Add, change, or remove a pay schedule

Your pay schedule includes three things:

Pay period: The timeframe your employee worked.
Pay date: The day your employees get paid for that work.
- Paydays will always be on a weekday (regardless of what payment method is used). If a payday is on a weekend or bank holiday, the check date gets moved to the business day before.
- Your direct deposit payment speed determines how many days before payday you need to submit payroll.
Start of workweek: The first day of the 7-day workweek used to figure out overtime pay (according to the FLSA).
- For weekly and biweekly pay schedules, we set the workweek start to the first day of the pay period.
- For all other schedules, it starts on Sunday.

Paying in arrears

If there’s a gap between the pay period and pay date, it’s called paying in arrears. This is common for hourly workers, so you have time to gather their hours and do payroll.

Example: If your employee works from January 1-7, and you pay them on January 13, this is paying in arrears.

Use the dropdowns below to learn more. Use CMD + F (or CTRL + F) to search for words in the article.

Types of pay frequencies you can choose from—includes pay schedule laws for each state

Many states have rules about how often employees need to be paid—check the table below to see the 2024 pay schedule requirements for each state. Once you choose a schedule, click the Add a new pay schedule dropdown below to set it up in Gusto.

Weekly: Every week on the same day (52 times a year).
- Example: Every Friday.
Biweekly: Every two weeks on the same day (26 times a year).
- Example: Every other Friday.
Semi-monthly: Twice a month on specific dates (24 times a year).
- Example: The 15th and the last day of the month.
Monthly: Once a month on the same date (12 times a year).
- Example: On the 26th.
Quarterly: Once every three months (4 times a year) matching the calendar quarters. The pay period is for the entire quarter.
- Example: A January 2 check date would cover Jan 1–Mar 31.
Annually: Once a year. The pay period is always Jan 1–Dec 31.
- Example: A June 30 check date would cover the whole year from Jan 1–Dec 31. You'll get reminders about annual payroll the next year.

2024 pay frequency requirements by state

Use the table below to determine what pay frequencies are allowed in each state.

Last updated February 29, 2024.

