Pay Period Date Generator
Pick a pay frequency and the date the first period starts to list each pay period’s start date, end date, and length — with a payday after each one if you need it.
Pay Period Date Generator calculates in your browser.
Build a pay period calendar
Payroll runs on pay periods — the span of days each paycheck covers — rather than on paydays alone. Setting up a schedule, checking which period a shift belongs to, or planning payroll deadlines all start with a list of period start and end dates. Choose weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, or monthly, enter when the first period starts, and the generator lists the periods back to back with no gaps or overlaps, the number of days in each, and, if you set one, the payday a fixed number of days after each period closes.
How to use the Pay Period Date Generator
- Choose the pay frequency.
- Enter the date the first period starts. Semi-monthly periods always run 1st–15th and 16th–last day, so the list starts with the half of the month containing that date.
- Choose how many periods to list (up to 104).
- To add paydays, choose Also list paydays and enter how many days after the period ends you are paid — 0 means the last day of the period.
- Copy the table to paste it into a spreadsheet or payroll calendar.
How each frequency is built
Weekly / biweekly: end = start + 6 or 13 days; next start = end + 1
Semi-monthly: 1st–15th, then 16th–last day of the month
Monthly: start on the same day each month; end = day before the next start
Payday = period end + the days you enter
Weekly and biweekly periods are always the same length. Semi-monthly and monthly periods follow the calendar, so their lengths change: the second half of February is the shortest semi-monthly period, and a monthly period that starts on the 31st starts on the last day of shorter months, then returns to the 31st.
| Frequency | First period | Second period | Periods a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 – Sun, Jan 10, 2027 (7 days) | Mon, Jan 11, 2027 – Sun, Jan 17, 2027 (7 days) | 52 |
| Biweekly | Mon, Jan 4, 2027 – Sun, Jan 17, 2027 (14 days) | Mon, Jan 18, 2027 – Sun, Jan 31, 2027 (14 days) | 26 |
| Semi-monthly | Tue, Feb 16, 2027 – Sun, Feb 28, 2027 (13 days) | Mon, Mar 1, 2027 – Mon, Mar 15, 2027 (15 days) | 24 |
| Monthly | Sun, Jan 31, 2027 – Sat, Feb 27, 2027 (28 days) | Sun, Feb 28, 2027 – Tue, Mar 30, 2027 (31 days) | 12 |
Calculated on your device
- The periods are worked out in your browser as you type; nothing is sent to a server.
- The dates you enter and the periods listed are not sent to Looty Tools or stored.
- The calculator area is masked from session-recording analytics, so what you enter isn’t captured in recordings.
Limitations
- Paydays are always the same number of days after the period ends. Weekend and holiday paydays are shown as calculated and flagged, not moved — employers handle them in different ways.
- Semi-monthly periods use the 1st–15th and 16th–last day split. Employers with a different split (for example the 11th–25th) can use the monthly or biweekly options only if their periods match those patterns.
- It lists dates; it doesn’t calculate hours or pay for a period. The Pay Period Proration Calculator handles pay for part of a period.
- Up to 104 periods, ending no later than the year 9999.
Related calculators
- Pay Period Proration CalculatorSplit pay across part of a pay period, using the amounts you enter.
- Timesheet Hours to Decimal ConverterTurn timesheet hours and minutes into decimal hours.
- Biweekly Paycheck Date CalculatorList paycheck dates on a biweekly schedule.
- Semi-Monthly Paycheck Date CalculatorList paycheck dates on a semi-monthly schedule.
Guides
- Pay Period CalendarSet up a payroll calendar: choose the frequency, anchor the first period, set the pay date and deadlines, and check year-end and holiday dates.
- Period End vs Pay DateWhy paychecks arrive after the work they cover: the gap between a pay period’s end and its pay date, paying in arrears, and year-end effects.
- Pay Frequencies ComparedPeriods a year, period length, average hours per period, and payday patterns for the four common pay frequencies, side by side.
Pay Period Date Generator FAQ
- What is the difference between a pay period and a payday?
- A pay period is the span of days the work is counted for; the payday is when that work is paid, often a few days after the period ends so payroll can be processed. A biweekly period from Monday, December 14 to Sunday, December 27, 2026 paid five days later is paid on Friday, January 1, 2027.
- How are semi-monthly pay periods set?
- This generator uses the common split of the 1st to the 15th and the 16th to the last day of the month. That makes periods of 13 to 16 days: the second half of February is 13 days, or 14 in a leap year. If you start mid-period, the list begins with the period that contains your start date.
- How do monthly periods work when they start on the 31st?
- Each period starts on the same day of the month and ends the day before the next one. A month without that day starts on its last day instead, and the next period goes back to the original day — so January 31 is followed by February 28, then March 31, without drifting earlier.
- How many pay periods are in a year?
- 52 weekly, 26 biweekly (27 in some years), 24 semi-monthly, or 12 monthly. Weekly and biweekly periods are always 7 or 14 days; semi-monthly and monthly periods follow the calendar, so their lengths vary.
- Can I paste the dates into a spreadsheet?
- Yes. Copy Result copies the whole table as tab-separated rows, so it pastes into Excel or Google Sheets as columns for the period number, start date, end date, days, and payday.
- Are the hours and dates I enter sent anywhere?
- No. The calculation runs in your browser as you type. Your hours, dates, and results are not sent to Looty Tools or stored, and the calculator area is masked from session-recording analytics. Refreshing the page clears it.
