Introduction

Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool that can help you with numerous tasks, including calculating the number of working days between two dates. This knowledge can be useful for different scenarios like project management, employee scheduling, or calculating payment terms based on working days. In this article, we will discuss various methods to calculate working days using Excel.

Method 1: Using the NETWORKDAYS Function

Step 1: Open a new Excel worksheet.

Step 2: In cells A1 and A2, enter the start date and end date, respectively. Ensure both dates are formatted as Date (Home > Number group > dropdown arrow next to ‘General’ > select ‘Date’).

Step 3: In cell A3, use the NETWORKDAYS function to calculate the number of working days between the two dates. The formula should look like this:

=NETWORKDAYS(A1, A2)

Press Enter to display the result—the number of working days excluding weekends.

Method 2: Excluding Holidays

Step 1: Create a list with holiday dates (e.g., list them in columns C and D).

Step 2: Modify the NETWORKDAYS function to exclude holidays by adding an optional range reference for holidays:

=NETWORKDAYS(A1, A2, C1:C5)

Here, C1:C5 refers to the range containing holiday dates. Replace this range with your preferred holiday date cells.

Method 3: Using NETWORKDAYS.INTL Function

If you want to customize which days of the week are considered weekends or need to account for different weekend patterns, use the more flexible NETWORKDAYS.INTL function.

Step 1: In cell A4 of your Excel work sheet, enter the following formula:

=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A1, A2, [Weekend], [Holidays])

Replace [Weekend] with one of the following weekend options (Ex: 1 for Sunday only, 11 for Sunday and Monday):

“`

1 = Sunday

2 = Monday

3 = Tuesday

4 = Wednesday

5 = Thursday

6 = Friday

7 = Saturday

11 = Sunday, Monday

12 = Monday, Tuesday

13 = Tuesday, Wednesday

…

17 = Friday, Saturday

“`

Replace [Holidays] with the range containing holiday dates.

Conclusion

Calculating working days in Excel is easy using the NETWORKDAYS and NETWORKDAYS.INTL functions. These functions allow you to adjust for different weekend patterns and exclude holidays from your calculations. By mastering these methods, you’ll be able to efficiently manage projects and track important timelines.