Working days Australia 2027 total between 250 and 253, depending on your state or territory. The year has 261 weekdays, and each state removes its own public holidays. The ACT has the fewest working days at 250. Tasmania has the most at 253. This guide lists every public holiday by state and shows the month by month count. It also explains how to plan leave and deadlines.
Need to count a specific range? Use the business days between dates calculator, select Australia, then check the state table below for your holidays.
How Many Working Days Are in Australia in 2027?
The working days Australia 2027 total depends on where you work. The year starts and ends on a Friday, so it holds 261 weekdays. Each state and territory removes the public holidays that fall on those weekdays. The result runs from 250 in the ACT to 253 in Tasmania.
These totals assume a Monday to Friday week and count only statewide holidays with a confirmed date. They leave out local show days and regional holidays. They also skip part day holidays, such as Christmas Eve in the NT, Queensland and South Australia. Victoria also has an AFL Grand Final Friday. The state has not confirmed its date. It lowers the Victorian total from 252 to 251.
| State or territory | Weekdays | Weekday public holidays | Working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | 261 | 11 | 250 |
| Northern Territory | 261 | 10 | 251 |
| Western Australia | 261 | 10 | 251 |
| New South Wales | 261 | 9 | 252 |
| Queensland | 261 | 9 | 252 |
| South Australia | 261 | 9 | 252 |
| Victoria | 261 | 9 | 252 |
| Tasmania | 261 | 8 | 253 |
Use your own state’s figure for payroll, project plans and delivery dates. For a general method, read our guide on how many business days are in a month.
Which Public Holidays Fall on a Weekday in 2027?
Six holidays apply in every state and territory. They are New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday and the two Christmas substitute days. The other dates differ by state, as the table shows. Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday fall on a weekend, so they do not change the Monday to Friday count. Monday 14 June is the most widely shared date, with six jurisdictions giving a King’s Birthday holiday. Monday 8 March covers four jurisdictions under four different names.
| Date | Public holiday | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 1 Jan | New Year’s Day | All states and territories |
| Tue 26 Jan | Australia Day | All states and territories |
| Mon 1 Mar | Labour Day | Western Australia |
| Mon 8 Mar | Canberra Day, Adelaide Cup Day, Eight Hours Day, Labour Day | ACT, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria |
| Fri 26 Mar | Good Friday | All states and territories |
| Mon 29 Mar | Easter Monday | All states and territories |
| Mon 26 Apr | Anzac Day or Anzac Day substitute | ACT, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia |
| Mon 3 May | Labour Day (Queensland), May Day (Northern Territory) | Queensland, Northern Territory |
| Mon 31 May | Reconciliation Day | ACT |
| Mon 7 Jun | Western Australia Day | Western Australia |
| Mon 14 Jun | King’s Birthday | ACT, New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria |
| Mon 2 Aug | Picnic Day | Northern Territory |
| Mon 27 Sep | King’s Birthday | Western Australia |
| Date not confirmed | Friday before the AFL Grand Final | Victoria |
| Mon 4 Oct | Labour Day (ACT, New South Wales, South Australia), King’s Birthday (Queensland) | ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia |
| Tue 2 Nov | Melbourne Cup | Victoria |
| Mon 27 Dec | Christmas Day (substitute day) | All states and territories |
| Tue 28 Dec | Boxing Day (substitute day) | All states and territories |
Confirm any date on the official Fair Work 2027 public holidays page before you set a roster or a deadline. The working days Australia 2027 totals in this guide follow that list.
Working Days Australia 2027 by Month
The table below shows the working days Australia 2027 month by month. The weekday column counts Monday to Friday before any public holiday is removed. The state columns show the working days left after each state removes its holidays.
| Month | Weekdays | ACT | NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 |
| February | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| March | 23 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| April | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
| May | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| June | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| July | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| August | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| September | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 |
| October | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| November | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 22 |
| December | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Total | 261 | 250 | 252 | 251 | 252 | 252 | 253 | 252 | 251 |
January is the shortest month in every state, with 19 working days. New Year’s Day and Australia Day both fall on weekdays. February and July are the only months where no state loses a weekday.
Victoria’s column leaves out the AFL Grand Final Friday. That holiday usually falls on the last Friday in September, so Victoria’s September figure usually drops to 21. For a similar breakdown in another country, see our working days UK 2027 guide or our working days in South Africa 2026 guide.
Why Does Each State Have a Different Total?
