A month has 20 to 23 working days (weekdays), and 21.7 on average: 52 weeks × 5 days ÷ 12 months. After US federal holidays a month has 18 to 23 business days, about 20.8 on average. This month has 6 business days left after today.
The tables below list the business days in every month of 2026 and 2027 for the United States and for England and Wales, with the weekdays and the holidays that fall on them. For any custom date range, use the business days calculator.
Business days per month in 2026 (US)
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 2 | 20 |
| February | 20 | 1 | 19 |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| June | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| July | 23 | 1 | 22 |
| August | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| October | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| November | 21 | 2 | 19 |
| December | 23 | 1 | 22 |
| Total | 261 | 11 | 250 |
Business days per month in 2027 (US)
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Business days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 2 | 19 |
| February | 20 | 1 | 19 |
| March | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| June | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| July | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| August | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| September | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| October | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| November | 22 | 2 | 20 |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 12 | 249 |
Both the first and the last day of each month are counted. Saturdays, Sundays and US federal holidays (on their observed weekday, per OPM) are left out. Banks follow the Federal Reserve calendar, which can add a business day when a holiday falls on a Saturday; see business days in 2027 for the bank count. The full year totals for 2025 to 2030 are on how many business days in a year.
Working days per month in the UK (England and Wales)
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| February | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| March | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 22 | 2 | 20 |
| May | 21 | 2 | 19 |
| June | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| July | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| August | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| September | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| October | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| November | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 8 | 253 |
| Month | Weekdays | Holidays on weekdays | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 1 | 20 |
| February | 20 | 0 | 20 |
| March | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| April | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 21 | 2 | 19 |
| June | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| July | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| August | 22 | 1 | 21 |
| September | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| October | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| November | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| December | 23 | 2 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 8 | 253 |
These tables remove the 8 bank holidays in England and Wales (gov.uk). Scotland and Northern Ireland have different bank holidays; their month tables are on how many working days in the UK.
Average working days per month
Divide the working days in a year by 12. Which yearly figure you start from decides the answer:
| Method | Calculation | Average per month |
|---|---|---|
| Standard year (52 weeks) | 260 ÷ 12 | 21.67 |
| Actual weekdays (most years) | 261 ÷ 12 | 21.75 |
| US business days (2026, 2028–2030) | 250 ÷ 12 | 20.83 |
| US business days (2027) | 249 ÷ 12 | 20.75 |
| England and Wales working days | 253 ÷ 12 | 21.08 |
Real months move around the average. A 31-day month has 21 to 23 weekdays, a 30-day month 20 to 22, and February 20 (21 in a leap year when February 29 is a weekday). Holidays then take one or two days out: November and January usually lose two in the US, and in England and Wales May always loses two (the early May and spring bank holidays) while Easter takes Good Friday and Easter Monday out of March or April.
Business days per quarter, 2025 to 2030
| Year | Q1 (Jan–Mar) | Q2 (Apr–Jun) | Q3 (Jul–Sep) | Q4 (Oct–Dec) | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | 63 | 64 | 60 | 247 |
| 2026 | 61 | 63 | 64 | 62 | 250 |
| 2027 | 61 | 63 | 64 | 61 | 249 |
| 2028 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 61 | 250 |
| 2029 | 62 | 63 | 63 | 62 | 250 |
| 2030 | 61 | 63 | 64 | 62 | 250 |
| Year | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63 | 61 | 65 | 64 | 253 |
| 2026 | 63 | 61 | 65 | 64 | 253 |
| 2027 | 61 | 63 | 65 | 64 | 253 |
| 2028 | 64 | 61 | 64 | 63 | 252 |
| 2029 | 63 | 62 | 64 | 64 | 253 |
| 2030 | 63 | 61 | 65 | 64 | 253 |
Working days per month for payroll and daily rates
When pay has to be split by day (a new starter, a leaver, unpaid leave, or a day-rate contract), employers use one of these divisors. Your contract or payroll policy says which one applies.
- Actual working days in that month. A $5,000 monthly salary is $227.27 a day in a 22-day month and $263.16 a day in a 19-day month. The daily rate changes every month, but a full month always pays the same.
- A fixed average of 21.67 days. $5,000 ÷ 21.67 = $230.73 a day, every month. Simple, but 22 or 23 paid days can add up to slightly more than the monthly salary.
- Annual salary ÷ 260. $60,000 ÷ 260 = $230.77 a day, the same idea as 21.67 per month.
- Calendar days. Monthly salary ÷ the days in the month (28 to 31) for each calendar day employed. Common for pro-rating a start or end date.
For hours rather than days, an average month has 173.3 working hours on a 40-hour week (2,080 ÷ 12); see working hours in a year. To account for vacation days, the PTO calculator shows how much time off you build up per pay period.
FAQs
How many business days are in a month?
Between 18 and 23 in the US, depending on the month and its holidays; 21.7 on average before holidays and about 20.8 after them. This month, 6 business days remain after today.
How many working days are in a month in the UK?
18 to 23 in England and Wales, about 21.1 on average (253 working days ÷ 12). Months with Easter or the two May bank holidays have the fewest.
Is 22 working days a month standard?
No. 22 is a common month, but the yearly average is 21.67 (260 ÷ 12). Using 22 for every month assumes 264 working days a year, which no year has.
How many weekdays are in February?
Exactly 20 in a common year, because 28 days is four full weeks. In a leap year February has 20 or 21 weekdays. Presidents’ Day always falls in February, so a US February has 19 business days in a common year and 19 or 20 in a leap year (20 in 2028).
How many working hours are in a month?
173.3 on average for a 40-hour week (40 × 52 ÷ 12), and 162.5 for a 37.5-hour week. A specific month has its business days × 8 hours, so 144 to 184 hours.