Enter any payday you know and a year to get the full biweekly pay calendar: every payday, how many paychecks you get (26 or 27) and which months bring a third paycheck.
Last updated:
Your last or next payday; past or future both work.
$
Take-home or gross, for yearly totals.
Enter your values to see the result.
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How to use the Biweekly Pay Schedule Calculator
Enter a payday you know, such as your last pay date or the next one on your pay stub.
Choose the year you want the schedule for.
Add your paycheck amount (optional) to see yearly pay and a two-check monthly budget.
Read the results: total paychecks, the months with three paydays and the next payday.
Download the table as CSV to add the paydays to a calendar or budget sheet.
How biweekly paydays are calculated
Biweekly pay repeats every 14 days, always on the same weekday. From one known payday P, every other payday is P + 14 × k for a whole number k (negative k for earlier dates). To get a year's schedule, the calculator finds the first k that lands on or after January 1 and keeps adding 14 days until December 31.
A common year has 365 days (52 weeks + 1 day) and a leap year 366 days (52 weeks + 2 days). Twenty-seven paydays span 26 × 14 = 364 days, so a 27th payday only fits when the first payday of the year is on January 1 (January 1 or 2 in a leap year). Payroll and salaried budgets that divide by 26 then have one extra pay date to plan for.
Biweekly vs other pay frequencies
Pay frequency
Paychecks per year
Typical schedule
Paycheck from $52,000 salary
Weekly
52 (sometimes 53)
Same weekday every week
$1,000.00
Biweekly
26 (sometimes 27)
Same weekday every 2 weeks
$2,000.00
Semi-monthly
24
Two fixed dates, e.g. 15th and last day
$2,166.67
Monthly
12
One fixed date each month
$4,333.33
Tip: if your employer divides an annual salary by 26 and the year has 27 paydays, the extra paycheck is either a true bonus or the salary is divided by 27 that year. Ask your payroll team which method they use.
Frequently asked questions
How many biweekly paychecks are in a year?
Usually 26. Paydays repeat every 14 days, and 26 × 14 = 364 days, one or two days short of a year. That leftover adds up, so about every 11 years there are 27 biweekly paydays in a calendar year.
Which months have 3 paychecks?
With biweekly pay, two months a year usually contain three paydays (three in a 27-paycheck year). Which months depends on your payday. For Fridays starting January 9, 2026, the three-paycheck months are May and October; for Fridays starting January 2, 2026, they are January and July.
When does a year have 27 pay periods?
A calendar year has 27 biweekly paydays when the first payday of the year falls on January 1, or on January 1 or 2 in a leap year, because 26 more 14-day steps (364 days) then still land on or before December 31. For example, Friday paydays starting January 1, 2027 give 27 paychecks in 2027.
Is biweekly the same as semi-monthly?
No. Biweekly means every two weeks, giving 26 or 27 paychecks a year on the same weekday. Semi-monthly means twice a month on fixed dates such as the 15th and last day, giving exactly 24 paychecks of a slightly larger amount.
How should I budget with biweekly pay?
A common method is to budget each month on two paychecks and treat the third paycheck in the two extra months as a bonus for savings, debt payments or irregular bills. The calculator shows the two-check monthly amount when you enter your paycheck.
What if my payday falls on a holiday?
Most employers pay on the previous business day when a payday falls on a bank holiday or weekend. The schedule here shows the regular 14-day cycle; check your employer's payroll calendar for holiday adjustments.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.