How Many Biweekly Pay Periods Are in a Year?
Get a clear understanding of biweekly pay periods, how they're calculated, and why the number can vary in certain years.
A biweekly pay period signifies a payment schedule where employees receive their wages every two weeks. While most years typically encompass 26 biweekly pay periods, certain calendar configurations can result in an additional 27th pay period within a single year. This phenomenon affects how annual salaries are distributed and requires consideration for both employers and employees.
Calculating Standard Biweekly Pay Periods
A standard year consists of 52 weeks. Since a biweekly pay period means payment occurs every two weeks, dividing the total number of weeks in a year by two yields the standard number of biweekly pay periods. Therefore, 52 weeks divided by 2 results in 26 biweekly pay periods in a regular year. This consistent schedule provides a predictable flow of income for employees and simplifies payroll management for businesses.
Understanding the 27th Pay Period
The occurrence of a 27th biweekly pay period stems from the exact duration of a calendar year. A standard year has 365 days, which translates to 52 full weeks and one additional day. In a leap year, such as 2024, there are 366 days, meaning 52 weeks and two additional days. These extra days accumulate over time, influencing the start and end of biweekly cycles within a calendar year.
The 27th pay period arises when the first payday of a year falls early in January. Since 26 biweekly periods cover 364 days (26 periods 14 days/period), the extra day (or two in a leap year) can push a 27th payday to occur before the year concludes. For instance, if the first payday of 2024 (a leap year) was on January 1st or 2nd, this would result in 27 pay periods within that calendar year.
Identifying Your Specific 2024 Pay Periods
To determine whether your specific biweekly pay schedule will result in 26 or 27 pay periods in 2024, begin by identifying the exact date of your first payday in 2024. This initial date serves as the starting point for projecting all subsequent paydays throughout the year.
You can project subsequent pay dates by adding 14 days for each consecutive pay period. Continue this projection until you reach the end of December 2024. After listing all projected paydays, count how many of these dates fall within the calendar year, from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. For example, if your company’s first payday in 2024 was January 1st, then the 26th payday would fall on December 16th, and the 27th payday would occur on December 30th, leading to 27 pay periods in 2024. Conversely, if your first payday was January 5th, your last payday in 2024 would be December 20th, resulting in 26 pay periods for the year.