Biweekly Pay Period Calculator

Why some years have 27 paychecks instead of 26

A true biweekly schedule pays every 14 days — 26 times in a normal 365-day year, with a few days left over. Those leftover days accumulate, and roughly once every 11 years, they add up to a full extra pay period, producing a 27-paycheck year instead of the usual 26. This matters for budgeting (that 27th check often isn't accounted for in an annual-salary-÷-26 mental math) and for payroll systems, which sometimes have to make special adjustments to benefit deductions in a 27-paycheck year.

Paid on a semi-monthly schedule (twice a month, on fixed dates like the 15th and last day) instead? That's a different system entirely — semi-monthly always produces exactly 24 paychecks a year, never 26 or 27, since it's tied to calendar dates rather than a 14-day interval.