Each state and territory sets its own public holiday list. The ACT has the most weekday holidays at 11. It adds Canberra Day, an Anzac Day Monday, Reconciliation Day, the King’s Birthday and Labour Day to the shared list. Tasmania has the fewest at 8. It adds only Eight Hours Day and the King’s Birthday.
Labour Day shows how far the dates drift. Western Australia takes it on 1 March and Victoria on 8 March. Queensland and the NT take theirs on 3 May. The ACT, NSW and South Australia take it on 4 October. The King’s Birthday falls on 14 June in most states. Western Australia takes it on 27 September and Queensland on 4 October. Local days such as the Melbourne Cup and Picnic Day shift the working days Australia 2027 total again.
What Happens When a Public Holiday Falls on a Weekend?
When a holiday lands on a weekend, most states name a substitute weekday. This happens twice in 2027. Christmas Day falls on Saturday 25 December and Boxing Day falls on Sunday 26 December. Every state and territory gives Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December as public holidays.
Anzac Day falls on Sunday 25 April, and the states split. New South Wales and Western Australia name Monday 26 April as an extra public holiday. Queensland, the NT and the ACT list Monday 26 April as Anzac Day. South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria give no replacement day, so Monday 26 April stays a normal working day there. That one rule moves the working days Australia 2027 total between states.
How Do Public Holidays Affect Annual Leave in 2027?
Full-time employees get 4 weeks of paid annual leave under the National Employment Standards. Public holidays are a separate entitlement. Fair Work says all employees have a right to be absent on a public holiday. Pay and penalty rates depend on your award or agreement, so check your own terms.
Three bridges stand out in 2027. In every state, 1 day of leave on Monday 25 January gives you 4 days in a row through Australia Day. Four days of leave from Monday 22 to Thursday 25 March gives you 10 days in a row around Easter. Three days of leave from Wednesday 29 to Friday 31 December gives you 9 days in a row from Christmas Day. Plan around the working days Australia 2027 pattern early, because these weeks fill up fast.
How Do You Count Working Days for a 2027 Deadline?
Start by deciding whether the trigger day counts. In most deadline rules it does not, as explained in our guide on whether the first day counts. Then skip weekends and the public holidays of the state that applies to you.
For example, 10 working days from Monday 19 April 2027 end on three different dates. South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria finish on Monday 3 May, because Anzac Day gives them no day off. The ACT, New South Wales and Western Australia finish on Tuesday 4 May. Queensland and the NT finish on Wednesday 5 May, because 3 May is also a holiday there.
The add business days to a date calculator runs this count for you. The notice period calculator finds a last working day. Check business days versus calendar days in your contract before you count, since each one gives a different date.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many working days are there in Australia in 2027? | Working days range from 250 to 253 depending on the state. The ACT has 250, the NT and Western Australia have 251, NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria have 252, and Tasmania has 253. Victoria falls to 251 once its AFL Grand Final Friday is counted. These totals use a Monday to Friday week from the 261 weekdays in the year. |
| Which state has the most working days in 2027? | Tasmania has the most with 253 working days. The ACT has the fewest with 250. Both figures count statewide public holidays only. |
| When are the Christmas public holidays in 2027? | Christmas Day falls on Saturday 25 December and Boxing Day falls on Sunday 26 December. Every state and territory gives Monday 27 December and Tuesday 28 December as public holidays. |
| Is there an Anzac Day public holiday on Monday 26 April 2027? | Anzac Day falls on Sunday 25 April 2027. New South Wales and Western Australia add Monday 26 April as an extra holiday, and Queensland, the NT and the ACT list Monday 26 April as Anzac Day. South Australia, Tasmania and Victoria give no replacement day. |
| Is Australia Day moved in 2027? | No. Australia Day falls on Tuesday 26 January 2027 in every state and territory, so no substitute day applies. |
| Is the AFL Grand Final Friday included in the totals? | No. The Friday before the AFL Grand Final is a Victorian public holiday, but its date is not confirmed. It always falls on a Friday, so it lowers the Victorian total from 252 to 251. |
| Do employees get public holidays off? | Fair Work says all employees have a right to be absent on a public holiday. Pay and penalty rates depend on your award or agreement, so check the Fair Work pay tool or your contract. |
Related Calculators
- Business Days Between Two Dates
- Add Business Days to a Date
- Subtract Business Days from a Date
- Notice Period Calculator
- Deadline Calculator
Last updated: October 2026.