Work Days Calculator
Count the working days between two dates — weekends and, if you choose, US federal holidays removed. Pick which days your team works and see the total working days and hours. There are 250 working days in 2026 on a Monday–Friday week after federal holidays.
- Working days = calendar days − non-working days − holidays.
- 2026 has 261 weekdays and 250 working days after federal holidays.
- Both the start and end dates are counted.
- A typical month has 20–23 working days.
How to count working days between two dates
- Count the calendar daysIncluding both the start and the end date.
- Remove non-working daysUsually Saturdays and Sundays; choose your own pattern above for shift teams.
- Remove holidaysPublic holidays that fall on working days. The calculator uses US federal holidays (observed dates).
- Multiply by hours per dayFor capacity or payroll planning: working days × hours per day.
How to use the Work Days calculator
Fill in the fields above and press Calculate. Results appear straight away, in your browser — nothing is sent or stored.
- Start date — starts at 2026-10-01; replace it with your own figure.
- End date — starts at 2026-12-31; replace it with your own figure.
- Exclude US federal holidays — tick or untick as needed.
- Hours per working day — starts at 8; replace it with your own figure.
Change any value and press Calculate again to compare scenarios. All figures are estimates for planning; check them against your own policy, contract and local rules before using them for payroll.
Working days per month in 2026
Monday–Friday weekdays, US federal holidays that fall on them (observed dates) and the resulting working days and 8-hour working hours.
| Month | Weekdays | Federal holidays | Working days | Working hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 2 | 20 | 160 |
| February | 20 | 1 | 19 | 152 |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 | 176 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 | 176 |
| May | 21 | 1 | 20 | 160 |
| June | 22 | 1 | 21 | 168 |
| July | 23 | 1 | 22 | 176 |
| August | 21 | 0 | 21 | 168 |
| September | 22 | 1 | 21 | 168 |
| October | 22 | 1 | 21 | 168 |
| November | 21 | 2 | 19 | 152 |
| December | 23 | 1 | 22 | 176 |
| Total 2026 | 261 | 11 | 250 | 2,000 |
Working days: quick answers
How many working days are in 2026?
250 on a Monday–Friday week after 11 US federal holidays (261 weekdays in total).
How many working days are in 2027?
250 after 11 federal holidays (261 weekdays).
How many working days are in a month, on average?
About 21 (roughly 250 ÷ 12).
How many working days are in a year, in hours?
About 2,000 working hours in 2026 at 8 hours a day.
How many working days are in November 2026?
19 after Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.
How many working days are in December 2026?
22 after Christmas Day.
How many working days are in a quarter?
Usually 61–64 working days, depending on holidays.
How many working days are in a week?
5 on a standard week, 4 in a week with a federal holiday.
Working days per month in 2027
| Month | Weekdays | Federal holidays | Working days | Working hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 2 | 19 | 152 |
| February | 20 | 1 | 19 | 152 |
| March | 23 | 0 | 23 | 184 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 | 176 |
| May | 21 | 1 | 20 | 160 |
| June | 22 | 1 | 21 | 168 |
| July | 22 | 1 | 21 | 168 |
| August | 22 | 0 | 22 | 176 |
| September | 22 | 1 | 21 | 168 |
| October | 21 | 1 | 20 | 160 |
| November | 22 | 2 | 20 | 160 |
| December | 23 | 1 | 22 | 176 |
| Total 2027 | 261 | 11 | 250 | 2,000 |
Worked examples
Real-world scenarios, worked through step by step.
Q4 capacity
October–December 2026: 62 working days after federal holidays. A team of 6 working 8 hours a day has about 2,976 hours available.
Prorated first month
An employee starts on 16 November 2026 on $5,000 a month. Working days 16–30 November: 10 (after Thanksgiving). November has 19, so pay ≈ $5,000 × 10 ÷ 19.
Six-day work week
A retail team working Monday–Saturday has about 6 × 52 = 312 working days a year before holidays.
Leave request
Two calendar weeks off covering one federal holiday uses 9 working days of leave, not 14.
US federal holidays 2026 and 2027
Observed dates: when a holiday falls on a Saturday it is usually observed on the Friday before, and on a Sunday the Monday after.
| Holiday | 2026 (observed) | 2027 (observed) |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thu, Jan 1 | Fri, Jan 1 |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Mon, Jan 19 | Mon, Jan 18 |
| Washington’s Birthday (Presidents’ Day) | Mon, Feb 16 | Mon, Feb 15 |
| Memorial Day | Mon, May 25 | Mon, May 31 |
| Juneteenth | Fri, Jun 19 | Fri, Jun 18 |
| Independence Day | Fri, Jul 3 | Mon, Jul 5 |
| Labor Day | Mon, Sep 7 | Mon, Sep 6 |
| Columbus Day | Mon, Oct 12 | Mon, Oct 11 |
| Veterans Day | Wed, Nov 11 | Thu, Nov 11 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, Nov 26 | Thu, Nov 25 |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25 | Fri, Dec 24 |
Private employers are not required by federal law to give these days off, and many observe only some of them. Untick the holiday option and adjust if your calendar differs.
Work days for payroll and planning
- Prorating salary: pay for a partial month = monthly salary × working days employed ÷ working days in the month (one common method).
- Vacation and leave: leave requests are counted in working days, not calendar days — see the vacation days calculator.
