How Many Work Days Are in Each Month of 2026
Ever planned a project and realized half the days in November are holidays or weekends? Work days vary more than you might think from month to month. In 2026, the difference between the busiest and slowest months is 3 full days.
Each month of 2026 has between 19 and 22 work days after excluding weekends and federal holidays, with November the lowest at 19 and the annual total landing at 250.
The 2026 month-by-month table
Counts below exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and the 11 federal holidays that fall on weekdays in 2026 (Independence Day is observed Friday July 3).
| Month | Calendar days | Weekend days | Federal holidays (weekday) | Work days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 9 | 2 (New Year’s, MLK) | 20 |
| February | 28 | 8 | 1 (Washington’s Birthday) | 19 |
| March | 31 | 9 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 30 | 8 | 0 | 22 |
| May | 31 | 10 | 1 (Memorial Day) | 20 |
| June | 30 | 8 | 1 (Juneteenth) | 21 |
| July | 31 | 8 | 1 (Independence Day, observed Jul 3) | 22 |
| August | 31 | 10 | 0 | 21 |
| September | 30 | 8 | 1 (Labor Day) | 21 |
| October | 31 | 9 | 1 (Columbus Day) | 21 |
| November | 30 | 9 | 2 (Veterans Day, Thanksgiving) | 19 |
| December | 31 | 8 | 1 (Christmas) | 22 |
| Total | 365 | 104 | 11 | 250 |
Why months vary so much
Three drivers push the count between 19 and 22:
- Month length. February’s 28 days cap it at 20 weekdays before holidays. Thirty-one-day months (January, March, May, July, August, October, December) carry more raw weekdays.
- Weekend distribution. A 31-day month that starts on a Saturday or Sunday has 10 weekend days; one starting midweek has 9. May and August 2026 each lose 10 days to weekends.
- Holiday placement. November carries two weekday holidays (Veterans Day and Thanksgiving), which is why it bottoms out at 19 even though it has 30 days. July has only one weekday holiday deduction because Independence Day falls on Saturday and is observed Friday July 3.
Actually, I once scheduled a project to finish in November without checking the work day count. We ended up scrambling because we lost two days to holidays and had fewer weekdays to begin with. Always check the calendar before locking deadlines.
Where monthly counts get used
- Monthly billing. Consultants and contractors who bill by the day need the exact count to quote monthly retainers. A February retainer at $500/day is 19 × $500 = $9,500, while a March retainer at the same rate is 22 × $500 = $11,000 — a 16% swing on the same rate.
- Leave accrual. Employers that accrue PTO per work day owe more accrual in March than November.
- Capacity planning. A team of 4 at 8 hours/day has 4 × 22 × 8 = 704 person-hours in March but only 4 × 19 × 8 = 608 in November. Plan sprint capacity to the month, not to a flat average.
- SLA and contract windows. “5 business days” resolves to a different calendar date depending on the month and its holidays.
Leap year and observance caveats
2026 isn’t a leap year, so February has 28 days. In leap years February grows to 29 days, which can add one work day depending on the day of the week. Holiday observance also matters: when July 4, Christmas, or New Year’s falls on a weekend, the observed weekday shifts (as with July 4, 2026, observed Friday July 3), and that changes which month absorbs the deduction.
Private employers aren’t required to observe all 11 federal holidays, so a company that closes for only 6 will see higher monthly counts. State employers may add state-specific holidays that push counts lower.
Does this mean you should always check the work day count before planning? Absolutely — especially if you’re billing by the day or setting deadlines.
For exact counts in any window — a month, a sprint, a quarter — use the Work Day Counter and cross-check the annual basis in our guide to how many work days are in a year.
