There are 250 working days in 2026 and 249 working days in 2027, based on a Monday-to-Friday week minus the US federal holidays that fall on weekdays. Both years have 261 weekdays; 2026 loses 11 to holidays, and 2027 loses 12, because New Year's Day 2028 falls on a Saturday and is observed on Friday, December 31, 2027.
Working days in 2026, month by month
| Month | Weekdays | Federal holidays | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 2 (New Year's Day, MLK Day) | 20 |
| February | 20 | 1 (Presidents' Day) | 19 |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 1 (Memorial Day) | 20 |
| June | 22 | 1 (Juneteenth) | 21 |
| July | 23 | 1 (Independence Day, observed Fri Jul 3) | 22 |
| August | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 1 (Labor Day) | 21 |
| October | 22 | 1 (Columbus Day) | 21 |
| November | 21 | 2 (Veterans Day, Thanksgiving) | 19 |
| December | 23 | 1 (Christmas) | 22 |
| Total | 261 | 11 | 250 |
Working days in 2027, month by month
| Month | Weekdays | Federal holidays | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 2 (New Year's Day, MLK Day) | 19 |
| February | 20 | 1 (Presidents' Day) | 19 |
| March | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 1 (Memorial Day) | 20 |
| June | 22 | 1 (Juneteenth, observed Fri Jun 18) | 21 |
| July | 22 | 1 (Independence Day, observed Mon Jul 5) | 21 |
| August | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| September | 22 | 1 (Labor Day) | 21 |
| October | 21 | 1 (Columbus Day) | 20 |
| November | 22 | 2 (Veterans Day, Thanksgiving) | 20 |
| December | 23 | 2 (Christmas observed Fri Dec 24; New Year 2028 observed Fri Dec 31) | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 12 | 249 |
For the full list of dates and observed days, see US federal holidays 2026–2027.
Your number may be different
The tables use the federal holiday calendar, which applies to federal employees and is the standard most banks follow. Private employers decide their own holidays, so your count could be higher or lower:
- Fewer holidays: many private companies give 6–8 paid holidays (typically New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas) rather than all 11. With only those six, 2026 has 255 working days.
- Extra days off: the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve are common additional holidays.
- State holidays: some states add days such as Cesar Chavez Day (California), Patriots' Day (Massachusetts and Maine) or Mardi Gras (parts of Louisiana).
- Different workweeks: a 4-day week, shift work or retail schedules change the base count completely.
Subtracting vacation and sick days
Working days in the calendar sense aren't the same as days you actually work. A quick estimate for 2026:
| Item | Days |
|---|---|
| Weekdays | 261 |
| Federal holidays | −11 |
| Paid time off (example: 15 days) | −15 |
| Sick days (example: 5 days) | −5 |
| Days actually worked | 230 |
Smart timing of PTO around holidays can stretch it a long way. Our guide to long weekends in 2027 shows where a single day off becomes a four-day break.
Working hours in a year
Multiply working days by your daily hours:
- 2026: 250 days × 8 hours = 2,000 working hours (or 2,088 hours if you count all 261 weekdays, as many payroll systems do with paid holidays).
- 2027: 249 days × 8 hours = 1,992 working hours.
The commonly quoted figure of 2,080 hours is simply 52 weeks × 40 hours, used to convert between hourly and annual pay ($25/hour × 2,080 = $52,000 a year). For more conversions, see how many hours are in a week and a month.
How to count working days between two dates
To count business days for a deadline or delivery estimate:
- Count the total days between the two dates.
- Subtract Saturdays and Sundays (about 2 days in every 7).
- Subtract any holidays that fall on weekdays in that period.
- Decide whether to include the start and end days, and be consistent.
Our business days guide explains the method in full, and the countdown pages do it for you. For example, 10 business days from today skips weekends and federal holidays automatically.
Plan the year: the 2027 calendar marks every federal holiday, and the payday calculator shows which months have three biweekly paychecks.
Frequently asked questions
How many working days are in 2026?
250, counting Monday to Friday and excluding the 11 federal holidays.
How many working days are in 2027?
249. There are 261 weekdays, and 12 federal holidays are observed on weekdays, including New Year's Day 2028, which is observed on Friday, December 31, 2027.
Which month has the most working days?
In 2026, March, April, July and December tie with 22. In 2027, March has the most, with 23.
How many working days are in a month on average?
About 21 (roughly 20.8 once federal holidays are subtracted).