The United States has some of the most versatile payday systems in the world, and it gives most of the power to the states to decide when, where, and how employees get paid. In many European and Asian countries, it’s normal to receive a paycheck once per month—in some cases, on a fixed day—whereas, in other parts of the world, pay frequency depends on whether a worker has a white collar or blue collar job.

Whatever day it lands on, it’s safe to say that payday is one of the days of the month the workforce looks forward to most. But just how important is that paycheck to American employees? We were determined to find out.

In an independent survey, QuickBooks Payroll asked 1,000 employees over the age of 18 from businesses of all sizes throughout the country what they do when they get paid, how it makes them feel, how quickly they spend their earnings, and more. Believe it or not, respondents said payday makes them feel better than their birthday or significant U.S. holidays. Below you’ll find the breakdown of the rest of our research.

1. Friday is payday for most employees

No surprises here. Friday has got a lot going for it already, marking the end of the traditional five-day workweek and the eve of the weekend. But it might be popular for more than that. Over 53% of employees said they get paid on Fridays, with the next most popular response being that their payday varies. The most popular frequency at which employees get paid is every other week (44% reported this), with only 10% receiving a paycheck monthly.

Which day of the week do you get paid?