If you're paid every other Friday, 2027 gives you either 27 or 26 paychecks, depending on which Fridays your employer uses. Schedule A starts Friday, January 1, 2027, and Schedule B starts Friday, January 8. (If a payday falls on a holiday like New Year's Day, many employers pay the day before.)
Three-paycheck months
With biweekly pay, two months a year usually have three paydays. On Schedule A, that's January, July, December. On Schedule B, it's April, October. Those 'extra' checks are the easiest money to save, because your normal budget is built around two checks a month. I put mine straight into savings or toward a debt and never miss it.
Schedule A (from Jan 1)
Jan 1, Jan 15, Jan 29, Feb 12, Feb 26, Mar 12, Mar 26, Apr 9, Apr 23, May 7, May 21, Jun 4, Jun 18, Jul 2, Jul 16, Jul 30, Aug 13, Aug 27, Sep 10, Sep 24, Oct 8, Oct 22, Nov 5, Nov 19, Dec 3, Dec 17, Dec 31
Schedule B (from Jan 8)
Jan 8, Jan 22, Feb 5, Feb 19, Mar 5, Mar 19, Apr 2, Apr 16, Apr 30, May 14, May 28, Jun 11, Jun 25, Jul 9, Jul 23, Aug 6, Aug 20, Sep 3, Sep 17, Oct 1, Oct 15, Oct 29, Nov 12, Nov 26, Dec 10, Dec 24
Why some years have 27 paychecks
A year is 52 weeks plus one or two days, and those extra days add up. About every 11 years, a biweekly schedule fits 27 paydays into a calendar year. Salaried employees on those years may see slightly smaller checks if the employer divides the same annual salary by 27.
Related
See how many weeks in a year and Tax Day 2027.