Bi-Weekly Pay Calculator
Bi-weekly pay is what you earn in two weeks. For hourly workers it is rate × hours per week × 2: $20 × 40 × 2 = $1,600. For salaried workers it is the annual salary ÷ 26.
- Hourly: rate × weekly hours × 2.
- Salary: annual salary ÷ 26.
- $20/h full time = $1,600 every two weeks.
- Most years have 26 bi-weekly paydays; some have 27.
How to calculate bi-weekly pay
- Hourly employeesHourly rate × regular hours in the two weeks, plus overtime hours × rate × 1.5.
- Salaried employeesAnnual salary ÷ 26 pay periods.
- Check against your payslipYour payslip shows gross pay first, then deductions. This calculator gives gross pay.
Overtime is counted per workweek, not per pay period. If you work 45 hours one week and 35 the next, you earned 5 overtime hours — even though the two weeks total 80. Track each week separately with the time card calculator.
How to use the Bi-Weekly Pay calculator
Fill in the fields above and press Calculate. Results appear straight away, in your browser — nothing is sent or stored.
- I am paid — choose from: By the hour, A yearly salary.
- Hourly rate — starts at 20; replace it with your own figure. (shown when relevant)
- Hours per week — starts at 40; replace it with your own figure. (shown when relevant)
- Overtime hours in the 2 weeks (shown when relevant)
- Overtime rate — choose from: 1.5×, 2×. (shown when relevant)
- Annual salary — starts at 52000; replace it with your own figure. (shown when relevant)
Change any value and press Calculate again to compare scenarios. All figures are estimates for planning; check them against your own policy, contract and local rules before using them for payroll.
Bi-weekly pay chart
Gross bi-weekly pay for full-time hourly rates (80 hours per pay period), with annual and semi-monthly equivalents.
| Hourly rate | Bi-weekly (80 h) | Annual (26 pays) | Semi-monthly equivalent | Monthly average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $1,200.00 | $31,200 | $1,300.00 | $2,600 |
| $18.00 | $1,440.00 | $37,440 | $1,560.00 | $3,120 |
| $20.00 | $1,600.00 | $41,600 | $1,733.33 | $3,467 |
| $22.00 | $1,760.00 | $45,760 | $1,906.67 | $3,813 |
| $25.00 | $2,000.00 | $52,000 | $2,166.67 | $4,333 |
| $30.00 | $2,400.00 | $62,400 | $2,600.00 | $5,200 |
| $35.00 | $2,800.00 | $72,800 | $3,033.33 | $6,067 |
| $40.00 | $3,200.00 | $83,200 | $3,466.67 | $6,933 |
| $50.00 | $4,000.00 | $104,000 | $4,333.33 | $8,667 |
Bi-weekly pay: quick answers
$35,000 a year is how much bi-weekly?
$1,346.15 per paycheck before tax ($35,000 ÷ 26). Semi-monthly it would be $1,458.33.
$40,000 a year is how much bi-weekly?
$1,538.46 per paycheck before tax ($40,000 ÷ 26). Semi-monthly it would be $1,666.67.
$45,000 a year is how much bi-weekly?
$1,730.77 per paycheck before tax ($45,000 ÷ 26). Semi-monthly it would be $1,875.00.
$50,000 a year is how much bi-weekly?
$1,923.08 per paycheck before tax ($50,000 ÷ 26). Semi-monthly it would be $2,083.33.
$60,000 a year is how much bi-weekly?
$2,307.69 per paycheck before tax ($60,000 ÷ 26). Semi-monthly it would be $2,500.00.
$75,000 a year is how much bi-weekly?
$2,884.62 per paycheck before tax ($75,000 ÷ 26). Semi-monthly it would be $3,125.00.
$90,000 a year is how much bi-weekly?
$3,461.54 per paycheck before tax ($90,000 ÷ 26). Semi-monthly it would be $3,750.00.
$100,000 a year is how much bi-weekly?
$3,846.15 per paycheck before tax ($100,000 ÷ 26). Semi-monthly it would be $4,166.67.
$15 an hour is how much bi-weekly?
