Semi-Monthly Paycheck Date Calculator

List your twice-a-month paydays

Semi-monthly pay lands on the same two dates every month, so the weekday keeps changing and the end-of-month payday moves with the length of the month: the 28th in February, the 30th in April, the 31st in May. This calculator lists those dates for as many months as you need, shows which ones fall on a weekend, and — only if you ask — moves weekend paydays to the Friday before or the Monday after, which is how many employers handle them.

How to use the Semi-Monthly Paycheck Date Calculator

1. Choose the 15th and last day, the 1st and 15th, or Custom days. For custom days, enter a first payday from the 1st to the 27th and a later second payday — 31 means the last day of every month.
2. Pick the date to list paydays from and how many to show (up to 96 — four years).
3. Choose what happens on a weekend: leave the payday as scheduled, or move it to the Friday before or the Monday after.
4. Read the list, with a note on each date that fell on a weekend or at the end of a shorter month, and copy it if you need it elsewhere.

How the dates are set

A first payday must be the 27th or earlier, because in a 28-day February every day from the 28th on falls on the 28th — two paydays on the same date. The last example shows why 31 is a convenient way to say “last day”: in April it falls on the 30th.

Calculated on your device

• The dates are worked out in your browser as you type; nothing is sent to a server.
• The paydays you choose and the dates 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

• Employers handle paydays that fall on a weekend or holiday in different ways — some pay the business day before, some the business day after, and some pay on the date regardless. This list doesn’t apply any holiday calendar. Check the dates against your employer’s pay calendar.
• The weekend move is a simple rule you choose; it doesn’t know your employer’s policy. Moving weekend paydays can occasionally put two paydays on the same date (for example a Saturday 31st and a Sunday 1st both moved to Monday) — the list marks it rather than hiding it.
• It lists dates only, not pay amounts. Semi-monthly pay periods vary from 13 to 16 days, which matters for hourly pay; the Pay Period Date Generator lists the period start and end dates.
• Up to 96 dates at a time.

Related calculators

• Pay Period Proration CalculatorSplit pay across part of a pay period, using the amounts you enter.
• Partial Pay Period Salary CalculatorEstimate salary for an incomplete pay period, using the figures you enter.
• Biweekly Paycheck Date CalculatorList paycheck dates on a biweekly schedule.
• Pay Period Date GeneratorList the start and end dates of pay periods you define.

Semi-Monthly Paycheck Date Calculator FAQ

What does semi-monthly pay mean?

You are paid twice a month on two fixed dates — most often the 15th and the last day of the month, or the 1st and the 15th. That makes 24 paydays a year, and because the dates are fixed, the weekday changes from month to month.

What happens to a payday on the 30th or 31st in February?

It falls on the last day of February: the 28th, or the 29th in a leap year. A 31st payday falls on the 30th in April, June, September, and November. The calculator notes every date that was moved to the end of a shorter month.

Why can’t my first payday be the 28th or later?

In a 28-day February, every day from the 28th on lands on February 28, so a first payday of the 28th and a second of the 30th would be the same date. The calculator rejects those pairs instead of listing one date twice.

What if a semi-monthly payday falls on a weekend?

That depends on the employer. Many pay on the Friday before, some on the Monday after, and holidays are handled in different ways too. The calculator leaves weekend paydays on their scheduled date unless you choose to move them to the Friday before or the Monday after, and it never applies a holiday calendar.

Is semi-monthly the same as biweekly?

No. Semi-monthly is 24 paydays on fixed dates; biweekly is every 14 days on the same weekday, which is 26 paydays in most years. Semi-monthly pay periods also vary in length — 13 to 16 days — while biweekly periods are always 14.

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.