State	Weekly	Bi-weekly	Semi-monthly	Monthly	Time between end of pay period and pay date	Important information—read carefully	Agency resource
Alabama	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No requirement	—	Alabama Department of Labor resource
Alaska	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No requirement	An employer must pay employees at least once per month on regularly scheduled paydays. If elected by an employee, employers may pay semi-monthly. Employers can always choose to pay on a more frequent basis.	Alaska State Legislature resource
Arizona	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Pay is owed no later than 5 days after the pay period ends. Overtime pay or exception pay must be paid no later than 16 days after the pay period ends.	An employer must pay two or more days per month, not more than 16 days apart.	Arizona State Legislature resource
Arkansas	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	No requirement	The monthly pay schedule only applies to corporations that have an annual gross income of $500,000 or more may pay management-level employees that are classified as exempt from overtime, and that earn an annual gross income of more than $25,000 a minimum of once per month.	Arkansas State Statute 11-4-401
California	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	If weekly, or bi-weekly: Pay is owed no later than 7 workdays after the pay period ends. If semi-monthly: Wages earned the 1st–15th of the month must be paid by the 26th of the same month. Wages earned the 16th–31st must be paid by the 10th of the following month. If monthly: Pay is owed no later than the 26th of the same month.	Wages must be paid twice during each calendar month on the days designated in advance as regular paydays. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly. For exceptions and additional detail, click the resource in the next column.	California Department of Industrial Relations resource
Colorado	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Pay is owed no later than 10 days after the pay period ends.	Wages must be paid regularly once per month, no later than 10 days following the end of each pay-period.	Colorado Wage Act Statute
Connecticut	Yes	Yes	Approval required—see important information.	Approval required—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 8 days after the pay period ends.	Employers must pay employees at least bi-weekly, and on a regular payday designated in advance, no later than 8 days after the end of the pay period. If the regular pay day falls on a nonwork day, the wages must be paid on the preceding workday. Longer pay frequency intervals, up to monthly, can be permitted if approved by Labor Commissioner.	Connecticut General Assembly resource
Delaware	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Pay is owed no later than 7 days after the pay period ends.	Employers must pay wages at least once per month, no later than 7 days after the close of the pay period.	Delaware Department of Labor Wage Payment resource
District of Columbia (Washington D.C.)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 10 days after the pay period ends.	Non-exempt employees must be paid at least twice per month. Administrative, executive, and professional employees must be paid at least once per month. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly.	Council of the District of Columbia resource
Florida	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No requirement	Florida does not have any laws dictating when or how frequently an employer must pay employees their wages.	Florida Department of Labor resource
Georgia	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No requirement	Georgia's law requires workers to be paid at least twice per month.	Georgia Statute 34-7-2
Hawaii	Yes	Yes	Yes	No, but exceptions may apply—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 7 days after the pay period ends. If approved by Hawaii DOL, pay date may be up to 15 days after the pay period ends.	Every employer is required to pay wages to all employees at least twice during each calendar month, on regular paydays designated in advance by the employer. Monthly pay schedules may be used if: The majority of employees in a collective bargaining unit elect for a monthly payment in a secret ballot. The employer submitted an application to the HI DOL and received approval.	State of Hawaii Wage Standards Division
Idaho	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Pay is owed no later than 15 days after the pay period ends.	All employees must be paid at least once per month, no more than 15 days after the end of the pay period.	Idaho legislature resource
Illinois	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	If weekly: Pay is owed no later than 7 days after the pay period ends. If bi-weekly or semi-monthly: Pay is owed no later than 13 days after the pay period ends. If monthly: No later than the 21st day of the same month.	Employees should be paid at least twice per month. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly. Exceptions may be allowed for commission payments, or certain employee types—click the resource for additional information.	Illinois Department of Labor resource
Indiana	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 10 days after the pay period ends.	An employer must pay most employees their wages no less frequently than twice per month. An employer must pay all wages earned within 10 days of the end of a pay period. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly. Exceptions may apply for certain employee types, click the resources for additional information.	Indiana Statute 22-4-5 Indiana Statute 22-4-4
Iowa	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Pay is owed no later than 12 days after the pay period ends (excluding Sundays and holidays).	Iowa law (Chapter 91A) requires that employers pay workers in full within 12 days of the end of the payroll period, excluding Sundays and legal holidays. The payroll period must be set in advance, can’t be longer than monthly, and must be at consistent intervals.	Iowa Labor Center resource
Kansas	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Pay is owed no later than 15 days after the pay period ends.	Must pay employees at least once per month, on regular paydays, and inform employees of paydays in advance.	Kansas Department of Labor resource
Kentucky	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 18 days after the pay period ends.	Employers must pay employees at least semi-monthly. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly. Exceptions may apply for certain employee types—contact the agency directly to get approval for a monthly pay schedule.	Kentucky General Assembly resource
Louisiana	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Pay is owed no later than the end of the following pay period.	Employers must pay most hourly employees via a regular payday at least bi-weekly or semi-monthly.	Louisiana Legislature resource
Maine	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Pay is owed no later than 8 days after the pay period ends.	Employers must pay employees at least every 16 days. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly.	Maine Legislature resource
Maryland	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	No requirement	Employers must pay employees every two weeks or twice per month. Executive, Professional and Administrative employees may be paid less frequently. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly.	Maryland Department of Labor resource
Massachusetts	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	Depends—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 6 days after the pay period ends.	Hourly employees must be paid on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, within six days of the pay period ending. Employers may pay exempt and salaried non-exempt employees weekly, bi-weekly, or semi-monthly. Employers can pay monthly at the employee's request, or if they're agricultural employees.	Commonwealth of Massachusetts resource
Michigan	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	If weekly, or bi-weekly: Pay is owed no later than 14 days after the pay period ends. If semi-monthly: Wages earned the 1st–15th of the month must be paid no later than the 1st day of the following month. Wages earned the 16th–31st must be paid by the 15th of the following month. If monthly: No later than 15 days after the pay period ends.	—	Michigan Legislature resource
Minnesota	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Unless paid earlier, the wages earned during the first half of the first 31-day pay period become due on the first regular payday following the first day of work.	Employers must pay all wages, including salary, earnings, and gratuities earned by an employee at least once every 31 days; and all commissions earned by an employee at least once every three months, on a regular payday designated in advance by the employer regardless of whether the employee requests payment at longer intervals.	Minnesota Legislature resource
Mississippi	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Manufacturing and public labor companies must pay their employees within 10 days of the end of the pay period. Public service corporations must pay their employees within 15 days of the end of the pay period.	Mississippi does not have laws dictating how often to pay employees. Exception: If your company is engaged in manufacturing and has 50 or more employees, or if you're a public labor or public service corporation, then you must pay your employees at least biweekly or semi-monthly, or on the second and fourth Saturday of every month.	Mississippi Code 71-1-35
