Payroll calendar · 2027 · United States
2027 Payroll Calendar: Biweekly, Semi-Monthly and Monthly Pay Dates
Plan every 2027 pay date in one place. This payroll calendar lists biweekly Friday paydays for both common cycles, semi-monthly and monthly paydays moved off weekends and bank holidays, the 2027 federal holidays, and the working days and hours in each month.
- Biweekly paydays (Friday)
- 26
- Semi-monthly paydays
- 24
- Fridays in 2027
- 53
- Federal holidays
- 11
2027 payroll calendar: working days and hours in every month
Working days, work hours and observed federal holidays for each month of 2027. Use them to prorate salaries, plan overtime and check timesheets against expected hours.
January 2027
19 working days · 152 hours
- 1New Year's Day
- 18Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
February 2027
19 working days · 152 hours
- 15Presidents' Day
March 2027
23 working days · 184 hours
April 2027
22 working days · 176 hours
May 2027
20 working days · 160 hours
- 31Memorial Day
June 2027
21 working days · 168 hours
- 18Juneteenth (observed)
July 2027
21 working days · 168 hours
- 5Independence Day (observed)
August 2027
22 working days · 176 hours
September 2027
21 working days · 168 hours
- 6Labor Day
October 2027
20 working days · 160 hours
- 11Columbus Day
November 2027
20 working days · 160 hours
- 11Veterans Day
- 25Thanksgiving Day
December 2027
22 working days · 176 hours
- 24Christmas Day (observed)
- 31New Year's Day 2028 (observed)
- If you also observe Friday, December 31 (New Year's Day 2028), December has 21 working days and 168 hours.
2027 has a few payroll quirks. Three federal holidays fall on a weekend and are observed on a Friday or Monday, New Year's Day 2028 is observed on Friday, December 31, 2027, and the year has 53 Fridays. The dates below are for US employers; check your state's payday rules before you publish a schedule.
If timesheets arrive late or on paper, hours are the weak point of any payroll calendar. With digital time tracking, employees clock in on their phones, managers approve each pay period, and hours are exported ready for payroll.
Holidays
2027 federal holidays and bank closures
Federal holidays matter for payroll in two ways: your office may be closed, and banks may not settle direct deposits. The Federal Reserve closes on the observed Monday when a holiday falls on a Sunday, but stays open on the Friday before a Saturday holiday.
Private employers are not required to give federal holidays off. Use this list to decide which days your company observes and when payroll must run early.
| Holiday | Observed date | Day | Federal Reserve banks |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Jan 1 | Friday | Closed |
| Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Jan 18 | Monday | Closed |
| Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day) | Feb 15 | Monday | Closed |
| Memorial Day | May 31 | Monday | Closed |
| Juneteenth (June 19 is a Saturday) | Jun 18 | Friday | Open |
| Independence Day (July 4 is a Sunday) | Jul 5 | Monday | Closed |
| Labor Day | Sep 6 | Monday | Closed |
| Columbus Day | Oct 11 | Monday | Closed |
| Veterans Day | Nov 11 | Thursday | Closed |
| Thanksgiving Day | Nov 25 | Thursday | Closed |
| Christmas Day (December 25 is a Saturday) | Dec 24 | Friday | Open |
| New Year's Day 2028 (January 1, 2028 is a Saturday) | Dec 31 | Friday | Open |
Biweekly
2027 biweekly payroll calendar
Most biweekly employers pay every other Friday. Which Fridays depends on where your cycle falls: Schedule A starts with Friday, January 8 and Schedule B with Friday, January 15. Both give you 26 paydays in 2027.
No Schedule A payday lands on a bank holiday. Friday, December 24 is the observed Christmas holiday: banks are open, but your office may not be, so run that payroll early. On Schedule B, June 18 (Juneteenth observed) and December 31 (New Year's Day 2028 observed) are federal holidays on which banks stay open.
