2026 Biweekly Payroll Calendar
Every 2026 pay date with holiday adjustments, plus a generator for your own schedule.
2026 biweekly pay dates (Friday schedule A: starts Jan 2)
Use this table if your first 2026 payday is Fri, Jan 2, 2026. Dates already include the weekend and federal holiday adjustment (pay the business day before). Prefer a file? Download this calendar as PDF or Excel.
| # | Period start | Period end | Pay date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 14 | Dec 27 | Fri, Jan 2, 2026 |
| 2 | Dec 28 | Jan 10 | Fri, Jan 16, 2026 |
| 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 24 | Fri, Jan 30, 2026 |
| 4 | Jan 25 | Feb 7 | Fri, Feb 13, 2026 |
| 5 | Feb 8 | Feb 21 | Fri, Feb 27, 2026 |
| 6 | Feb 22 | Mar 7 | Fri, Mar 13, 2026 |
| 7 | Mar 8 | Mar 21 | Fri, Mar 27, 2026 |
| 8 | Mar 22 | Apr 4 | Fri, Apr 10, 2026 |
| 9 | Apr 5 | Apr 18 | Fri, Apr 24, 2026 |
| 10 | Apr 19 | May 2 | Fri, May 8, 2026 |
| 11 | May 3 | May 16 | Fri, May 22, 2026 |
| 12 | May 17 | May 30 | Fri, Jun 5, 2026 |
| 13 | May 31 | Jun 13 | Thu, Jun 18, 2026 (moved from Jun 19) |
| 14 | Jun 14 | Jun 27 | Thu, Jul 2, 2026 (moved from Jul 3) |
| 15 | Jun 28 | Jul 11 | Fri, Jul 17, 2026 |
| 16 | Jul 12 | Jul 25 | Fri, Jul 31, 2026 |
| 17 | Jul 26 | Aug 8 | Fri, Aug 14, 2026 |
| 18 | Aug 9 | Aug 22 | Fri, Aug 28, 2026 |
| 19 | Aug 23 | Sep 5 | Fri, Sep 11, 2026 |
| 20 | Sep 6 | Sep 19 | Fri, Sep 25, 2026 |
| 21 | Sep 20 | Oct 3 | Fri, Oct 9, 2026 |
| 22 | Oct 4 | Oct 17 | Fri, Oct 23, 2026 |
| 23 | Oct 18 | Oct 31 | Fri, Nov 6, 2026 |
| 24 | Nov 1 | Nov 14 | Fri, Nov 20, 2026 |
| 25 | Nov 15 | Nov 28 | Fri, Dec 4, 2026 |
| 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 12 | Fri, Dec 18, 2026 |
Months with three paychecks on this schedule: January, July (details).
2026 biweekly pay dates (Friday schedule B: starts Jan 9)
Use this table if your first 2026 payday is Fri, Jan 9, 2026. This schedule has 26 paychecks in 2026.
| # | Period start | Period end | Pay date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dec 21 | Jan 3 | Fri, Jan 9, 2026 |
| 2 | Jan 4 | Jan 17 | Fri, Jan 23, 2026 |
| 3 | Jan 18 | Jan 31 | Fri, Feb 6, 2026 |
| 4 | Feb 1 | Feb 14 | Fri, Feb 20, 2026 |
| 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 28 | Fri, Mar 6, 2026 |
| 6 | Mar 1 | Mar 14 | Fri, Mar 20, 2026 |
| 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 28 | Fri, Apr 3, 2026 |
| 8 | Mar 29 | Apr 11 | Fri, Apr 17, 2026 |
| 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 25 | Fri, May 1, 2026 |
| 10 | Apr 26 | May 9 | Fri, May 15, 2026 |
| 11 | May 10 | May 23 | Fri, May 29, 2026 |
| 12 | May 24 | Jun 6 | Fri, Jun 12, 2026 |
| 13 | Jun 7 | Jun 20 | Fri, Jun 26, 2026 |
| 14 | Jun 21 | Jul 4 | Fri, Jul 10, 2026 |
| 15 | Jul 5 | Jul 18 | Fri, Jul 24, 2026 |
| 16 | Jul 19 | Aug 1 | Fri, Aug 7, 2026 |
| 17 | Aug 2 | Aug 15 | Fri, Aug 21, 2026 |
| 18 | Aug 16 | Aug 29 | Fri, Sep 4, 2026 |
| 19 | Aug 30 | Sep 12 | Fri, Sep 18, 2026 |
| 20 | Sep 13 | Sep 26 | Fri, Oct 2, 2026 |
| 21 | Sep 27 | Oct 10 | Fri, Oct 16, 2026 |
| 22 | Oct 11 | Oct 24 | Fri, Oct 30, 2026 |
| 23 | Oct 25 | Nov 7 | Fri, Nov 13, 2026 |
| 24 | Nov 8 | Nov 21 | Fri, Nov 27, 2026 |
| 25 | Nov 22 | Dec 5 | Fri, Dec 11, 2026 |
| 26 | Dec 6 | Dec 19 | Thu, Dec 24, 2026 (moved from Dec 25) |
Months with three paychecks on this schedule: May, October.
