Some workers could see an extra paycheck hit their bank account in May — but it all comes down to how and when you’re paid.
If you’re paid every other week (biweekly), your pay schedule doesn’t line up perfectly with the calendar year. A year has 52 weeks, which equals 26 biweekly pay periods, but those 26 checks don’t divide evenly across 12 months. So two months each year end up with three paydays instead of the typical two.
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For some workers in 2026, May is one of those three-paycheck months, depending on when you received your first paycheck of the year.
How to tell if you’ll get three paychecks in May
Workers who got their first paychecks of 2026 on Friday, Jan. 2, had their first three-paycheck month in January and will see another in July.
Meanwhile, those whose first paycheck landed on Friday, Jan. 9, are likely to get three paychecks in May, with another three-paycheck month coming later in October.
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Next year, the calendar looks a little different. Because Jan. 1, 2027, falls on a Friday, there are more Friday paydays than usual — which can lead to an additional three-paycheck month for certain schedules.
If you receive your first paycheck of 2027 on Jan. 1, you’ll receive three paychecks in January, July and December. Those who receive their first paycheck on Jan. 8 will instead receive three paychecks in April and October.
So while it may look like an extra paycheck, it's not extra pay at all — just a scheduling quirk that shifts when your money lands, not how much you earn. But for a moment there, it definitely feels like a win.
