Semi-Monthly Pay Dates Calculator

How it works

semi-monthly = 2 fixed paydays a month = 24 a year · pay per check = annual salary ÷ 24 · weekend paydays move to the previous Friday (or next Monday) · biweekly comparison = salary ÷ 26

Semi-monthly payroll pays twice a month on fixed dates — most often the 15th and the last day, sometimes the 1st and 15th or 10th and 25th — for 24 paychecks a year. In Mexico and much of Latin America this is the quincena. Because dates are fixed, some paydays fall on weekends; most employers pay on the previous business day so staff are not paid late. Each check is larger than a biweekly one (24 versus 26 paychecks), but they arrive on predictable dates. Public holidays are not shifted here, so check your local calendar.

Worked example

On a $60,000 salary paid on the 15th and last day of each month in 2027, every paycheck is $2,500.00 gross (versus $2,307.69 biweekly). The first payday is Friday, January 15, 2027; January 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so that pay goes out on Friday, January 29.

Sources: US BLS — Length of pay periods in the Current Employment Statistics survey

Frequently asked questions