How to Calculate Business Days in Excel
Published on September 1, 2026 • Business Day Calculator
Calculating business days is a common requirement for project managers, HR professionals, and finance experts. Microsoft Excel provides powerful built-in functions to handle these calculations seamlessly.
Using the NETWORKDAYS Function
The NETWORKDAYS function calculates the number of whole working days between a start date and an end date. It automatically excludes weekends.
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
Example:
If you want to find the number of workdays between January 1, 2025, and January 31, 2025:
- Start Date (A1): 2025-01-01
- End Date (B1): 2025-01-31
- Formula:
=NETWORKDAYS(A1, B1)
Using the WORKDAY Function
If you need to find a future date by adding a specific number of business days, use the WORKDAY function.
=WORKDAY(start_date, days, [holidays])
For instant calculations without opening Excel, you can always use our free Business Day Calculator at the top of this page!