Missouri	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 16 days after the pay period ends.	Executive, administrative, or professional employees, salespersons, and employees on commission may be paid monthly. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly.	Revisor of Missouri resource
Montana	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Pay is owed no later than 10 days after the pay period ends.	Employers must establish regular pay schedule and pay wages no more than 10 days following the end of the pay period.	Montana Department of Labor and Industry resource
Nebraska	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No requirement	An employer must establish regular pay days on which employees receive their pay check. An employer must give an employee thirty (30) days notice of any change in the pay day.	Nebraska Statute 48-1230
Nevada	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	If semi-monthly: Wages earned the 1st–15th of the month must be paid no later than the end of the current month. Wages earned the 16th–31st must be paid by the 15th of the following month.	Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly. A monthly payday is also permitted for Executive, Administrative, and Professional personnel.	Nevada Department of Business and Industry resource
New Hampshire	Yes	Yes	Yes, with written permission—you can find the application in the linked resource.	Yes, with written permission—you can find the application in the linked resource.	If weekly: Pay is owed no later than 8 days after the pay period ends. If bi-weekly: Pay is owed no later than 15 days after the pay period ends.	Weekly or bi-weekly payment of wages is required. Semi-monthly or monthly payment of wages are available upon written permission of the NHDOL.	New Hampshire Department of Labor resource
New Jersey	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 10 days after the pay period ends.	Monthly paydays are permitted only for exempt* Executive, Administrative, and Professional personnel. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly*.	New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce resource
New Mexico	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	If semi-monthly: Wages earned the 1st–15th of the month must be paid no later than the 25th day of the current month (or the last day of the month if payroll originates out of state). Wages earned the 16th–31st must be paid by the 10th of the following month (or the 15th day if payroll originates out of state). If monthly: Pay is owed no later than the 10th day of the following month.	Only exempt* Executive, Administrative, and Professional personnel can be paid monthly. Penalties are imposed for violations. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly*.	New Mexico Statute 50-40-2
New York	Yes	Yes—see important information.	Yes—see important information.	No	Most employers must pay employees on at least a semimonthly basis on regular paydays designated in advance by employers.	New York State Labor Law requires manual workers to be paid weekly, and clerical and other workers at least twice per month. Review the link to the right for additional information about pay frequencies.	New York State Senate resource
North Carolina	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No requirement	Pay periods may be daily, weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly or monthly.	North Carolina Legislature 95-25.6
North Dakota	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No requirement	An employer must pay employees at least once per month on a set payday designated by the employer.	North Dakota Code resource
Ohio	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information	If semi-monthly: Wages earned the 1st–15th of the month must be paid no later than the 1st day of the following month. Wages earned the 16th–31st must be paid by the 15th of the following month.	Payment at shorter or longer intervals is permitted when it is customary or when it has been established by written contract or law. Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly.	Ohio Laws and Administrative Rules resource
Oklahoma	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 11 days after the pay period ends.	Every employee must be paid all wages due at least twice each calendar month. State, county, municipal and overtime exempt* employees can be paid a minimum of once each calendar month (monthly). Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) are allowed to be paid monthly*.	Oklahoma Labor Department's Wage and Hour FAQ resource
Oregon	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No requirement	Employers are required to pay you on a regular payday schedule. Paydays may not be more than 35 days apart.	Oregon Labor and Industries resource
Pennsylvania	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Pay is owed no later than 15 days after the pay period ends.	—	Pennsylvania Statute 43.260.3
Rhode Island	Yes	Depends—see important information.	Depends—see important information.	Depends—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 9 days after the pay period ends.	Every employee must be paid weekly for all wages due from an employer. Exceptions: Those employees whose compensation is fixed at a bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly or yearly rate, and those employees working for the state and its political subdivisions and of religious literary, or charitable corporations.	Rhode Island Labor Relations resource
South Carolina	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No requirement	—	South Carolina Legislature resource
South Dakota	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No requirement	Employers must pay all wages due at least once each calendar month.	South Dakota Legislature resource
Tennessee	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	If semi-monthly: All compensation earned and unpaid before the first day of any month must be paid no later than the 20th day of the month following the one in which the wages were earned; and; All compensation earned and unpaid before the 16th day of any month must be paid by the 5th day of the succeeding month. If monthly: Pay is owed no later than 5 days after the pay period ends.	Employers must pay at least monthly.	Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development resource
Texas	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	An employer must designate paydays. If an employer fails to designate paydays, the employer’s paydays are the first and 15th day of each month.	Employees exempt from the overtime provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) must be paid at least once per month (monthly); others must be paid at least twice a month. Semi-monthly pay periods must contain, as nearly as possible, an equal number of days.	Texas Workforce Commission resource
Utah	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	Pay is owed no later than 10 days after the pay period ends.	Employees on a yearly salary can be paid on a monthly basis.	Utah Payment of Wages
Vermont	Yes	Yes, with written consent from the employee	Yes, with written consent from the employee	No	Pay is owed no later than 6 days after the pay period ends.	Employers must pay employees on a weekly basis. However, after providing written notice to its employees, an employer may issue paychecks on a bi-weekly or semi-monthly basis.	Vermont Department of Labor resource
Virginia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—see important information.	No requirement	Employees exempt from overtime should be paid at least once a month (monthly) and hourly employees should be paid at least once every two weeks or twice a month.	Code of Virginia resource
Washington	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Pay is owed no later than 10 days after the pay period ends.	Employers must pay wages at least once per month on a regular payday.	Washington State Legislature resource
West Virginia	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Pay is owed no later than 19 days after the pay period ends.	Employers must pay wages at least twice every month on a regular basis.	West Virginia Division of Labor resource
Wisconsin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes—review the resource for exempt employees.	Pay is owed no later than 31 days after the pay period ends.	With limited exceptions, employers must pay wages at least monthly. The only employers exempt from this requirement can be found by clicking the Wage Payment and Collection Law link to the right.	Wisconsin Wage Payment and Collection Law resource
Wyoming	Yes	Yes	Yes	Depends—review resource for a list of restricted occupations.	If semi-monthly: Wages earned the 1st–15th of the month must be paid no later than the 1st day of the following month. Wages earned the 16th–31st must be paid by the 15th of the following month.	Wyoming does not have laws governing how frequently an employer must pay its employees. Certain occupations are not permitted to pay employees monthly. Review the resource to the right for more info.	Wyoming Workforce FAQ resource

