Some Workers Will Receive 3 Paychecks in May: Will You?
Written by
Adam Palasciano
Edited by
Angela Corry
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If you’re like many American workers, you probably get paid biweekly (or every other week). In fact, the 2023 Current Employment Statistics survey Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that close to half (43%) of private U.S. companies pay their employees on a biweekly basis.
If you fall into this category, get ready for the first triple-payday month of 2025.
NewsNation explained that generally, months with an extra payday only happen four times per year, depending on how you’re paid. However, if you’re paid on a biweekly basis, you’ll only benefit from two of these bonus months in 2025. The first one is in May; here’s how these paydays break down.
Will You Get A ‘Bonus’ Payday In May?
To see if you’ll get an “extra” payday this month, you’ll have to check when you were last paid.
You won’t see three paydays this month if you’re paid on a bi-weekly basis and you were last paid on Thursday, April 24 or Friday, April 25. But, if you were paid on Thursday, April 17 or Friday, April 18 (before Easter), you’ll receive three paychecks in May on the following dates: May 2, May 16 and May 30 (which all fall on the first, third and fifth Friday of May).
Why This Doesn’t Count As Extra Income
Since there are 52 weeks in a year, those paid on a biweekly basis don’t see their paychecks spread evenly throughout the year because the weeks don’t spread out evenly throughout all 12 months. Some months you could see just two paychecks, while others may yield three paychecks.
Those paid biweekly see 26 paychecks per year, no matter how the weeks fall on the 12-month calendar. The month of May has five Fridays, hence why for many of those paid biweekly, there will be three paydays. So, an additional paycheck this month doesn’t actually count as extra income.
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Sources:
- NewsNation, “Three-payday May coming for some: Do you qualify?”
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Length of pay periods in the Current Employment Statistics survey“
