2025 payroll calendar templates for efficient management

Payday is undoubtedly one of the most satisfying and calming days in an employee's life. Ensuring that employees get paid on time is crucial not only for their financial well-being but also for maintaining payroll compliance and avoiding penalties for missed payroll deadlines.

Organization is the key to long-lasting business success. A well-structured payroll calendar streamlines payroll processing, reduces administrative costs, and enhances efficiency. 

In this article, we'll discuss payroll calendars, examine different pay periods, and provide practical tips for creating a calendar that best suits your business needs. 

What is a payroll calendar?

A payroll calendar is a scheduling tool that outlines an organization's key payroll-related dates. It is accessible to both employers and employees. Aside from ensuring timely paycheck processing and tax compliance, payroll calendar is critical for employees because it keeps them informed about:

• Pay period start and end dates 
• Payment dates
• Timecard submission deadlines

Weekly payroll calendar template

A weekly payroll calendar helps companies track and manage their weekly pay schedules. Businesses leveraging this schedule pay their employees once a week, typically issuing paychecks on Thursdays or Fridays.

The weekly calendar takes into account public and religious holidays. If a payment day coincides with the holiday when employees have the day off, the payment date is adjusted to the nearest business day. 

The weekly pay schedule is often used by midsize and large organizations. However, it is also well-suited for companies managing hourly workers or fluctuating workforces.

Biweekly payroll calendar template

A biweekly pay calendar follows the same principles as the weekly payroll schedule, except the employees are paid every other week. Most private-sector employers use a biweekly payment method. 

The payment day and the pay period end are usually the same, and that's Friday. So, paychecks are issued on two Fridays, 14 days apart. Biweekly pay scheduling is also typical for federal employees, outlined in the federal pay calendar.

Semi-monthly payroll calendar template

A semi-monthly (or bi-monthly) payroll calendar differs from the biweekly schedule. When using a semi-monthly schedule, employers pay employees twice a month on specific dates rather than every two weeks. For instance, paydays might be on the 10th and then the 25th or the 15th and the end of the month.

If the payday falls on a weekend or holiday, it is moved to the nearest business day. Semi-monthly payroll is suited for businesses with salaried employees as it simplifies the administration of compensation and benefits.

Monthly payroll calendar template

A monthly payroll calendar is used when employees are paid once a month, resulting in 12 pay periods per year. Payments are made on a specific date, such as the first or last day of each month. However, the day of the week for the payment date may vary depending on the month. 

A monthly calendar requires less administration and is, therefore, a good option for companies that want to cut payroll administrative costs. It is also good for businesses with salaried employees and where monthly payments align with standard financial practices.

The holidays included in these templates represent the most commonly observed holidays in the United States. Please note that holiday schedules may vary by company. We recommend reviewing and customizing this template to align with your organization's specific holiday calendar and policies.

How to choose the right pay arrangement: 4 tips

Choosing a pay arrangement may depend on how many pay periods employers can handle per year based on their administration's resources, capacity, and team structure, to ensure timely payments and avoid excessive payroll administration costs. With that in mind, employers can opt between:

• Weekly pay schedule: Employees get paid each week, usually on the same day
• Bi-weekly pay schedule: The pay date is generally on the same day every other week
• Semi-monthly pay schedule: Employees get paid twice a month on specific dates
• Monthly pay schedule: The pay date is on the first or the last day of each month

What scheduling model an employer will choose depends on the following factors:

• Industry standards: Businesses, especially those new to the market, may look at how other companies in the industry schedule and manage payroll to choose a suitable model. 
• Employee preferences: Considering employee preferences can boost employee satisfaction. Also, tracking hourly workers' overtime may be easier when pay periods are within a workweek.
• Administrative workload: Employers must determine whether their teams have the resources and experience to handle frequent payroll processing, such as weekly and bi-weekly, or whether less frequent models, like semi-monthly or monthly, are better suited to their capacity. 
• Payroll tax deadlines: Ensuring compliance with payroll tax deadlines is critical to avoid penalties. Choosing a pay arrangement that aligns with tax due dates helps maintain compliance and reduce risks.

How to create a payroll calendar

When creating a payroll calendar, employers should consider the following elements:

Payroll processing deadlines

Payroll calendars must outline specific deadlines for submitting timecards, approving hours, and processing payroll to ensure timely payouts. These dates should align with internal approval workflows to avoid delays. Well-thought-out scheduling prevents errors and ensures compliance with labor laws regarding timely payments.

Quarterly end dates for fiscal planning

Including quarterly end dates in a payroll calendar helps companies align payroll activities with financial reporting and tax filling requirements. These dates enable employers to track payroll expenses and plan future resource allocation more accurately. Quarterly planning also helps employers predict and mitigate potential cash flow challenges. 

Pay dates for direct deposits and checks

A well-structured payroll calendar includes payroll-processing cut-off dates and pay dates for both direct deposits and checks. Regularly communicating pay schedules with employees helps build trust and boost satisfaction, while reducing the risk of non-compliance with labor laws or potential disputes. 

