The NETWORKDAYS function in Excel
NETWORKDAYS counts the working days (Monday to Friday) between two dates, including both the start and the end date. Add a list of holidays and those are left out too.
Use it for project durations, delivery times and leave calculations, wherever calendar days would overstate the time available.
Syntax
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
| start_date | The first day. Counted if it's a weekday. |
| end_date | The last day. Counted if it's a weekday. |
| holidaysoptional | A range of dates to skip as well, e.g. public holidays. |
Examples
1. Two working weeks
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start | 2026-03-02 |
| 2 | End | 2026-03-13 |
| 3 | Workdays | 10 |
Monday 2 March to Friday 13 March: 12 calendar days, of which 10 are weekdays.
2. With a holiday
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start | 2026-03-02 | Holidays | |
| 2 | End | 2026-03-13 | 2026-03-10 | |
| 3 | Workdays | 9 |
Tuesday 10 March is in the holiday list, so one working day less.
3. Working hours
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start | 2026-03-02 |
| 2 | End | 2026-03-13 |
| 3 | Hours | 80 |
10 working days of 8 hours.
Common mistakes
Off by one. NETWORKDAYS counts both the start and the end date, unlike subtracting dates.
Fix: Subtract 1 if the start day itself shouldn't count.
Holidays typed as text. They're silently ignored.
Fix: Make sure the holiday list contains real dates, e.g. created with DATE.
Frequently asked questions
My weekend isn't Saturday and Sunday. What then?
Use NETWORKDAYS.INTL, which takes a weekend code, e.g. 7 for Friday–Saturday.
How do I find the date that is 10 working days later?
Use WORKDAY: =WORKDAY(B1,10), which also accepts a holiday list.