How Many Pay Periods in a Year? Weekly, Biweekly and More

Short answer: There are 52 pay periods in a year with weekly pay, 26 with biweekly pay (every two weeks), 24 with semimonthly pay (twice a month) and 12 with monthly pay. In some years, weekly payroll has 53 paydays and biweekly payroll has 27, because a year is 52 weeks plus one or two extra days.

Calendar showing weekly and biweekly paydays — The pay schedule sets how many paychecks employees get.

Pay periods by pay schedule

Pay schedule	Pay periods a year	Typical payday	Hours per period (40-hour week)
Weekly	52 (sometimes 53)	Same weekday every week	40
Biweekly	26 (sometimes 27)	Every other week	80
Semimonthly	24	Two set dates, such as the 15th and last day	About 86.67
Monthly	12	One set date each month	About 173.33

Compare the options in pay period types or count your own dates with the pay period calculator.

When there are 53 or 27 paydays

A year has 365 days (366 in a leap year), which is 52 weeks plus one or two days. So the weekday of your payday sometimes appears 53 times in a year. For example, 2026 starts and ends on a Thursday, so it has 53 Thursdays. A business with a weekly Thursday payday runs 53 payrolls in 2026, and a biweekly payroll can land on 27 paydays depending on the first payday.

For hourly employees this changes little, because they are paid for hours worked. For salaried employees, divide the annual salary by the actual number of paydays, or keep the usual amount and plan for the extra check.

Biweekly vs semimonthly

Biweekly: 26 paychecks, always on the same weekday. Easy for hourly teams because each period is exactly two workweeks, which keeps weekly overtime simple.
Semimonthly: 24 paychecks on set dates. Periods do not line up with workweeks, so overtime still has to be calculated by workweek.

Many states set a minimum pay frequency, so check your state before choosing. See state labor laws. This is general information, not legal advice.

Close every pay period on time

With EZTime, hours from the time clock are grouped by pay period, managers approve timesheets, and you export payroll-ready hours with overtime already split out.

Frequently asked questions

How many pay periods are in a year with biweekly pay?

26, or 27 in some years.

How many pay periods are in a year with weekly pay?

52, or 53 in some years.

How many semimonthly pay periods are in a year?

24, two per month.

How many hours are in a biweekly pay period?

80 hours for a full-time employee working 40 hours a week.

Payroll-ready hours for every pay period. Start your 14-day trial or book a demo.

Updated November 2026. General information only; not legal advice.