Biweekly pay calculator
Estimate your gross pay for a two-week pay period. Enter an hourly rate and the hours for each week, or an annual salary to divide by 26.
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Biweekly gross pay
Enter your hourly rate and the hours for each week.
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How to use the biweekly pay calculator
- Choose hourly or salary. Hourly needs your rate and the hours for each week. Salary needs only the annual amount.
- Enter each week's hours separately. Week 1 and week 2 are kept apart so overtime is counted the way the federal rule counts it. 37:30 and 37.5 both work.
- Check the overtime rule. Over 40 hours a week at 1.5× is filled in. Change it to match your job, or untick it for straight time.
- Read the result. You get the two-week gross, each week's hours, overtime and pay, and a yearly figure at 26 pay periods.
Biweekly pay formula
Salary: biweekly gross pay = annual salary ÷ 26.
Hourly: biweekly gross pay = week 1 pay + week 2 pay, where each week's pay = regular hours × rate + overtime hours × rate × 1.5, and overtime is the hours over 40 in that week only.
With no overtime this is simply hours in the pay period × rate. 76 hours at $19.50 is $1,482.
Why overtime is counted per week, not per pay period
The federal rule looks at each workweek on its own: overtime is due for hours over 40 in a workweek, and hours can't be averaged over two or more weeks (US Department of Labor, overtime pay, checked 10 October 2026). A biweekly paycheck just pays two workweeks at once.
Worked example at $20 an hour, 45 hours in week 1 and 35 in week 2. Week 1: 40 × $20 = $800, plus 5 overtime hours × $30 = $150, so $950. Week 2: 35 × $20 = $700. Biweekly gross pay is $1,650. Comparing the 80-hour total with 80 would find no overtime and give $1,600, which underpays by $50.
Some states add daily overtime on top, such as California after 8 hours in a workday. To add up the clock-in and clock-out times for both weeks first, use the biweekly timesheet calculator.
Biweekly pay examples
| Pay | Hours | Biweekly gross |
|---|---|---|
| $40,000 a year | Salary | $1,538.46 |
| $52,000 a year | Salary | $2,000.00 |
| $75,000 a year | Salary | $2,884.62 |
| $20 an hour | 40 + 40 | $1,600.00 |
| $20 an hour | 45 + 35 | $1,650.00 |
| $18 an hour | 50 + 40 | $1,710.00 |
Common mistakes
- Checking overtime against 80 hours for the pay period instead of 40 for each week.
- Dividing a salary by 24. That is twice-a-month pay, not every two weeks.
- Expecting two paychecks a month. Biweekly pay comes 26 times a year, so most months have two paydays and a couple have three. $52,000 a year averages $4,333.33 a month, not $4,000.
- Reading gross pay as take-home pay. Taxes and deductions come out before you are paid.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate biweekly pay?
For a salary, divide the annual amount by 26: $52,000 a year is $2,000 every two weeks. For hourly pay, work out each week's pay, with overtime for that week, and add the two weeks together. 40 hours a week at $22 is $880 a week, or $1,760 for the pay period.
Is overtime calculated over 80 hours in a biweekly pay period?
Not under the federal rule. Overtime is due for hours over 40 in each workweek, and the Department of Labor says hours can't be averaged over two or more weeks. 50 hours plus 30 hours is 10 hours of overtime, even though the pay period adds up to 80.
How many biweekly pay periods are in a year?
Usually 26, because a year has 52 weeks. A calendar year has 52 weeks and one or two days, so now and then 27 biweekly paydays fall in the same year. Ask your employer how a salary is split in that year.
Is biweekly the same as semimonthly?
No. Biweekly is every two weeks, 26 paychecks a year. Semimonthly is twice a month, often on the 15th and the last day, 24 paychecks a year. On a $52,000 salary that is $2,000 biweekly or $2,166.67 semimonthly; the yearly total is the same.
Why is my paycheck smaller than this?
This calculator shows gross pay. Your paycheck is net pay, after federal and state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, retirement contributions, health insurance and any other deductions. Your pay stub lists each one.