Federal holidays

It is critical to include holidays in a payroll calendar. Most businesses are closed on those days, so the payday must be adjusted to the nearest business day, typically a day before the holiday, to ensure everyone is paid on time. 

The list of federal holidays in 2025 includes:

• New Year’s Day: Monday, January 1, 2025
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, January 15, 2025
• Presidents’ Day: Monday, February 19, 2025
• Memorial Day: Monday, May 27, 2025
• Juneteenth: Wednesday, June 19, 2025
• Independence Day: Thursday, July 4, 2025
• Labor Day: Monday, September 2, 2025
• Columbus Day: Monday, October 14, 2025
• Veterans Day: Monday, November 11, 2025
• Thanksgiving Day: Thursday, November 28, 2025
• Christmas Day: Wednesday, December 25, 2025

Important payroll deadlines for compliance

Below are the key payroll deadlines to consider. 

1. Tax filing deadlines 

• Quarterly payroll tax returns: According to the IRS, employers are required to file the Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return: Form 941. The due is the last day of the month following the end of the quarter. For instance, the Q2 2024 return was due July 31, 2024. 
• Annual FUTA tax return: Employers must file the Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return, Form 940, by the end of January of the following year. For the 2024 tax year, the deadline is January 31, 2025. 
• State tax filings: The deadlines for state payroll tax filings vary based on state requirements. Employers must consult their state tax agency or website to confirm the applicable filing deadlines. 

2. Payment due dates 

• Federal tax deposits: The IRS requires employers to withhold and deposit federal income tax along with employer and employee portions of Medicare and Social Security taxes. The IRS determines the deposit schedules based on the employer's total tax liability during the designated lookback period. 
• State tax payments: Employers must adhere to state-specific requirements to ensure timely and accurate tax payments. 

3. W-2 distribution dates

• To Employees: Employers must deliver Form W-2 to employees by the end of January of the following year. For the 2024 tax year, employees should receive their W-2 Forms by January 31, 2025. 
• To the Social Security Administration (SSA): Employers must also complete Forms W-2 and W-3 to the SSA by January 31, 2025, for the 2024 tax year. 

Easily manage your payroll calendar with Rippling 

If you want payroll so powerful it runs itself, you want Rippling. Rippling offers full-service payroll with everything we've discussed in this article so far, plus even more. 

Rippling Payroll is intuitive, easy to use, and has a 100% error-free guarantee on every pay run. It also offers 500+ integrations, automatic and accurate tax registration and filing, and a dedicated mobile app where your employees can view their W-2s and paystubs, submit expenses directly, and more.

With Rippling, you can: 

• Pay employees and contractors in the same platform—and the same pay runs
• Manage time and attendance natively 
• Run unlimited off-cycle pay runs at no extra cost 
• Set up multiple pay schedules, pay rates, and pay types in just a few clicks 
• Add recurring reimbursements (like cell phone payments, gym memberships, etc.) that are automatically paid out every pay period, monthly, or at whatever interval you choose
• Automatically calculate prorated pay runs for new or promoted employees 
• Manage all currency conversions, including payroll adjustments 
• Automatically calculate overtime for every country 
• Make changes after submitting payroll

Your business is complex.
Payroll software shouldn't be.

Payroll calendar FAQs

How do you make a payroll calendar in Excel?

Creating a payroll calendar in Excel starts with opening a new workbook and naming it. For this particular case, we could name it "2025 Payroll Calendar" and then save it as a working document. This step lays the foundation for building your payroll calendar. 

Next, organize your workbook by designating different sheets for various payroll information, such as employee information, tax deadlines, and, of course, pay periods, keeping them organized and easy to navigate.

Now, we need to decide on the pay period—whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly. Based on that, we'll structure the calendar. 

Once we know what pay period we'll use, we create a separate column for each month, detailing important events such as pay dates and holidays/non-working days. Leveraging a formula like WORKDAY helps us exclude weekends and holidays when calculating pay dates, ensuring accuracy.

Both aesthetics and functionality are essential. Choosing a user-friendly layout with a simple and clear color scheme helps users navigate and understand the calendar's content. Pre-built payroll calendar templates are a suitable alternative for anyone inexperienced in Excel.

How many pay periods are there in 2024 and 2025?

The number of pay periods typically depends on the payroll schedule chosen, not a particular year. For instance, a bi-weekly payroll schedule has 26 pay periods, while a weekly pay schedule has 52 pay periods in a year. When choosing a monthly payroll arrangement, employers have to manage 12 pay periods in a year. 

How many pay weeks are there in 2024 and 2025?

How many pay weeks in a year will be, depends on the company’s payment schedule. In 2024 (and 2025), there are 52 weeks, which means there are 52 pay weeks for those using a weekly pay schedule. For biweekly, there are 26 pay weeks (52 weeks divided by 2), as employees get paid every other week.

This blog is based on information available to Rippling as of December 6, 2024.

Disclaimer: Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.