$1,200.00 for 80 hours before tax, or $31,200 a year.
$20 an hour is how much bi-weekly?
$1,600.00 for 80 hours before tax, or $41,600 a year.
$30 an hour is how much bi-weekly?
$2,400.00 for 80 hours before tax, or $62,400 a year.
$40 an hour is how much bi-weekly?
$3,200.00 for 80 hours before tax, or $83,200 a year.
26 or 27 paychecks: the extra payday
A year has 52 weeks and one or two extra days. Those days add up, so every 11 years or so a bi-weekly payroll lands on 27 paydays instead of 26. Salaried employees are usually paid either a slightly smaller amount that year (salary ÷ 27) or the normal amount with one extra paycheck — employers set the rule.
Hourly employees simply get paid for the hours they worked, so a 27-pay year is just one more paycheck.
Worked examples
Real-world scenarios, worked through step by step.
Hourly with overtime
$21 an hour, 80 regular hours and 6 overtime hours in the period: 80 × $21 + 6 × $31.50 = $1,869.
Salaried employee
$63,000 ÷ 26 = $2,423.08 per paycheck; in a 27-pay year the same total would be $2,333.33 per check if the employer divides by 27.
Part-time schedule
$16.50 an hour, 22 hours a week: $16.50 × 22 × 2 = $726 per paycheck.
Switching from semi-monthly
A $2,500 semi-monthly salary ($60,000 a year) becomes $2,307.69 bi-weekly — smaller checks, but two extra paychecks a year.
Three-paycheck months
Because bi-weekly pay is every 14 days, two months each year contain three paydays. Many people budget on two paychecks a month and treat the third as savings or debt repayment. The calculator shows a monthly average (annual ÷ 12) — your real monthly income will be higher in the three-paycheck months and lower in the others.
Bi-weekly vs semi-monthly vs weekly
Weekly: 52 paychecks. Bi-weekly: 26 (sometimes 27). Semi-monthly: 24, usually the 15th and the last day of the month. Monthly: 12. Bi-weekly is the most common US frequency. The annual total is the same; only the size and timing change. To convert between all of them at once use the hourly rate calculator.
Pay frequency is also regulated: many US states set a minimum frequency for paying wages, so check your state labor department before changing a payroll schedule.
From gross to take-home
Gross bi-weekly pay is before federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare (FICA), and deductions such as health insurance and retirement contributions. Estimate your net check with the paycheck calculator.
For employers, bi-weekly payroll means collecting accurate hours every two weeks. Payroll exports from tracked time remove the re-typing step that causes most payroll errors.
Finding your bi-weekly paydays
Bi-weekly paydays fall on the same weekday every 14 days. To list them, take your first payday of the year and keep adding 14 days. Because 26 × 14 = 364, the schedule slips one day each year (two in a leap year), which is what eventually creates a 27th payday.
Your pay period and payday are usually different: a period might run Sunday to Saturday for two weeks, with payday the following Friday so payroll can process hours. If you start mid-period, your first paycheck covers only the days you worked — the work days calculator helps count them.
Bi-weekly payroll for employers
- Pros: predictable for staff, simple overtime alignment (two whole workweeks per period), standard in most payroll software.
- Cons: two three-payroll months a year for cash planning, 27-pay years for salaried staff, and monthly benefits deductions that do not divide evenly.
- Tip: collect approved timesheets a few days before each pay date so corrections never delay pay — online timesheets with approvals make this routine.
Overtime in a bi-weekly pay period: worked example
Overtime is calculated week by week, even though you are paid every two weeks. Here is an employee on $20 an hour who works 45 hours in week one and 36 in week two:
| Week | Hours worked | Regular hours | Overtime hours | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 45 | 40 | 5 | $950.00 |
| Week 2 | 36 | 36 | 0 | $720.00 |
| Pay period | 81 | 76 | 5 | $1,670.00 |
If the employer averaged the two weeks (81 hours ≈ 40.5 a week), it would pay only 1 overtime hour instead of 5 and underpay the employee by $40. US federal rules do not allow averaging hours across weeks. That is exactly the kind of error that disappears when hours are captured daily by time tracking and overtime is calculated per workweek automatically. To check a single week, use the overtime calculator.