| Payday | Schedule A (from Jan 8) | Schedule B (from Jan 15) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fri, Jan 8 | Fri, Jan 15 |
| 2 | Fri, Jan 22 | Fri, Jan 29 |
| 3 | Fri, Feb 5 | Fri, Feb 12 |
| 4 | Fri, Feb 19 | Fri, Feb 26 |
| 5 | Fri, Mar 5 | Fri, Mar 12 |
| 6 | Fri, Mar 19 | Fri, Mar 26 |
| 7 | Fri, Apr 2 | Fri, Apr 9 |
| 8 | Fri, Apr 16 | Fri, Apr 23 |
| 9 | Fri, Apr 30 | Fri, May 7 |
| 10 | Fri, May 14 | Fri, May 21 |
| 11 | Fri, May 28 | Fri, Jun 4 |
| 12 | Fri, Jun 11 | Fri, Jun 18 (holiday observed) |
| 13 | Fri, Jun 25 | Fri, Jul 2 |
| 14 | Fri, Jul 9 | Fri, Jul 16 |
| 15 | Fri, Jul 23 | Fri, Jul 30 |
| 16 | Fri, Aug 6 | Fri, Aug 13 |
| 17 | Fri, Aug 20 | Fri, Aug 27 |
| 18 | Fri, Sep 3 | Fri, Sep 10 |
| 19 | Fri, Sep 17 | Fri, Sep 24 |
| 20 | Fri, Oct 1 | Fri, Oct 8 |
| 21 | Fri, Oct 15 | Fri, Oct 22 |
| 22 | Fri, Oct 29 | Fri, Nov 5 |
| 23 | Fri, Nov 12 | Fri, Nov 19 |
| 24 | Fri, Nov 26 | Fri, Dec 3 |
| 25 | Fri, Dec 10 | Fri, Dec 17 |
| 26 | Fri, Dec 24 (holiday observed) | Fri, Dec 31 (holiday observed) |
Three-paycheck months
Which months in 2027 have three biweekly paydays?
With 26 biweekly paydays and 12 months, two months always get a third payday. On Schedule A, that is April (Apr 2, 16, 30) and October (Oct 1, 15, 29). On Schedule B, it is July (Jul 2, 16, 30) and December (Dec 3, 17, 31).
Three-paycheck months raise payroll cash needs by about 50% for that month. They also affect deductions you budget per month: if benefit premiums or garnishments are taken from the first two checks only, decide now how the third check is handled and tell employees before it happens.
- Schedule A: April and October
- Schedule B: July and December
- Plan cash flow for the extra payroll in those months.
- Confirm how monthly deductions behave on the third check.
Semi-monthly
2027 semi-monthly pay dates (15th and last day)
Semi-monthly payroll pays on the 15th and the last day of each month, 24 times a year. When a payday falls on a weekend or a day banks are closed, this calendar moves it to the business day before, which is the most common practice.
Adjusted dates: February 15 (Presidents' Day) and May 31 (Memorial Day) fall on bank holidays; May 15, August 15 and the month-ends of January, February, July and October fall on weekends. All of them move to the Friday before. Some states and union contracts set their own rule, so check yours.
| Month | Mid-month payday | End-of-month payday |
|---|---|---|
| January | Fri, Jan 15 | Fri, Jan 29 |
| February | Fri, Feb 12 | Fri, Feb 26 |
| March | Mon, Mar 15 | Wed, Mar 31 |
| April | Thu, Apr 15 | Fri, Apr 30 |
| May | Fri, May 14 | Fri, May 28 |
| June | Tue, Jun 15 | Wed, Jun 30 |
| July | Thu, Jul 15 | Fri, Jul 30 |
| August | Fri, Aug 13 | Tue, Aug 31 |
| September | Wed, Sep 15 | Thu, Sep 30 |
| October | Fri, Oct 15 | Fri, Oct 29 |
| November | Mon, Nov 15 | Tue, Nov 30 |
| December | Wed, Dec 15 | Fri, Dec 31 |
Monthly
Monthly paydays, working days and hours in 2027
Monthly payroll usually pays on the last business day of the month. The working days and hours below help you prorate salaries, plan overtime and check timesheets against expected hours.
Working days are Monday to Friday minus the 11 federal holidays observed in 2027; hours assume an 8-hour day. If your company also observes Friday, December 31 (New Year's Day 2028), December has 21 working days and the year 249.
| Month | Monthly payday | Working days | Work hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Fri, Jan 29 | 19 | 152 |
| February | Fri, Feb 26 | 19 | 152 |
| March | Wed, Mar 31 | 23 | 184 |
| April | Fri, Apr 30 | 22 | 176 |
| May | Fri, May 28 | 20 | 160 |
| June | Wed, Jun 30 | 21 | 168 |
| July | Fri, Jul 30 | 21 | 168 |
| August | Tue, Aug 31 | 22 | 176 |
| September | Thu, Sep 30 | 21 | 168 |
| October | Fri, Oct 29 | 20 | 160 |
| November | Tue, Nov 30 | 20 | 160 |
| December | Fri, Dec 31 | 22 | 176 |
| Total | 12 paydays | 250 | 2,000 |
Weekly
Weekly payroll in 2027: the 53-Friday year
2027 starts and ends on a Friday, so it has 53 Fridays. If you pay weekly on Fridays, the first one is New Year's Day, a bank holiday. Most employers pay that check on Thursday, December 31, 2026. Because wages count for the year in which they are paid, that check then belongs to 2026, and 2027 has 52 Friday paydays.
