PAY · FREE
How Many Pay Periods in a Year?
Weekly is 52, biweekly is 26, semi-monthly is 24 and monthly is 12. Enter your schedule to see your exact number of paychecks this year.
PAYCHECKS THIS YEAR
EVERY PAYDAY
Know which bills each paycheck covers.
Billday is a private bill organizer for iPhone. Add your paydays once, and every bill lands under the paycheck that pays it, with what's left after each one. No bank login, no account.
Pay periods per year by pay frequency
Every pay frequency divides the year into a fixed number of pay periods. The paycheck count for a given calendar year can differ by one for weekly and biweekly pay.
| Pay frequency | Pay periods per year | Paychecks per month |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 52 (53 in some years) | 4 or 5 |
| Biweekly (every 2 weeks) | 26 (27 in some years) | 2 or 3 |
| Semi-monthly (twice a month) | 24 | Always 2 |
| Monthly | 12 | Always 1 |
Pay periods vs. paychecks
A pay period is the span of time a paycheck covers. A paycheck is the payment itself. They line up one to one, so 26 biweekly pay periods means 26 paychecks. The number that can change is how many pay dates fall inside a particular calendar year.
Why some years have 27 paychecks
A year has 365 days (366 in a leap year), but 52 weeks and 26 two-week cycles are both 364 days. When your first payday of the year lands on January 1, the cycle runs through December 31 and fits one extra payday: 53 weekly or 27 biweekly paychecks. In a leap year, a first payday on January 1 or 2 does the same. For biweekly pay it happens roughly once every 11 years.
How the number of pay periods affects your pay
Salaried pay is the annual salary divided by the number of pay periods. A $52,000 salary pays $1,000.00 weekly, $2,000.00 biweekly, $2,166.67 semi-monthly or $4,333.33 monthly. In a 27-paycheck year a salaried employee still earns the same annual salary, so each paycheck is not larger. Hourly workers simply get one more check.
Frequently asked questions
How many pay periods are in a year?
Weekly pay has 52 pay periods, biweekly has 26, semi-monthly has 24 and monthly has 12. Weekly and biweekly schedules have 53 and 27 pay dates in some calendar years.
How many paychecks are in a year if I get paid every two weeks?
26 in most years. Some years have 27, when your first payday falls on January 1 (or January 1 or 2 in a leap year). Enter any one of your paydays above to see your exact count for the year.
How many paychecks are in a year if I get paid twice a month?
24, always. Semi-monthly pay has exactly two paydays every month, usually the 15th and the last day or the 1st and 15th.
How many biweekly pay periods are in a month?
Two in most months, three in two months of the year. Those three-paycheck months fall where the 14-day cycle fits a third payday before the month ends.
Is a 27-paycheck year extra money?
For hourly workers it is one extra check. For salaried workers the annual pay is unchanged and each check is slightly smaller than a year with 26, so it works out the same.
How do I calculate pay per pay period?
Divide your annual salary by the pay periods per year: 52, 26, 24 or 12. Enter your salary in the calculator to get the gross amount for each paycheck before tax.
Are my dates saved?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.