In theory, August feels like a long month, giving everyone some extra time to soak up summer before fall rolls in.
This year, selected employees will see an additional paycheck in August if they get paid biweekly or weekly. But, even if you’re on a biweekly schedule, you might not be part of that fortunate group.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect.
Who gets the “extra” salary in August?
The simplest way to figure out whether you’ll get three paychecks in August (or five if you’re weekly) is to look at your last paycheck.
If you’re on a biweekly system and didn’t get paid last Friday, you can expect to see that extra paycheck next month. For those who get paid on Fridays, paydays will be positioned on August 1st, 15th, and 29th.
Since August 1st is a Friday, anyone paid on Thursdays won’t actually receive an additional paycheck this month. The next month to experience a “triple pay” scenario won’t be until 2026.
Meanwhile, if you were paid on July 24th or 25th, you’ll just need to hang tight a bit longer for that triple payday (I’ll explain that in more detail shortly).
If your payday falls on a Thursday or Friday, you won’t have to dig into your last pay stub: You’ll get five checks in August.
When will the next three-paycheck month occur?
If you’re getting three paychecks in August, the next time you’ll experience that will be in 2026. More specifically, expect the next triple payday in January, for those on a Thursday pay schedule as well.
For those who only got paid twice in August, there will be another opportunity for three paychecks come October. After that, the next chance won’t be until May.
Why do we have triple pay months?
Thanks to the 52-week calendar, the weeks aren’t evenly split across the twelve months. This year, we see months like August and October that stretch over four weeks, resulting in those months having an extra paycheck.
This setup means people receive three salaries in two months each year to stay on track with 26 biweekly paychecks.
However, those extra checks shouldn’t really be viewed as “bonus” pay. Financial experts often caution against considering them that way. Instead, think of them as a portion of yearly income.
If your budget is doing alright, it’s smart to use that third paycheck towards other financial objectives, like paying down debt or building up your emergency fund. But if things are feeling tight, they recommend using that paycheck to help catch up on bills.
