What this calculator does
How many business days are in a month depends on more than just how many days the month has. A 31-day month can contain anywhere from 20 to 23 weekdays depending on which day of the week it starts on, and any public holidays that fall on a weekday reduce that further.
This calculator counts the weekdays in the calendar month containing whatever date you enter, then subtracts any public holidays you tell it fall on a weekday within that month, to give the actual number of business days available.
The formula
Every day in the month is checked against the calendar to see whether it falls on a Saturday, Sunday or a weekday. The weekday count is the number of business days before holidays are considered. Subtracting the number of public holidays that fall on a weekday within the month gives the final business day total.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Business day | A weekday, Monday to Friday, that is not a public holiday. |
| Calendar days | The total number of days the month has, including weekends. |
| Weekend days | The Saturdays and Sundays within the month. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Any date in the month to check | Any date within the month you want to check. Only the month and year are used. |
| Public holidays in that month falling on a weekday | The number of public holidays in that month that fall on a weekday. Leave at 0 if none apply, or if you only need the plain weekday count. |
When to use it
Planning project timelines
A task estimated in working days needs the actual business days in the relevant month to convert into a realistic calendar deadline, not just a rough divide-by-thirty guess.
Working out monthly billing for daily-rate contracts
Contractors and consultants billed per business day need to know exactly how many billable days a given month contains, since it varies month to month.
Comparing staffing needs across months
A month with more business days needs more rostered shifts to cover the same daily requirement than a shorter one, even at the same headcount per day.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How many business days are in each month of 2026?
The plain weekday count for every month of the year, before any public holidays are subtracted.
| Month | Business days | Calendar days in the month |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | 22 | 31 |
| Feb 2026 | 20 | 28 |
| Mar 2026 | 22 | 31 |
| Apr 2026 | 22 | 30 |
| May 2026 | 21 | 31 |
| Jun 2026 | 22 | 30 |
| Jul 2026 | 23 | 31 |
| Aug 2026 | 21 | 31 |
| Sep 2026 | 22 | 30 |
| Oct 2026 | 22 | 31 |
| Nov 2026 | 21 | 30 |
| Dec 2026 | 23 | 31 |
How do public holidays reduce the business days in April 2026?
The same month, with a rising number of weekday public holidays subtracted.
Questions
Does this count public holidays automatically?
No. Public holiday dates vary by country, state and year, so they are not something a calculator can assume correctly. Enter how many fall on a weekday within the month, and the calculator subtracts them from the weekday total.
How is this different from a general working-days-between-dates calculator?
A general working days calculator needs a start and end date you choose yourself. This one is built specifically around a full calendar month, so you only need to point at any date within the month you care about.
Why do some months have more business days than others despite being the same length?
A 31-day month starting on a Saturday contains fewer weekdays than the same length month starting on a Monday, because more of its days fall on a weekend. The starting day of the week matters as much as the month length.
Can I use this for a part-week or custom date range instead of a full month?
For any custom range rather than a full calendar month, the working days calculator lets you set your own start and end dates directly.
For a custom date range rather than a full month, use the working days calculator. For the plain calendar day count of any month or year, see the days in a year or month calculator.