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Massachusetts Final Paycheck and Pay Frequency Laws (2026)

Last updated: 2026-10-12 · Rules checked against Massachusetts's statutes and labor agency on 2026-10-03

In Massachusetts, a final paycheck for an employee who is fired or laid off is due in full on the day of discharge. If the employee quits: by the next regular payday (or the following Saturday if there's no regular payday). Pay frequency: Massachusetts employers must pay weekly or biweekly, within 6 days after the pay period ends (7 days if the employee works 7 days a week). Exempt and steady salaried employees may be paid biweekly or semimonthly, or monthly if the employee chooses.

Final pay: fired
Day of discharge
Final pay: quits
Next regular payday
Pay frequency
Weekly or biweekly
Payday deadline
6 days (7-day workers: 7)
after the pay period ends

Massachusetts final paycheck law

Fired or laid off
In full on the day of discharge.
Quits
By the next regular payday (or the following Saturday if there's no regular payday).
Final-pay source
M.G.L. c. 149, § 148

14 states require final pay immediately or within about three days of a firing (California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah and Vermont); most others allow the next regular payday. Final wages include all earned pay; whether unused vacation must be paid out is a separate state rule.

How often Massachusetts employers must pay

Massachusetts employers must pay weekly or biweekly, within 6 days after the pay period ends (7 days if the employee works 7 days a week). Exempt and steady salaried employees may be paid biweekly or semimonthly, or monthly if the employee chooses.

  • Hourly employeesWeekly (allowed)Biweekly (allowed)Semimonthly (not allowed)Monthly (not allowed)
  • Exempt, and salaried at a steady weekly rateWeekly (allowed)Biweekly (allowed)Semimonthly (allowed)Monthly (only if a condition is met)Bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees and employees paid a weekly salary for substantially the same hours may be paid biweekly or semimonthly; monthly only if the employee elects it.

Green: allowed. Amber: allowed only if a condition is met. Struck through: not allowed without approval.

Rule
Weekly or biweekly (weekly (or weekly/biweekly))
Salaried / exempt staff
Exempt and steady salaried staff may be paid biweekly or semimonthly; monthly only at the employee's option.
Payday deadline after the pay period
Wages are due within 6 days after the pay period ends for employees working 5 or 6 days a week, or within 7 days for employees working 7 days a week.
Posting / notice of paydays
No requirement to post or announce paydays in the wage payment law.
Changing paydays
No specific advance-notice rule in the wage payment law; give written notice before the change as a best practice.

Same category (weekly (or weekly/biweekly)): Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Build a Massachusetts payroll calendar

Generate every 2026–2028 payday for your schedule, moved for bank holidays, and check it against Massachusetts's frequency and payday-deadline rules. Download it as Excel, CSV, PDF or a calendar file.

Payroll calendar settings

Pay periods run Sunday–Saturday; payday is Friday, 6 days after the period ends (e.g. Dec 14, 2025 – Dec 27, 2025 → Fri, Jan 2, 2026).

Paychecks in 2026
27
Usual is 26 — plan for the extra payroll
Months with 3+ paychecks
3
January, July, December
Paydays moved
2
Weekend or holiday
First / last payday
Jan 2 – Dec 31
Fri / Thu

Year-end shift: the payday scheduled for Fri, Jan 1, 2027 moves to Thu, Dec 31, 2026 and is paid in 2026, so it counts toward 2026 — W-2 wages, Social Security wage base and 401(k) limits follow the date wages are paid.

27 biweekly paychecks. If salaried staff are paid annual salary ÷ 26, a 27th check pays about 3.8% more than the salary for the year; dividing by 27 lowers each check about 3.7% instead. Decide before January and adjust per-paycheck benefit deductions and 401(k) deferrals.

