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Payroll Cycle Dates Calculator

Work out payroll cycle dates instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Payroll Cycle Dates Calculator

Pay frequency determines both the period boundaries and the annual payment count, which is what converts a periodic rate into an annual salary. Weekly pay gives 52.18 payments a year, fortnightly 26.09 and four-weekly 13.04 - so a four-weekly figure must be multiplied by thirteen, not twelve, to annualise correctly.

Formulas

Period end

end = start + period days - 1

Payments per year

count = 365.25 / period days

Worked example

With the default values below, Payroll Cycle Dates Calculator returns Payments Per Year of 12.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Pay period start
2026-09-01
Pay frequencyone of Weekly, Fortnightly, Four-weekly, Monthly, Semi-monthly
Monthly
Days between period end and paymentminimum 0
5

Results

Payments Per Year
12.00
Payment Date
2026-10-05
Pay Period End Date
2026-09-30
Days In The Pay Period
30

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Period end
  3. 3Payments per year
  4. 4Payments Per Year= 12.00
  5. 5Payment Date= 2026-10-05
  6. 6Pay Period End Date= 2026-09-30
  7. 7Days In The Pay Period= 30

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax or fees or charges into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do fortnightly payrolls sometimes have 27 payments?

Because 26 fortnights are 364 days, so the cycle drifts forward and occasionally a 27th payment lands inside the calendar year.

What is semi-monthly pay?

Twice a month, usually mid-month and month-end, giving exactly 24 payments - which is not the same as fortnightly's 26.

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