If you pay the January 1 check after the holiday instead, 2027 gets 53 weekly paydays. Salaried employees paid weekly would then receive an annual salary divided by 52 on 53 occasions, so decide in advance how you handle the extra period.
- Pick one rule for holiday paydays (pay early or pay late) and apply it all year.
- Check whether your weekly or biweekly cycle creates an extra payday in 2027.
- Tell employees about any payday that moves.
Timesheets
Timesheet cutoffs and approvals for each pay period
A payroll calendar is only as reliable as the hours behind it. For every pay date, set a timesheet cutoff (usually the last day of the pay period), an approval deadline for managers, and the date payroll must be submitted so direct deposits arrive on time. Holiday weeks need earlier deadlines: around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day 2028, approvals often have to be done a day or two sooner.
Hourly crews in construction, field service and facilities are where this goes wrong most often: paper timesheets come in late, hours are rounded, and overtime is found after payroll has run. Collecting hours daily and approving them weekly keeps each pay period clean.
- Cutoff: last day of each pay period.
- Manager approval: one business day after cutoff.
- Payroll submission: by your provider's deadline before payday, earlier in holiday weeks.
- Overtime check: before approval, not after the run.
Payroll and HR
Checklist before your first 2027 payroll
What payroll, HR and operations should settle in November and December 2026 so the 2027 pay calendar runs without surprises.
- Confirm your pay frequency and which biweekly cycle (A or B) you are on.
- Decide which 2027 holidays your company observes, including Friday, December 31.
- Move paydays that fall on weekends or bank holidays and publish the calendar to employees.
- Set timesheet cutoff and approval dates for every pay period, with earlier dates in holiday weeks.
- Plan cash for the three-paycheck months on your schedule.
- Check state rules for pay frequency and holiday paydays in every state where you have employees.
- Switch timesheet templates to 2027 or start collecting hours digitally.
FAQ
2027 payroll calendar: frequently asked questions
How many biweekly pay periods are in 2027?+
26 if you pay every other Friday. Schedule A runs from January 8 to December 24 and Schedule B from January 15 to December 31.
Which months have three paychecks in 2027?+
On a biweekly Friday schedule starting January 8, April and October have three paydays. On a schedule starting January 15, July and December do.
How many semi-monthly paydays are in 2027?+
24: the 15th and the last day of each month. Eight of them fall on a weekend or holiday in 2027 and move to the business day before.
What happens when payday falls on a holiday?+
Most employers pay on the business day before. When a holiday is observed on a Friday because the actual date is a Saturday (Juneteenth, Christmas and New Year's Day 2028 in 2027), banks stay open, so direct deposits can still settle. Check your state's rules on paydays.
Are banks open on December 24 and December 31, 2027?+
Yes. Federal Reserve banks stay open on the Friday before a holiday that falls on Saturday. Your company and your payroll provider may still be closed, so submit payroll early.
How many working days and hours are in 2027?+
250 working days and 2,000 hours on an 8-hour day, Monday to Friday, if you observe all 11 federal holidays. Observing December 31 as well gives 249 days.
Is this payroll calendar valid for the UK or Canada?+
No. It uses US federal holidays and Federal Reserve bank closures. Payroll calendars in other countries follow their own tax weeks and bank holidays.
Approved hours, ready for every pay date
With EasyHours, employees clock in on their phones or a shared tablet, managers approve timesheets each pay period, and overtime follows your rules. Export approved hours to Excel, CSV or PDF for payroll.
Useful pages
- Timesheet templates · Free weekly, biweekly and monthly timesheets in Excel and PDF.
- Work schedule template · Weekly and monthly employee schedules to print or edit in Excel.
- Attendance sheet templates · Monthly attendance sheets and yearly attendance calendars.
- Employee time tracking · Track hours for hourly and salaried teams and approve them per pay period.
Official sources
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management: federal holidays 2027
- Federal Reserve Board: holidays observed by Federal Reserve banks
- IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide
- U.S. Department of Labor: state payday requirements
Checked against the OPM and Federal Reserve 2027 holiday schedules. This calendar is for planning and is not legal or tax advice. Pay dates assume Friday paydays and moving weekend or holiday paydays to the previous business day; state law, union contracts and your payroll provider may require something different.