Does 2026 have 27 pay periods?

A year has 52 weeks and one or two extra days, so every 11 years or so a biweekly schedule fits 27 paydays into one calendar year. Bank holidays can also push a payday from early January back into December of the year before.

Most biweekly schedules have 26 paydays a year. In 2026, these cycles don't:

Why it matters

If your salary is divided by 26, a 27-paycheck year pays slightly more in that calendar year, and a 25-paycheck year slightly less. Employers who divide by 27 in those years pay a smaller amount per check. Benefits deductions taken per paycheck can also run one extra time.

Counts include the bank-holiday rule: a payday on a weekend or holiday is deposited the business day before, which can move it into the previous year.