Biweekly Wage Calculator
Estimated Biweekly Gross Pay
Understanding Your Biweekly Pay Cycle
A biweekly pay schedule is one of the most common payroll frequencies used by employers today. Under this system, employees receive a paycheck every two weeks, resulting in exactly 26 pay periods per year.
Biweekly vs. Semi-Monthly: What's the Difference?
Many people confuse biweekly pay with semi-monthly pay. While they seem similar, the math is slightly different:
- Biweekly: You get paid every other week (e.g., every other Friday). This means there are 26 pay periods. Because most months have four weeks, two months out of the year you will receive three paychecks instead of two.
- Semi-Monthly: You get paid twice a month, usually on the 1st and 15th. This results in 24 pay periods per year.
How to Calculate Biweekly Wages
The calculation depends on whether you are an hourly or salaried employee:
For Annual Salaries
If you know your annual gross salary, simply divide it by 26. For example, if you earn $65,000 per year:
$65,000 / 26 = $2,500.00 gross per pay period
For Hourly Employees
If you work 40 hours a week at $25 per hour, your biweekly calculation looks like this:
($25/hr × 40 hrs) × 2 weeks = $2,000.00 gross per pay period
If you have overtime, remember that most biweekly cycles calculate overtime based on hours worked over 40 in a single week, not just the total for the two weeks.
Why Use a Biweekly Calculator?
Budgeting on a biweekly cycle can be tricky because your mortgage or rent is usually due monthly. Using this calculator helps you understand exactly how much money is hitting your bank account every 14 days, allowing you to plan for those "magic" three-paycheck months where you have extra cash flow to put toward savings or debt.
Note: This calculator provides gross pay estimates. Your actual "take-home" or net pay will be lower after federal/state taxes, Social Security, and benefit deductions (like health insurance or 401k contributions).