- Capacity planning: working days × hours × people gives available hours for a quarter.
- Project estimates: 30 working days is about six calendar weeks, not one month.
- Attendance rates: scheduled working days are the denominator in the attendance rate calculator.
Work days vs business days
The terms are often used interchangeably. On this site the work days calculator counts the working days in a period — useful for payroll, staffing and leave. The business days calculator adds or subtracts business days from a date — useful for deadlines, delivery estimates and contract notice periods.
Working days per quarter
Monday–Friday working days after US federal holidays:
| Quarter | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 61 | 61 |
| Q2 | 63 | 63 |
| Q3 | 64 | 64 |
| Q4 | 62 | 62 |
Working days in calendar terms
How long a number of working days takes on a Monday–Friday week, ignoring holidays — useful for leave requests and project estimates:
| Working days | Working weeks | Calendar days (minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 days | 3 |
| 5 | 1 week | 5 |
| 10 | 2 weeks | 12 |
| 15 | 3 weeks | 19 |
| 20 | 4 weeks | 26 |
| 30 | 6 weeks | 40 |
| 45 | 9 weeks | 61 |
| 60 | 12 weeks | 82 |
| 90 | 18 weeks | 124 |
Add a calendar day for every holiday that falls on a working day in the period. The calendar-day figure assumes the period starts on a Monday.
How different industries use it
- accounting firms: Working days per month drive capacity in busy season.
- staffing agencies: Contractor invoices for day-rate placements count working days.
Do it in Excel or Google Sheets
Excel and Google Sheets have built-in working-day functions. Start date in A2, end date in B2, holiday dates in H2:H12:
- Working days, Monday–Friday
=NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2,H2:H12) - Working days, Monday–Saturday
=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A2,B2,11,H2:H12) - Custom week (string: 1 = day off, Monday first)
=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A2,B2,"0000011",H2:H12)
NETWORKDAYS counts both the start and end dates, like this calculator.
Who uses the Work Days calculator — and why
- Payroll teams prorating salaries.
- HR counting leave in working days.
- Project managers estimating timelines.
- Workforce planners calculating capacity.
- Employees planning vacation.
- Finance forecasting working-day-based costs.
How we calculate
- Counts every date from start to end inclusive; days not ticked as working days and US federal holidays (if selected) are excluded.
- Federal holidays per 5 U.S.C. § 6103 with OPM’s observed-date rule (Saturday → Friday, Sunday → Monday).
- Tables on this page were generated by the same rules.
- All calculations run in your browser; nothing you type is sent to StaffTiming or stored.
Formulas checked against the sources above. Last reviewed: October 2026. This tool gives estimates for planning, not legal, tax or payroll advice.
Key terms explained
- Working day
- A day the business normally operates.
- Weekday
- Monday to Friday.
- Federal holiday
- One of the 11 public holidays set by US law for federal employees.
- Observed holiday
- The weekday a weekend holiday is moved to.
- Work week
- The days of the week your team works.
- Proration
- Paying a share of a period’s pay based on days worked.
- Capacity
- Total working hours available for a team.
- Inclusive count
- Counting both the start and end dates.
Frequently asked questions
How many working days are in 2026?
250 on a Monday–Friday week after US federal holidays.
How many working days are in a month?
Usually 20 to 23, depending on the month and holidays.
Does the calculator include the start date?
Yes, both the start and end dates are counted.
Which holidays are excluded?
The 11 US federal holidays, using observed dates. Untick the option to include them.
Can I count a six-day week?
Yes — tick Saturday in the working days.
How many working hours are in a year?
About 2,000 in 2026 at 8 hours a day, after federal holidays.
Are federal holidays mandatory for private employers?
No. Private employers choose which holidays to observe.
How do I count working days in Excel?
Use NETWORKDAYS(start, end, holidays).
What is the difference between working days and business days?
They usually mean the same thing; business days is more common for deadlines.
Can I use it for other countries?
Yes, untick the US holidays option and remove your own holidays manually.
How do I prorate a salary by working days?
Multiply the monthly salary by the working days worked and divide by the working days in the month.
How many weeks is 30 working days?
Six weeks on a 5-day week, plus any holidays.
How many days off does a 5-day week give per year?
104 weekend days, plus public holidays and paid leave.
How many working days are in a year in hours?
About 2,000 hours in 2026 at 8 hours a day after federal holidays.
What is the difference between a weekday and a working day?
A weekday is Monday–Friday; a working day is a day your business actually works.
How many working days are in a quarter?
Between 61 and 64 in 2026 on a Monday–Friday week after federal holidays.
How many working days are in a 4-week month?
20, minus any holidays.
Is Juneteenth a federal holiday?
Yes, since 2021. In 2026 it falls on Friday 19 June.
How many working days are in October 2026?
21 on a Monday–Friday week after Columbus Day.
How many working days are in December 2026?
22 after Christmas Day.
How do I count working days for a new starter’s first month?
Count the working days from the start date to the end of the month, including both, and divide by the working days in the whole month to prorate pay.
How many working days are in 2027?
250 on a Monday–Friday week after US federal holidays.
Can I exclude company-specific holidays?
Untick the federal holiday option and count your own holidays manually, or subtract them from the result.
Automate this with real tracked data.
StaffTiming records hours as they happen and turns them into payroll-ready timesheets, so you never re-type a calculation.