Add a new pay schedule—choose from everyone on one, or make different schedules based on compensation type, employee, or department

Set up your pay schedules in Gusto so we know when to pay your employees.

Pay schedule options

Everyone on one pay schedule
- One pay schedule for all employees (hourly and salaried).
- Compatible with Gusto Time tracking and Project tracking.
By compensation type
- Assign separate pay schedules to hourly and salaried employees.
  - Heads up: Employees classified as "Salary/Eligible for Overtime" are included on the “Hourly” pay schedule.
- Compatible with Gusto Time tracking and Project tracking.
By employee
- Assign employees to pay schedules individually. Use this for schedules based on location, owner status, etc.
- This schedule can only be set up after you're done onboarding.
- Compatible with Gusto Time tracking and Project tracking.
By department
- Assign pay schedules to departments.
- To set this up, you need to turn on the Departments feature and assign employees to departments.
- Compatible with Gusto Time tracking and Project tracking.

Pay frequency options

Weekly
Biweekly
Semimonthly
Monthly
Quarterly
Annual

For advice about what schedule(s) would work the best for your company, check out our blog post.

Set up a new pay schedule

Compliance check

Always check your state payday laws, and consider paying in arrears. This is when there’s a gap between the pay period and pay date, so you have time to gather hours and do payroll.

Payday reminder

Paydays will always be on a weekday (regardless of what payment method is used, check or direct deposit). If a payday is on a weekend or bank holiday, the check date will be moved to the business day before.