How many pay periods are in 2026?
- Biweekly: 26 pay periods in most years. In 2026, a Friday schedule starting Jan 2 has 26 scheduled paydays (26 paid in 2026 after holiday adjustments); a schedule starting Jan 9 has 26.
- Weekly: 52 paydays in most years; 53 when your payday falls on the same weekday as January 1 (in a leap year, also January 2).
- Semi-monthly: always 24 pay periods.
- Monthly: always 12 pay periods.
Full breakdown: How many pay periods are in 2026? Paid on a different day? Switch the frequency in the generator above, or open the 2026 semi-monthly calendar or the 2026 weekly calendar.
2026 federal holidays that move paydays
When a payday lands on a bank holiday, payroll usually runs one business day earlier. These are the observed U.S. federal holidays for 2026:
| Holiday | Date | Observed |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu, Jan 1, 2026 | Same day |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Mon, Jan 19, 2026 | Same day |
| Washington's Birthday (Presidents Day) | Mon, Feb 16, 2026 | Same day |
| Memorial Day | Mon, May 25, 2026 | Same day |
| Juneteenth | Fri, Jun 19, 2026 | Same day |
| Independence Day | Sat, Jul 4, 2026 | Fri, Jul 3, 2026 |
| Labor Day | Mon, Sep 7, 2026 | Same day |
| Columbus Day | Mon, Oct 12, 2026 | Same day |
| Veterans Day | Wed, Nov 11, 2026 | Same day |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, Nov 26, 2026 | Same day |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25, 2026 | Same day |
See the number of business days in each month on the 2026 work days by month page.
How to use this payroll calendar generator
- Pick the year and how often you pay employees (or how often you get paid).
- For weekly or biweekly pay, enter the first payday of the year. Not sure? Check your last pay stub of the previous year and add 7 or 14 days.
- Choose what happens when a payday falls on a weekend or bank holiday. Most employers pay the business day before.
- Download the schedule as CSV for Excel or Google Sheets, add every payday to Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar with the .ics file, or print it / save it as PDF.
Everything runs in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded.
More 2026 payroll pages
- 2026 payroll calendar PDF & Excel downloads
- Which months have 3 paychecks in 2026?
- How many pay periods are in 2026?
- 2026 year-end payroll: last pay dates and W-2 cutoff
- 2026 federal pay period calendar (OPM/NFC)
- 2026 semi-monthly payroll calendar
- 2026 weekly payroll calendar
- 2026 work days by month
Other years: 2027 payroll calendar · 2026 payroll calendar
FAQ
Are there 27 pay periods in 2026?
No. Biweekly Friday schedules have 26 paydays in 2026. The 27-payday years are those where January 1 falls on your payday weekday.
Which months in 2026 have three biweekly paychecks?
On a schedule starting Jan 2: January, July. On a schedule starting Jan 9: May, October.
What happens if payday falls on a holiday?
Most employers and payroll providers pay on the previous business day, because banks do not process direct deposits on weekends and federal holidays. You can switch the rule in the generator.
Is a biweekly payroll the same as semi-monthly?
No. Biweekly pay happens every two weeks on the same weekday (26 or 27 times a year). Semi-monthly pay happens twice a month on fixed dates such as the 15th and the last day (24 times a year).
Can I download the calendar as a PDF or Excel file?
Yes. Every schedule on this site is available as a printable PDF and an .xlsx file on the 2026 downloads page, and the generator exports CSV and .ics for any custom schedule.