2026 Semi-Monthly Pay Schedule
- Semi-monthly, 15th and last day
- Bank holiday or federal day off
- Payday moved off a weekend or holiday
January 2026
TodayFebruary 2026
TodayMarch 2026
TodayApril 2026
TodayMay 2026
TodayJune 2026
TodayJuly 2026
TodayAugust 2026
TodaySeptember 2026
TodayOctober 2026
TodayNovember 2026
TodayDecember 2026
TodayEvery payday in 2026
| # | Payday | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thursday | Thursday | |
| 2 | Friday | Friday | Moved from Saturday, Jan 31 (Saturday) |
| 3 | Friday | Friday | Moved from Sunday, Feb 15 (Sunday) |
| 4 | Friday | Friday | Moved from Saturday, Feb 28 (Saturday) |
| 5 | Friday | Friday | Moved from Sunday, Mar 15 (Sunday) |
| 6 | Tuesday | Tuesday | |
| 7 | Wednesday | Wednesday | |
| 8 | Thursday | Thursday | |
| 9 | Friday | Friday | |
| 10 | Friday | Friday | Moved from Sunday, May 31 (Sunday) |
| 11 | Monday | Monday | |
| 12 | Tuesday | Tuesday | |
| 13 | Wednesday | Wednesday | |
| 14 | Friday | Friday | |
| 15 | Friday | Friday | Moved from Saturday, Aug 15 (Saturday) |
| 16 | Monday | Monday | |
| 17 | Tuesday | Tuesday | |
| 18 | Wednesday | Wednesday | |
| 19 | Thursday | Thursday | |
| 20 | Friday | Friday | Moved from Saturday, Oct 31 (Saturday) |
| 21 | Friday | Friday | Moved from Sunday, Nov 15 (Sunday) |
| 22 | Monday | Monday | |
| 23 | Tuesday | Tuesday | |
| 24 | Thursday | Thursday |
Notes
A semi-monthly payroll pays twice a month on fixed dates, so there are 24 paydays in 2026 and never a 3-paycheck month. On the 15th and last day schedule, 8 of the 24 paydays fall on a weekend or bank holiday and move to the business day before. On the 1st and 15th schedule the year line moves: Thursday, January 1, 2026 is paid Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and Friday, January 1, 2027 is paid Thursday, December 31, 2026, so 2026 has 24 paydays on that schedule.
Computed schedules for planning. Your employer's payroll calendar is the final word.
Questions
How many semi-monthly paydays are there in 2026?
24, two in every month. On the 1st and 15th schedule, a January 1 payday moved to December 31 counts in the year before, so the count by pay date in 2026 is 24.
What is the difference between semi-monthly and biweekly?
Semi-monthly pays on two fixed dates each month, 24 times a year, with paydays that land on different weekdays. Biweekly pays every other week on the same weekday, 26 times in most years and 27 in some, which is where 3-paycheck months come from.
What if the 15th falls on a weekend?
It is usually paid the Friday before. In 2026 that happens in February, March, August and November.