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Working Days in a Year: How to Count Them
By The Editors, Encore Editorial, Updated June 21, 2026
A standard year has 260 or 261 weekdays (Monday through Friday). After removing US federal holidays, the typical working day count is 251. The exact figure shifts slightly each year based on how weekdays align with holidays and the calendar. Use the date calculator to count the working days in any custom date range.
Why the count changes each year
A year has 365 days (366 in a leap year). Divide 365 by 7 and you get 52 complete weeks plus 1 extra day. That extra day is a weekday in most years, giving 261 weekdays. In years that start on Saturday or Sunday, the extra day falls on a weekend, leaving 260 weekdays.
On top of that, the 10 US federal holidays move relative to weekdays each year. When July 4 falls on a Saturday, the observed holiday shifts to Friday, removing a weekday from the count. When it falls on a Sunday, the Monday is observed. When it falls directly on a weekday, one weekday is removed without any shift. The net effect varies year to year.
Working days in 2026
2026 starts on a Thursday. The year has 365 calendar days and 261 weekdays.
US federal holidays in 2026 (observed dates)
| Holiday | Date | Day of week |
|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1 | Thursday |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 19 | Monday |
| Presidents' Day | February 16 | Monday |
| Memorial Day | May 25 | Monday |
| Juneteenth National Independence Day | June 19 | Friday |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Saturday (observed Friday July 3) |
| Labor Day | September 7 | Monday |
| Columbus Day | October 12 | Monday |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Wednesday |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 26 | Thursday |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Friday |
Note: July 4 falls on a Saturday in 2026, so the observed federal holiday is Friday, July 3. That gives 11 observed federal holiday dates in 2026, all on weekdays. Subtracting 11 from 261 gives 250 working days in 2026 for federal employees. Private employers who observe all 11 dates will also have 250 working days.
Many private employers observe only 10 of these holidays and may add company-specific days off. The most common set of 10 excludes Columbus Day, bringing the typical private-sector total to 251 working days.
Working days in recent and upcoming years
| Year | Total weekdays | US federal holidays on weekdays | Typical working days |
|---|
| 2023 | 260 | 10 | 250 |
| 2024 | 261 | 11 | 250 |
| 2025 | 261 | 10 | 251 |
| 2026 | 261 | 11 | 250 |
| 2027 | 261 | 10 | 251 |
| 2028 | 262 | 10 | 252 |
2028 is a leap year that starts on Saturday, which produces an unusually high weekday count of 262 before holidays.
How to calculate working days in Excel or Google Sheets
NETWORKDAYS function
The cleanest method for any date range:
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date)
This counts weekdays inclusive of both the start and end date. To exclude specific holidays, add a third argument pointing to a range of holiday dates:
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, holidays_range)
For a full year
To count weekdays in 2026: =NETWORKDAYS("1/1/2026","12/31/2026") returns 261. Add your holiday list as the third argument and the result drops to your actual working day count.
NETWORKDAYS.INTL for non-standard work weeks
If your work week is not Monday through Friday, NETWORKDAYS.INTL lets you specify custom weekend days. This is useful for industries with Tuesday/Wednesday weekends or four-day work weeks.
Working days per month: approximate figures
| Month | Calendar days | Typical weekdays (range) |
|---|
| January | 31 | 21 to 23 |
| February | 28/29 | 20 to 21 |
| March | 31 | 21 to 23 |
| April | 30 | 21 to 22 |
| May | 31 | 20 to 21 |
| June | 30 | 21 to 22 |
| July | 31 | 22 to 23 |
| August | 31 | 21 to 23 |
| September | 30 | 21 to 22 |
| October | 31 | 22 to 23 |
| November | 30 | 20 to 21 |
| December | 31 | 21 to 23 |
November and May consistently come in lower because of holidays. December feels short despite 23 potential weekdays once Christmas is removed from the working tally.
Related guides
Understanding the difference between working days and calendar days is covered in business days vs. calendar days explained. To count the calendar days in any specific range, use the date calculator or see how to calculate days between two dates.
Frequently asked questions
How many working days are in a year?
A typical year has 260 or 261 weekdays (Monday through Friday). After US federal holidays, the usual figure is 250 to 252 working days, depending on the year and which holidays your employer observes.
How many working days are in 2026?
2026 has 261 weekdays. With 11 observed US federal holidays all falling on weekdays, federal employees have 250 working days. Many private employers reach 251 by not observing Columbus Day.
How do I calculate working days in Excel?
Use =NETWORKDAYS(start_date,end_date) for the working day count. Add a third argument with a holiday date range to exclude those days: =NETWORKDAYS(start_date,end_date,holidays_range).
How many weekdays are in a month on average?
About 21.7 weekdays per month on average. Individual months range from roughly 20 (some Februaries) to 23 (some months with 31 days that start on Monday).
Do all countries have the same number of working days?
The weekday count (260 or 261) is the same globally. Working days differ because countries vary in the number and dates of public holidays. Some countries observe 5 federal holidays; others observe more than 20.