DaysUntilNowWhen is my next payday?
Pay cycles are not calendars. Twice-a-month and last-working-day pay dates move around weekends, and that is exactly when people get them wrong.
What is coming up
Every date we track that falls inside your window — so a birthday, a bank holiday or a deadline never arrives as a surprise.
Free to use — Pro is for keeping it
This tool, like every other one here, is free and needs no account. A free account keeps three setups and three email alerts. Pro takes the ads off every site we run and lifts that to 200 setups and 50 alerts, adds a public page for any result and lets you embed the tool without our badge.
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How this works
Pay cycles compared
How many pay dates a year each cycle produces, and what that means for the amount in each one.
| Cycle | Pay dates a year | Typical dates | Gross per pay on a 52,000 salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 52 | Same weekday every week | 1,000 |
| Every two weeks | 26 | Same weekday, alternate weeks | 2,000 |
| Twice a month | 24 | 15th and last day | 2,167 |
| Monthly | 12 | Same date, or last working day | 4,333 |
Two extra pay packets a year is the practical difference between fortnightly and twice-monthly, which is why the two are never interchangeable.
Frequently asked questions
Why does twice a month not mean every two weeks?
Twice a month is 24 pay dates a year, usually the 15th and the last day. Every two weeks is 26. Over a year that is two extra pay packets and a different amount in each one, which is why the two are never interchangeable.
What happens when payday falls on a weekend?
Most payrolls pay on the working day before. That is the default here; turn it off if yours pays on the following Monday instead.
Does it handle bank holidays?
It moves dates off weekends, not off public holidays, because those differ by country and often by region. If your payroll shifts for a holiday, the date shown is the latest it would be paid.