Pay Schedule Calculator

List your weekly or biweekly paydays for the year ahead and spot the two three-paycheck months worth planning for.

Annual salary (gross)

First payday of the year

Schedule

Three-paycheck months: biweekly workers get 26 checks a year, so two months each year contain a third paycheck. In 2026 those bonus months land on the dates marked ★ below — budgeters call them "extra check months".

Your next paydays

gross per paycheck

#	Payday	Gross

Illustration of a calendar strip showing twelve months of paydays, with two months picked out in gold and starred as three-paycheck months — Your payday calendar for the year — including the two three-paycheck months, starred.

About the Pay Schedule Calculator

What it calculates. Your actual calendar of paydays: starting from your first payday of the year, it lists the next twelve weekly or biweekly paydays with the gross amount of each check, and flags the months that contain an extra check — the budgeting event biweekly workers get twice a year.

How the calculation works

Gross per check = annual salary ÷ pay periods (26 biweekly, 52 weekly). Paydays are then stepped forward 7 or 14 days at a time from the date you enter. A biweekly schedule produces 26 checks across 12 months, so exactly two months contain three paydays — the tool counts the full year and marks those months with a ★. Which months they are depends entirely on your first payday, which is why two coworkers on the same schedule can have different "extra check" months.

Worked example: $65,000 on a biweekly schedule = $2,500.00 gross per check. Budgeting on two checks a month covers $60,000 of the year; the two three-paycheck months deliver the remaining $5,000 — money that is part of the salary, but arrives as a lump worth planning for (annual insurance, debt payoff, holiday fund) instead of absorbing.

Limitations & common mistakes

Holidays shift real paydays. When a payday lands on a bank holiday or weekend, most employers pay the business day before. The dates here are the unshifted schedule — check your employer's policy for exact deposit days.
Semi-monthly is a different animal. Paid on fixed dates (e.g. the 15th and month-end), semi-monthly checks are larger and never create a three-check month. This tool covers weekly and biweekly schedules.
The 27th-check year. Depending on which weekday payday falls on, a biweekly schedule occasionally produces 27 paydays in a calendar year — salaried staff usually still receive the same annual total, split differently.

Pay Schedule FAQ

Why do I sometimes get three paychecks in a month?: Because 26 biweekly checks cannot divide evenly into 12 months: ten months get two checks and two months get three. It is arithmetic, not a bonus.
Is the third paycheck "extra" money?: It is part of your normal annual salary arriving in a lump. It feels extra only if your monthly budget is built on two checks — which is exactly the habit worth keeping.
When are the three-paycheck months in 2026?: They depend on your first payday of the year. Enter it above and the ★ marks your two months precisely.

Disclaimer: results are estimates for education only and are not tax, financial or legal advice. Verify your pay calendar with your employer's payroll department.