MS Excel: NETWORKDAYS function to calculate the number of working days
- Fakhriddinbek
- May 4
- 2 min read
The NETWORKDAYS function in Excel is a built-in date and time function that calculates the number of working days (excluding weekends and optionally holidays) between two dates. It’s widely used in project management, HR leave tracking, finance, and operations to determine how many business days are available or used.
Syntax
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
Arguments:
Argument | Required | Description |
start_date | Yes | The starting date of the period. |
end_date | Yes | The ending date of the period. |
[holidays] | No | One or more dates (range or array) to exclude as holidays (optional). |
🎯 Return Value
An integer that represents the count of weekdays (Mon–Fri) between start_date and end_date, excluding any dates listed as holidays.
✅ Examples
Start Date | End Date | Holidays | Formula | Result | Explanation |
2025-05-01 | 2025-05-10 | (none) | =NETWORKDAYS(A2, B2) | 6 | Skips weekend (May 3–4) |
2025-05-01 | 2025-05-10 | 2025-05-05 | =NETWORKDAYS(A3, B3, C3) | 5 | Skips weekend + May 5 (holiday) |
2025-12-24 | 2026-01-02 | 2025-12-25, 2026-01-01 | =NETWORKDAYS(A4, B4, D4:D5) | 6 | Skips weekends + Christmas + New Year |
🧠 Use Cases
Scenario | Purpose |
Project deadline tracking | Measure available working days to complete tasks |
Leave & attendance systems | Calculate total working days between start and end dates |
Invoice payment cycles | Count net business days for due dates |
SLA or service ticket tracking | Calculate compliance based on business days |
📋 Practical Table Example
A (Start Date) | B (End Date) | C (Holiday 1) | D (Holiday 2) | Formula | Result |
2025-06-01 | 2025-06-10 | 2025-06-05 | 2025-06-06 | =NETWORKDAYS(A2, B2, C2:D2) | 6 |
🔄 Related Functions
Function | Description |
WORKDAY | Returns the end date after adding a number of workdays to a start date |
NETWORKDAYS.INTL | More flexible version — lets you customize which days are weekends |
DATEDIF | Calculates the difference between dates in various units |
TODAY() | Returns the current date — useful for dynamic formulas |
🔧 Tips & Best Practices
Holidays must be valid Excel date values — not text.
If start_date is later than end_date, the result will be negative.
Want to ignore only specific weekdays as non-working days? Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL.
Dynamic Example:
excelCopyEdit
=NETWORKDAYS(TODAY(), DATE(2025,12,31), F1:F10)
This calculates remaining working days until the end of 2025, excluding holidays listed in F1:F10.
📌 Summary Table
Feature | Details |
Function Name | NETWORKDAYS |
Input | Start date, end date, optional holidays |
Output | Number of weekdays (Mon–Fri) |
Excludes | Saturdays, Sundays, and listed holidays |
Use Cases | Timelines, project tracking, payroll |
Excel Versions | All modern Excel versions (2007 and later) |
🏁 Conclusion
The NETWORKDAYS function is a cornerstone in business and project calculations. By accurately counting only the days that matter — working days — you can improve your reporting, timelines, and planning with ease.
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