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Excel Working Days Between Dates Formula

By Szabó Gergő · Updated

NETWORKDAYS counts weekdays from a start date to an end date and can skip a holiday range.

Syntax and arguments

=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])
start_date
First date in the window, included.
end_date
Last date in the window, included.
holidays
Optional range of dates to exclude.

Working days examples

01
Weekdays only

Start A2, end B2.

=NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2)

Saturday and Sunday are skipped. Both dates count if they are weekdays.

02
Skip holidays

Holidays listed in Holidays!A2:A20.

=NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2,Holidays!A2:A20)

Any holiday that falls on a weekday is removed from the count.

03
Friday-Saturday weekend

NETWORKDAYS.INTL available.

=NETWORKDAYS.INTL(A2,B2,7,Holidays!A2:A20)

Weekend code 7 is Friday and Saturday.

Common mistakes

  • Dates stored as text

    Convert with DATEVALUE or DATE before counting.

  • Expecting an exclusive end date

    NETWORKDAYS includes both ends. Subtract 1 if your process excludes the end date.

  • Putting holidays as labels

    The holiday range must be real Excel dates, not names.

Working days FAQ

Does it count the start day?

Yes, if the start date is a weekday and not a holiday.

How do I count only completed days?

Use =NETWORKDAYS(A2,B2)-1 when both dates are weekdays and you want the gap.

Can I add hours?

NETWORKDAYS is whole days. For hours use NETWORKDAYS plus a time fraction, or a timesheet model.