Sign in to Gusto.
Click the Pay section and select Pay settings.
- If you’re still onboarding, go to the Pay Schedule section.
Find the “Pay Schedule” section and click Add New Pay Schedule.
Choose how you’d like to assign employees to pay schedules (more info about each above):
- Everyone on one pay schedule
- By compensation type
- By employee
  - This schedule can only be set up after you're done onboarding.
- By department
  - To set this up, you need to turn on the Departments feature and assign employees to departments.
Click Continue.
Choose from an existing pay schedule listed, or add a new one.
- If you add a new schedule, before you save, click Preview upcoming paydays to view your future schedules. When everything looks right, click Save.
Click Continue once all employee types have been assigned to a pay schedule.
Review the changes, and click Submit if everything looks correct.
If this schedule should be on AutoPilot, click the Pay section and select Pay settings. Find the new pay schedule, and next to "Payroll on AutoPilot" click Edit to turn it on.

You may need to run a transition payroll to account for any gap between schedules. If you do, we'll let you know on your Home page.

You can learn how to change a pay schedule after it's been set up here.

Preview your pay schedule

To see a quick view of your upcoming pay periods and pay dates, follow these steps:

Go to the Pay section and select Pay settings.
Under "Pay Schedule," click Preview upcoming paydays to see your future pay schedule.
- In the top-right, you can switch between list view and calendar view.

You can also sync payroll reminders to your personal calendar.

Change a pay schedule or pay period (and learn about transition payrolls)

Change a pay schedule or pay period

To change your pay schedule or pay period:

Go to the Pay section and select Pay settings.
Click edit next to the pay schedule (pay frequency) you want to change.
Choose how often employees will get paid (pay frequency).
Select the day of the week they will be paid.
Pick the first pay date on the new schedule.
Check or update the pay period.
Click Preview upcoming paydays to see future pay dates.
- We'll automatically create a “transition payroll” to cover any gap between the old and new schedules (learn more below).
Once everything is set, click Save.
If a transition payroll shows up on your Home page, you need to process or skip it before you can run the next regular payroll.

Transition payrolls—paying employees for the gap between the old and new schedules

A transition payroll helps pay employees for the time between the old and new pay schedules. If a transition payroll shows up on your Home page, you need to run it in the Pay section, or skip it before you can run the next regular payroll.

If you need to skip an employee's transition payroll, check the "Skip an employee's payroll" section of this article.
If you need to pay the employee and already skipped the transition payroll, run an off-cycle payroll.

Reminders about transition taxes, benefits, payments, and time tracking

Taxes
- Transition payrolls use the same tax rules as the new Regular pay schedule, but taxes may change if switching from one pay period to another (ex. monthly to semimonthly).
- If your accountant set up a recurring income tax override for an employee, it won’t apply to the transition payroll. Only one-time tax overrides will be used during the transition payroll.
Benefits
- Gusto-managed benefits will not be deducted during transition payrolls. If you have Gusto-managed benefits, contact us from the Support section to make sure you have the correct deductions on the new schedule.
- External benefit deductions will still happen.
Payments
- For salaried employees, a transition payroll will automatically pro-rate for actual days worked.
Time Tracking
- Time-tracking hours will not sync for transition payrolls.

View the pay schedule employees are assigned to (or change it)

Go to the Pay section and click Pay settings.
Scroll to the “Pay Schedules” section, and click Edit how the employee is assigned.
Use the dropdown menus next to each employee’s name to change their pay schedule.

Change the "start of workweek"

Workweeks help calculate overtime pay over a 7-day period. Changing the workweek will not affect how often you pay employees or when they get paid.

You can choose one “start of workweek” for each pay schedule.

For weekly and biweekly pay, we'll default to using the first day of the pay period as the start.
For other pay schedules, we'll default to starting the workweek on Sunday.

Change your “start of workweek”

Important: You can only change the start of the workweek a limited number of times—this makes sure employees get the right overtime pay. For example, if you change the workweek, you'll have to wait a full workweek (from the start of a new one) before you can change it again.

Go to the Pay section and select Pay settings.
Find the “Pay Schedule” section, and next to "Start of workweek" click Edit.
Pick the day you want your workweek to start.
Click Save.

Remove a pay schedule

Make sure you have at least one other pay schedule set up, and move all employees from the one you're deleting to a new schedule.

Go to the Pay section and select Pay settings.
Under “Pay Schedule,” click Manage.
- If you have more than two pay schedules and dismiss the last employee from one of them, you cannot delete that schedule. Our Support team cannot help delete it either.
Move employees from the schedule you want to delete to another one.
- Selecting Everyone on one pay schedule will make it so you have one pay schedule going forward.

If no employees are on a schedule, it will be removed from Gusto as long as there are no pending tasks.