Who uses the Bi-Weekly Pay calculator — and why
- Employees checking a paycheck before payday.
- New hires converting an offer into per-paycheck amounts.
- Payroll administrators moving a company between pay frequencies.
- Small business owners forecasting cash needed on each payday.
- Hourly workers with overtime who want to know the effect on their check.
- Households planning budgets around two- and three-paycheck months.
How we calculate
- Hourly: rate × weekly hours × 2 + rate × overtime multiplier × overtime hours. Salary: annual ÷ 26.
- 27-pay years: annual figure shown for 27 paychecks of the same amount.
- Overtime is counted per workweek, never averaged across the pay period — US Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 207, and the Department of Labor’s regular-rate rules (29 CFR Part 778).
- All calculations run in your browser; nothing you type is sent to StaffTiming or stored.
Formulas checked against the sources above. Last reviewed: October 2026. This tool gives estimates for planning, not legal, tax or payroll advice.
Key terms explained
- Bi-weekly payroll
- Paying employees every other week on the same weekday.
- Pay period
- The dates a paycheck covers.
- Pay date
- The day wages are paid, often several days after the period ends.
- 27-pay year
- A year in which the bi-weekly schedule produces an extra payday.
- Gross pay
- Earnings before tax.
- Workweek
- The 7-day period used to calculate overtime, regardless of pay period.
- Semi-monthly
- Twice-monthly payroll, 24 paychecks a year.
- Pay frequency laws
- State rules that set how often employers must pay wages.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate bi-weekly pay?
For hourly pay, multiply your hourly rate by your weekly hours and by 2, then add overtime. For a salary, divide the annual amount by 26.
How much is $20 an hour bi-weekly?
$1,600 before tax for 80 hours.
How much is $52,000 a year bi-weekly?
$2,000 before tax ($52,000 ÷ 26).
How many bi-weekly pay periods are in a year?
26 in most years and 27 in some years, depending on the calendar and the first payday.
Is bi-weekly the same as semi-monthly?
No. Bi-weekly is every two weeks (26 paychecks); semi-monthly is twice a month (24 paychecks).
Is overtime calculated per pay period?
Under US federal law, overtime is calculated per workweek. Two weeks of 45 and 35 hours include 5 overtime hours.
Why is my monthly income higher some months?
Two months a year contain three bi-weekly paydays.
Is the result after tax?
No, it is gross pay. Use the paycheck calculator for take-home pay.
How much is $25 an hour bi-weekly?
$2,000 before tax for 80 hours.
How much is $70,000 a year bi-weekly?
$2,692.31 before tax.
Do I get paid more with bi-weekly or semi-monthly pay?
The annual total is the same. Bi-weekly gives 26 smaller checks; semi-monthly gives 24 larger ones.
What happens to my salary in a 27-pay year?
It depends on the employer: some divide the salary by 27, others pay the normal amount and the year totals slightly more.
Can overtime be averaged over a two-week pay period?
Not under US federal law. Overtime is owed for hours over 40 in each workweek, so a 45-hour week earns 5 overtime hours even if the next week is short.
How do I calculate bi-weekly pay for a partial period?
For hourly staff, pay the hours worked. For salaried staff, a common method is to divide the annual salary by the working days in the year and multiply by the days worked.
How much is $18 an hour bi-weekly?
$1,440 before tax for 80 hours.
How much is $60,000 a year bi-weekly?
$2,307.69 before tax.
How much is $45,000 a year bi-weekly?
$1,730.77 before tax.
Which months have three bi-weekly paychecks?
It depends on your first payday of the year. Count forward 14 days at a time from it; the two months that receive a third payday change from year to year.
Do salaried employees get paid less per paycheck in a 27-pay year?
Only if the employer divides the salary by 27 that year. Many keep the 26-pay amount and the employee receives slightly more in total for the year.
Automate this with real tracked data.
StaffTiming records hours as they happen and turns them into payroll-ready timesheets, so you never re-type a calculation.