NextPaydaySemi-Monthly Pay Schedule 2026 — 1st & 15th Pay Dates
Semi-monthly pay is one of the most straightforward payroll schedules available, and it is widely used for salaried employees in corporate, government, and professional services roles. Under a semi-monthly arrangement, you receive exactly two paychecks per month, typically on the 1st and the 15th, although some employers use the 15th and the last day of the month instead. Either way, the result is the same: 24 paychecks per year, every year, with no variation.
This predictability is the primary advantage of semi-monthly pay. Unlike biweekly schedules, which produce 26 paychecks and create months with either two or three pay dates, semi-monthly pay delivers a consistent two deposits every single month. That consistency simplifies budgeting enormously. You can split your monthly rent, mortgage, utilities, and other bills neatly across two paychecks without worrying about which months have extra or fewer pay periods.
The main complication with semi-monthly pay arises when the 1st or the 15th falls on a weekend or a federal holiday. When your scheduled pay date lands on a Saturday, the standard practice is to pay employees on the preceding Friday. When it falls on a Sunday, most employers pay on the following Monday. Holiday conflicts follow a similar pattern, with payroll typically shifted to the nearest preceding business day. In 2026, there are several instances where these adjustments come into play, and our calendar below maps every single one.
For 2026 specifically, January 1 falls on a Thursday, which is a federal holiday (New Year's Day), so your first paycheck of the year will likely arrive on December 31, 2025, or January 2, 2026, depending on your employer's policy. February 15 falls on a Sunday, so expect payment on either Friday the 13th or Monday the 16th. These small shifts can affect auto-pay schedules and checking account balances if you are not prepared for them.
Another consideration for semi-monthly employees is understanding how your per-paycheck amount is calculated. Because you receive 24 paychecks rather than 26, each individual check is slightly larger than what a biweekly employee with the same annual salary would receive. Specifically, each semi-monthly paycheck represents one twenty-fourth of your annual salary, while each biweekly paycheck represents one twenty-sixth. This difference matters when comparing job offers or calculating per-period deductions for benefits, retirement contributions, and tax withholdings.
Use the calendar tool below to view all 24 pay dates for 2026 with weekend and holiday adjustments automatically applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if the 15th falls on a weekend?
When the 15th of a month falls on a Saturday, most employers pay on the preceding Friday, the 14th. When the 15th falls on a Sunday, payment is typically made on the following Monday, the 16th. However, company policies vary and some employers consistently pay on the Friday before regardless of whether the 15th is a Saturday or Sunday. In 2026, the 15th falls on a weekend in three months: February 15 is a Sunday, March 15 is a Sunday, and November 15 is a Sunday. Our calendar shows the adjusted dates for each of these occurrences based on the most common payroll conventions.
What's the difference between semi-monthly and biweekly?
Semi-monthly pay means you receive exactly two paychecks every month, typically on the 1st and 15th, for a total of 24 paychecks per year. Biweekly pay means you receive a paycheck every 14 days, always on the same weekday, for a total of 26 paychecks per year. The two extra paychecks in a biweekly schedule mean each individual check is slightly smaller if your annual salary is the same, but you receive more frequent deposits. Semi-monthly is simpler for budgeting because you always know you will be paid twice per month, while biweekly schedules produce months with two or three paychecks depending on the calendar.
How many pay periods in semi-monthly?
A semi-monthly pay schedule always produces exactly 24 pay periods per year, every year, without exception. This is one of the simplest aspects of semi-monthly pay and a key reason many salaried professionals and their employers prefer it. Because you are paid on two fixed dates each month (commonly the 1st and 15th, or the 15th and last day), the math is straightforward: 12 months multiplied by 2 payments equals 24. There are never surprise extra pay periods or three-paycheck months to account for, which makes annual budgeting, tax withholding calculations, and retirement contribution planning considerably easier compared to biweekly or weekly schedules.