The number of pay periods in a year depends on the pay frequency chosen by an employer. Common pay schedules and their typical number of pay periods per year are:
- Weekly pay : 52 pay periods per year (sometimes 53 in leap years) because employees are paid once every week
- Biweekly pay : 26 pay periods per year, paid every two weeks. Occasionally, there can be 27 pay periods in a year depending on how the calendar falls
- Semi-monthly pay : 24 pay periods per year, paid twice a month on fixed dates such as the 15th and last day of the month
- Monthly pay : 12 pay periods per year, paid once a month usually on a set date like the last day of the month
In summary, the number of pay periods per year ranges from 12 (monthly) up to 52 (weekly), with biweekly and semi-monthly falling in between. The exact count can vary slightly especially for weekly and biweekly schedules due to calendar alignment
