Annual Holiday-Pay Projector (US Federal Holidays 2026)
Project a year of holiday premium earnings across the 11 US federal holidays. Pick which holidays you work, set hours and the holiday multiplier, and see the annual extra pay over a normal-rate baseline.
1.5× = time-and-a-half; 2× = double-time.
| Holiday | Observed | Work it? | Hours | Gross | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu Jan 1, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Mon Jan 19, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Washington's Birthday (Presidents') | Mon Feb 16, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Memorial Day | Mon May 25, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Juneteenth | Fri Jun 19, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Independence Day | Fri Jul 3, 2026 (shifted, Sat) | — | — | ||
| Labor Day | Mon Sep 7, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples') | Mon Oct 12, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Veterans Day | Wed Nov 11, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu Nov 26, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Christmas Day | Fri Dec 25, 2026 | — | — | ||
| Annual total (0 holidays) | $0.00 | +$0.00 | |||
Source: 5 U.S.C. §6103 (federal holidays) and US Office of Personnel Management observance rules (Sat → Fri, Sun → Mon). Independence Day 2026 falls on a Saturday and is observed Friday Jul 3 for federal employees. US private employers are not federally required to pay a holiday premium — this is policy-driven. Gross pay only. Everything runs in your browser.
About this tool
The single-event holiday-pay calculator answers 'what will I earn for working this one holiday?' This one answers a different but adjacent question: 'across the whole year, how much extra do I earn because my employer pays a holiday premium on the days I actually work?' That matters when negotiating compensation, comparing two jobs that pay the same base rate but differ on holiday policy, or estimating annual gross. The tool lists the eleven US federal holidays observed by federal employees in 2026 (per 5 U.S.C. §6103 and the OPM observance rules), with their observed date — for example, when New Year's Day falls on a Sunday the federal observance shifts to the Monday — and lets you toggle which ones you actually work, plus the hours and the holiday multiplier (1.5× or 2× are the common ones, but you can enter your employer's exact policy). The output is the per-holiday breakdown — gross pay and premium over regular wages for each — plus an annual total. The federal holiday list is the one most US private employers use as their baseline, though the law does not require any private employer to offer paid holidays or holiday-premium pay at all (the FLSA covers minimum wage and weekly overtime, not holidays). State holidays, religious holidays, and union-specific observances are not included; add them as 'custom' rows. The tool also flags weekends: if a holiday's observed date falls on a Saturday or Sunday and your job does not normally work weekends, you would not earn the premium for it. Use it before a salary negotiation, when comparing an offer, or to sanity-check a year-end W-2. Everything runs in your browser; nothing leaves the page.
How to use it
- Set your base hourly rate and the holiday multiplier (1.5× = time-and-a-half; 2× = double-time).
- For each federal holiday, toggle 'Work it?' on if you do, and enter the hours you work.
- Read each holiday's gross pay and premium, then the annual total at the bottom.
Frequently asked questions
- Which holidays are listed?
- The eleven US federal holidays per 5 U.S.C. §6103: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday (Presidents' Day), Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day (Indigenous Peoples' Day), Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day — with their 2026 observed dates.
- How are observed dates handled?
- When the actual date falls on a Saturday, the federal observance is Friday; on a Sunday, the observance is Monday (per OPM observance rules, 5 U.S.C. §6103(b)). The Observed column shows the date used.
- Is holiday premium required by US federal law?
- For private employers, no. The FLSA requires minimum wage and overtime over 40 hours/week, but does not mandate paid holidays or premium pay for working them. Federal-government employees and many unionised workers do have guaranteed holiday premiums.
- Does the result account for taxes?
- No — it is gross pay. Federal income tax, state income tax, FICA, and Medicare are withheld separately from your paycheck.
- What about holidays my employer observes that are not federal?
- Day-after-Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, Good Friday, and state-specific holidays vary by employer and are not in this list. The annual total here is a floor — add your employer-specific extras separately.
- How does holiday pay interact with overtime?
- It can. If working a holiday pushes your weekly hours over 40, federal law requires the regular-rate overtime premium on top of base pay. Whether holiday and OT premiums stack depends on employer policy; this tool computes only the holiday premium.