leap year, and a 27th fits in before December 31. Weekly pay works the same way: 52 paychecks most years, 53 when the year has 53 of your payday weekday.
2027 starts on a Friday and has 53 Fridays. An every-other-Friday schedule with a payday on Fri, Jan 1, 2027 would have 27 paydays on paper, but that one falls on New Year's Day. Paid the business day before, on Thu, Dec 31, 2026, it counts toward 2026. That schedule ends up with 26 paychecks in 2027 and 27 in 2026.
A 27th paycheck matters if you're salaried. Your employer either pays the extra check or divides your annual salary by 27, which makes each paycheck smaller. Per-paycheck deductions, such as health premiums or 401(k) contributions, can also add up differently that year. Paychecks are reported for the year you receive them, so a payday moved to December 31 lands on that year's W-2.
3-paycheck months in 2027
If you're paid biweekly and budget monthly, the two months with a third paycheck are the ones to plan around. For Friday paydays in 2027 (moved to the day before for weekends and federal holidays):
| Schedule | First 2027 payday | Paychecks | Extra-paycheck months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every other Friday | Fri, Jan 8, 2027 | 26 | April and October (3 each) |
| Every other Friday | Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | 26 | July and December (3 each) |
| Every Friday | Fri, Jan 8, 2027 | 52 | April, July, October and December (5 each) |
Other weekdays give different months, so enter your own payday above to see yours.
Weekend and holiday rules
No federal law says which day a moved payday lands on. It depends on your employer and state, so check your payroll calendar. Federal employees get a Saturday holiday off on the Friday before and a Sunday holiday on the Monday after. Banks follow the Federal Reserve, which closes on the Monday after a Sunday holiday but stays open on the Friday before a Saturday one. In 2027, for example, the calendar shows Christmas (a Saturday) as a federal day off on Friday, December 24. With US bank holidays selected, that Friday counts as a normal banking day.
To plan the rest of your year on paper, make a printable calendar with holidays marked. For a paycheck budget log, print some lined paper.
Frequently asked questions
How many pay periods are there in 2027?
Most biweekly schedules have 26 paydays in 2027 and weekly schedules have 52. 2027 has 53 Fridays because it starts on a Friday. But the every-other-Friday schedule that includes Friday, January 1, 2027 usually pays that check on Thursday, December 31, 2026 (New Year's Day is a holiday), so it also has 26 paydays in 2027. Semi-monthly pay gives 24 paychecks and monthly pay gives 12.
Which months have 3 paychecks in 2027?
It depends on your payday. If you're paid every other Friday starting January 8, 2027, April and October have three paychecks. On the other Friday schedule (January 15, 29 and so on) it's July and December, counting paydays moved off holidays to the day before. Enter your own payday in the calendar to see your months.
Why do some years have 27 biweekly pay periods?
Twenty-six two-week periods cover 364 days, one short of a year (two short in a leap year). The dates drift a day earlier every year, and about every 11 years the first payday falls on January 1 (or January 2 in a leap year), leaving room for a 27th payday before December 31. The calendar lists the next 27-paycheck years for your schedule.
What happens when payday falls on a weekend or holiday?
Most employers pay on the business day before; some pay the business day after. No federal law sets the rule, so check your employer's payroll policy. The calendar supports both, and lets you skip US federal holidays or the Federal Reserve's bank holidays, which differ when a holiday falls on a Saturday.
What's the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly pay?
Biweekly means every two weeks on the same weekday, for 26 paychecks in most years. Semi-monthly means twice a month on fixed dates, such as the 1st and 15th or the 15th and the last day, for 24 paychecks. Biweekly paychecks are smaller, but two months a year have three of them.
How do I add my paydays to Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar?
Click Add to calendar (.ics) to download a calendar file with every payday of the year you're viewing as an all-day event. In Google Calendar use Settings > Import. In Outlook or Apple Calendar, open the file. Switch the year and export again to add the next year.
Is my information stored or uploaded?
No. The calendar is calculated in your browser, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. A share link stores your settings in the web address itself, so only people you send it to can see them.