Check #Pay periodPay dateSubmit payroll byDays after period endNotes
1Dec 14, 2025 – Dec 27, 2025Fri, Jan 2, 2026Tue, Dec 30, 20256
2Dec 28, 2025 – Jan 10, 2026Fri, Jan 16, 2026Wed, Jan 14, 20266
3Jan 11, 2026 – Jan 24, 2026Fri, Jan 30, 2026Wed, Jan 28, 202663rd check in January.
4Jan 25, 2026 – Feb 7, 2026Fri, Feb 13, 2026Wed, Feb 11, 20266
5Feb 8, 2026 – Feb 21, 2026Fri, Feb 27, 2026Wed, Feb 25, 20266
6Feb 22, 2026 – Mar 7, 2026Fri, Mar 13, 2026Wed, Mar 11, 20266
7Mar 8, 2026 – Mar 21, 2026Fri, Mar 27, 2026Wed, Mar 25, 20266
8Mar 22, 2026 – Apr 4, 2026Fri, Apr 10, 2026Wed, Apr 8, 20266
9Apr 5, 2026 – Apr 18, 2026Fri, Apr 24, 2026Wed, Apr 22, 20266
10Apr 19, 2026 – May 2, 2026Fri, May 8, 2026Wed, May 6, 20266
11May 3, 2026 – May 16, 2026Fri, May 22, 2026Wed, May 20, 20266
12May 17, 2026 – May 30, 2026Fri, Jun 5, 2026Wed, Jun 3, 20266
13May 31, 2026 – Jun 13, 2026Thu, Jun 18, 2026Tue, Jun 16, 20265Moved from Fri, Jun 19, 2026 (Juneteenth).
14Jun 14, 2026 – Jun 27, 2026Fri, Jul 3, 2026Wed, Jul 1, 20266
15Jun 28, 2026 – Jul 11, 2026Fri, Jul 17, 2026Wed, Jul 15, 20266
16Jul 12, 2026 – Jul 25, 2026Fri, Jul 31, 2026Wed, Jul 29, 202663rd check in July.
17Jul 26, 2026 – Aug 8, 2026Fri, Aug 14, 2026Wed, Aug 12, 20266
18Aug 9, 2026 – Aug 22, 2026Fri, Aug 28, 2026Wed, Aug 26, 20266
19Aug 23, 2026 – Sep 5, 2026Fri, Sep 11, 2026Wed, Sep 9, 20266
20Sep 6, 2026 – Sep 19, 2026Fri, Sep 25, 2026Wed, Sep 23, 20266
21Sep 20, 2026 – Oct 3, 2026Fri, Oct 9, 2026Wed, Oct 7, 20266
22Oct 4, 2026 – Oct 17, 2026Fri, Oct 23, 2026Wed, Oct 21, 20266
23Oct 18, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026Fri, Nov 6, 2026Wed, Nov 4, 20266
24Nov 1, 2026 – Nov 14, 2026Fri, Nov 20, 2026Wed, Nov 18, 20266
25Nov 15, 2026 – Nov 28, 2026Fri, Dec 4, 2026Wed, Dec 2, 20266
26Nov 29, 2026 – Dec 12, 2026Fri, Dec 18, 2026Wed, Dec 16, 20266
27Dec 13, 2026 – Dec 26, 2026Thu, Dec 31, 2026Tue, Dec 29, 20265Moved from Fri, Jan 1, 2027 (New Year's Day). 3rd check in December.

Holidays: Federal Reserve Bank closures, when ACH direct deposits don't settle (the Reserve Banks stay open on the Friday before a Saturday holiday, such as July 3, 2026 and Dec. 24, 2027). Submit-payroll dates count Federal Reserve business days; your provider's cutoff may differ.

Other Massachusetts payroll rules

Massachusetts final paycheck and payday FAQ

When is a final paycheck due in Massachusetts if an employee is fired?

In full on the day of discharge. Source: M.G.L. c. 149, § 148.

When is a final paycheck due in Massachusetts if an employee quits?

By the next regular payday (or the following Saturday if there's no regular payday). Source: M.G.L. c. 149, § 148.

How often do Massachusetts employers have to pay employees?

Massachusetts employers must pay weekly or biweekly, within 6 days after the pay period ends (7 days if the employee works 7 days a week). Exempt and steady salaried employees may be paid biweekly or semimonthly, or monthly if the employee chooses.

Can I pay employees monthly in Massachusetts?

Not for hourly employees — they must be paid weekly and biweekly. Salaried / exempt staff: Exempt and steady salaried staff may be paid biweekly or semimonthly; monthly only at the employee's option.

How soon after a pay period ends must Massachusetts employees be paid?

Wages are due within 6 days after the pay period ends for employees working 5 or 6 days a week, or within 7 days for employees working 7 days a week.

Do I have to give notice before changing paydays in Massachusetts?

The wage payment law has no specific advance-notice rule for changing paydays. Give employees written notice before the change as a best practice, and keep paying at least as often as the law requires.

Official Sources

Figures checked against these sources on 2026-10-03

Related Resources on This Site

Final paycheck and payday laws in other states

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General information, not legal advice. Confirm the current rules with Massachusetts's labor department before relying on them.