Biweekly Pay Schedule 2027
26 paydays for almost every schedule. The exception is the Friday schedule that paid on January 2, 2026. Its next payday is Friday, January 1, 2027, New Year's Day, when direct deposits don't settle. Paid early on Thursday, December 31, 2026, that check belongs to 2026, which then has 27 paydays and 2027 has 26. Paid late on Monday, January 4, 2027, 2026 has 26 and 2027 has 27. Either way the schedule pays 53 times across the two years; only the year with the extra check changes.
26 paydays in 2027
| # | Payday | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fri, Jan 8, 2027 | |
| 2 | Fri, Jan 22, 2027 | |
| 3 | Fri, Feb 5, 2027 | |
| 4 | Fri, Feb 19, 2027 | |
| 5 | Fri, Mar 5, 2027 | |
| 6 | Fri, Mar 19, 2027 | |
| 7 | Fri, Apr 2, 2027 | |
| 8 | Fri, Apr 16, 2027 | |
| 9 | Fri, Apr 30, 2027 | |
| 10 | Fri, May 14, 2027 | |
| 11 | Fri, May 28, 2027 | |
| 12 | Fri, Jun 11, 2027 | |
| 13 | Fri, Jun 25, 2027 | |
| 14 | Fri, Jul 9, 2027 | |
| 15 | Fri, Jul 23, 2027 | |
| 16 | Fri, Aug 6, 2027 | |
| 17 | Fri, Aug 20, 2027 | |
| 18 | Fri, Sep 3, 2027 | |
| 19 | Fri, Sep 17, 2027 | |
| 20 | Fri, Oct 1, 2027 | |
| 21 | Fri, Oct 15, 2027 | |
| 22 | Fri, Oct 29, 2027 | |
| 23 | Fri, Nov 12, 2027 | |
| 24 | Fri, Nov 26, 2027 | |
| 25 | Fri, Dec 10, 2027 | |
| 26 | Fri, Dec 24, 2027 |
Any weekday, any start date, even one from 2026. Bank holidays follow the Federal Reserve calendar. Last updated: October 2026.
Which year gets the 27th check
26 biweekly paydays cover 364 days, so a schedule drifts one day earlier on the calendar each year (two after a leap day), and now and then a 27th payday fits into one calendar year. For the Friday schedule that started on January 2, 2026, the extra payday is January 1, 2027, and New Year's Day decides which year keeps it.
| Friday schedule that paid Jan 2, 2026 | Paid the day before | Paid the day after |
|---|---|---|
| The January 1, 2027 check lands | Thu, Dec 31, 2026 | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 |
| Paydays in 2026 | 27 | 26 |
| Paydays in 2027 | 26 | 27 |
| First 2027 payday | Fri, Jan 15 | Mon, Jan 4 |
| Last 2027 payday | Fri, Dec 31 | Fri, Dec 31 |
Wages count in the year they are paid, so the W-2 follows the same split; the direct deposit holiday schedule has the IRS wording. Employers that divide a salary by 27 in that year pay a smaller check each time, so it is worth knowing which year it is before the budget is set. The 2026 side of this is on the biweekly pay schedule 2026.
Friday holidays that don't move a payday
Juneteenth, Christmas and New Year's Day 2028 all fall on a Saturday, so federal offices close on Friday, June 18, Friday, December 24 and Friday, December 31, 2027. The Federal Reserve Banks stay open on all three; its K.8 holiday list names them: "the Federal Reserve Banks are open, but the Board of Governors is closed on … June 18, 2027, December 24, 2027, December 31, 2027." Direct deposits settle normally, so a payday on any of those Fridays stays put. Some employers still move them: the University of Richmond's 2027 calendar pays June 17 instead of June 18.
Every 2027 holiday move, by payday
A biweekly payroll meets only the holidays in its own weeks, so each weekday has two schedules, one week apart. Find yours by the date of your first payday in January.
| Payday | Holidays it meets | Paid the day before | Paid the day after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, first payday Jan 4 | Jan 18, Feb 15, Jul 5, Oct 11 | Fri Jan 15, Fri Feb 12, Fri Jul 2, Fri Oct 8 | Tue Jan 19, Tue Feb 16, Tue Jul 6, Tue Oct 12 |
| Monday, first payday Jan 11 | May 31, Sep 6 | Fri May 28, Fri Sep 3 | Tue Jun 1, Tue Sep 7 |
| Tuesday, first payday Jan 5 | None | — | — |
| Tuesday, first payday Jan 12 | None | — | — |
| Wednesday, first payday Jan 6 | None | — | — |
| Wednesday, first payday Jan 13 | None | — | — |
| Thursday, first payday Jan 7 | Nov 11, Nov 25 | Wed Nov 10, Wed Nov 24 | Fri Nov 12, Fri Nov 26 |
| Thursday, first payday Jan 14 | None | — | — |
| Friday, first payday Jan 1 | Jan 1 | Thu Dec 31, 2026 | Mon Jan 4 |
| Friday, first payday Jan 8 | None (Dec 24 stays a payday) | — | — |
Monday schedules carry almost all of it: the one that starts January 4 meets four holidays, the one that starts January 11 meets two. Tuesday and Wednesday payrolls never move in 2027.
Questions
How many biweekly paydays are in 2027?
26, except for the Friday schedule whose first 2027 payday is January 1. That one has 27 if the New Year's Day check is paid on January 4, and 26 if it was paid on December 31, 2026.
Is December 24, 2027 a payday?
For the Friday schedule that pays January 8, 2027, yes. Federal offices observe Christmas that day, but the Federal Reserve Banks are open.
When is the last biweekly payday of 2027?
Friday, December 24 or Friday, December 31 for the two Friday schedules. Use the tool above for any other day.
Does weekly pay have the same problem?
Yes, every year that starts on a payday's weekday. See the weekly pay schedule 2026.
How many pay periods do other schedules have in 2027?
Weekly, semi-monthly and monthly counts for 2027 are on how many pay periods in 2027. Which months get a third check, cycle by cycle, is on the 2027 pay calendar.
Which way a payday moves when it lands on a holiday or weekend, by employer and pay frequency, is on pay schedule.
What each check comes to, at 26 and at 27 paydays, is on bi-weekly paycheck.
Paydays are computed in your browser, 14 days apart from the date you enter, using the Federal Reserve holiday schedule (Federal Reserve Board K.8, 2026–2030) and U.S. federal holidays in 5 U.S.C. 6103. Your employer's payroll policy decides which way a holiday payday moves.