Canonical: https://formzdocs.com/tools/payroll-calendar Markdown: https://formzdocs.com/tools/payroll-calendar.md [Home](/index.md) [Free tools](/tools.md) Payroll calendar Free tool · Planning # Payroll Calendar Generator Build a weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly payroll calendar. Choose pay dates, period lag and holiday policy, then export a free CSV or print your schedule. No account or payment. Entries and files stay in your browser. ## Payroll calendar Free Use the interactive calculator with JavaScript enabled. The method and worked examples are available below in HTML and Markdown. 1. Choose a year and pay frequency. 2. Set an anchor payday or the recurring days within each month. 3. Set the number of days from the period end to its scheduled payday. 4. Choose an explicit weekend or holiday policy, review the schedule, and download CSV or print. **Method:** Weekly payday = anchor + 7-day intervals; biweekly payday = anchor + 14-day intervals The quick answer ## Here’s how it works. A payroll calendar lists the work period and the date it is paid. Start with an anchor payday and frequency, set the gap between period end and payday, and review the actual dates. A biweekly calendar advances every 14 days; semimonthly follows two chosen days of each month. Method Weekly payday = anchor + 7-day intervals; biweekly payday = anchor + 14-day intervals [See the steps](#how-to-use) ## On this page [Use the tool](#calculator)[How to use it](#how-to-use)[Keep pay dates and pay periods separate](#pay-date-and-period)[Weekly, biweekly and semimonthly calendars](#frequency-comparison)[Select your employer’s weekend and holiday policy](#holiday-policy)[Common questions](#questions)[Sources and method](#sources)[All free tools](/tools.md) ## How to use payroll calendar 1. Choose a year and pay frequency. 2. Set an anchor payday or the recurring days within each month. 3. Set the number of days from the period end to its scheduled payday. 4. Choose an explicit weekend or holiday policy, review the schedule, and download CSV or print. ## Keep pay dates and pay periods separate The payday is when the payment is scheduled. The period start and end identify the work covered by that payment. A lag of seven days means a scheduled Friday payday covers a period ending on the previous Friday. Select the lag used by your employer rather than inferring it from a common schedule. The calendar keeps the original work period when you move a payment date for a holiday or weekend. Review the unshifted schedule, selected shift rule and any manual override before relying on the export. ## Weekly, biweekly and semimonthly calendars Weekly and biweekly schedules repeat at fixed seven- or fourteen-day intervals from the anchor. Monthly and semimonthly schedules use chosen days within each month. A selected day beyond the end of a shorter month uses that month’s last day. Count the actual scheduled paydays in the selected year. Biweekly schedules can have 27 paydays in some years, depending on the anchor. The generator shows the actual count instead of treating 26 as a universal rule. For example, a biweekly anchor payday of January 8, 2027 gives January 8, January 22 and February 5. A seven-day lag puts the corresponding period ends on January 1, January 15 and January 29. | Frequency | How dates are generated | What to check | | --- | --- | --- | | Weekly | Every 7 days from the anchor | The annual count and year boundaries | | Biweekly | Every 14 days from the anchor | Whether the selected year has 26 or 27 dates | | Semimonthly | Two selected days per month | Short months and month-end choices | | Monthly | One selected day per month | The month-end rule and lag | ## Select your employer’s weekend and holiday policy The default keeps scheduled dates unchanged. You can explicitly choose an earlier or later business day and a holiday set. The U.S. federal holiday option follows federal observed dates, including weekend observations; it is a planning option rather than a claim that every private employer follows that schedule. Custom holidays and manual payday overrides handle office closures and agreed exceptions. Confirm payment processing lead times with the payroll provider. The exported CSV contains dates and periods only, with no employee identities or earnings. ## Common questions Is biweekly the same as twice a month? No. Biweekly advances every 14 days. Semimonthly uses two recurring dates in each month. Their paydays and annual counts can differ. Can a year have 27 biweekly paydays? Yes. The count depends on the year and anchor payday. This generator counts dates in the selected schedule rather than assuming 26. Will a holiday automatically move a payday? Only when you select a shift policy and the applicable holiday set. The default leaves dates unchanged; confirm the policy with your employer. ## Sources and method Reviewed October 5, 2026 . The workings are shown above; source links provide context for payroll records or supported PDF behavior. Confirm the policies that apply to your records. - [U.S. Office of Personnel Management: federal observed holidays](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/) ## Keep working with your records [Prepare a paystub from your records](/forms/paystub.md)[Pay date versus pay period](/blog/pay-date-vs-pay-period.md)[Weekly, biweekly and semimonthly pay](/blog/weekly-biweekly-semimonthly-pay.md) ## More free tools [Overtime Pay Calculator](/tools/overtime-calculator.md)[YTD Income Calculator](/tools/ytd-income-calculator.md)[Gross Pay Calculator](/tools/gross-pay-calculator.md)