Biweekly Pay Calculator
Calculate your biweekly (every two weeks) gross pay from an annual salary or hourly wage.
How to use this tool
- Enter pay input type, annual salary, hourly wage and hours worked per week in the fields above.
- Results update instantly as you type — or click Calculate.
- Read your biweekly gross pay and the full breakdown beneath it.
⚠ This tool provides general estimates for education only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. Figures may not reflect your situation — verify with a qualified professional.
Formula
Biweekly Pay = Annual Salary / 26
For hourly workers: Annual = Hourly Rate × Hours/Week × 52, then divide by 26.
How it works
There are exactly 26 biweekly pay periods in a year (52 weeks ÷ 2). For salaried employees, dividing the annual salary by 26 gives the gross pay per period before taxes and deductions. For hourly employees, the weekly hours are multiplied by the hourly rate and by 52 weeks to arrive at an annual equivalent, then divided by 26.
Note that some months will contain three biweekly paychecks rather than two, which is why the monthly figure shown is an average (annual ÷ 12) and may differ from any specific calendar month.
Worked example
Annual salary of $52,000
- Annual salary = $52,000
- Number of biweekly periods per year = 26
- Biweekly pay = $52,000 ÷ 26 = $2,000
Biweekly gross pay is $2,000.00
Common mistakes to avoid
- Dividing annual salary by 24 (semi-monthly) instead of 26 (biweekly), understating each biweekly paycheck by about 8%.
- Assuming 2 paychecks every month — biweekly workers receive 3 paychecks in two months each year, which affects monthly budget planning.
- Using gross biweekly pay for take-home budgeting without subtracting taxes, health insurance, and retirement contributions.
Key terms
- Biweekly pay
- A pay schedule where employees are paid every two weeks, resulting in 26 paychecks per year.
- Gross pay
- Total pay before any taxes, insurance, or other deductions are subtracted.
- Pay period
- The recurring block of time for which an employee is paid; biweekly periods are 14 days long.
- Semimonthly vs biweekly
- Semimonthly means twice a month (24 periods/year); biweekly means every two weeks (26 periods/year). These are not the same.
Frequently asked questions
- Why do I get 26 paychecks a year on a biweekly schedule?
- 52 weeks divided by 2 weeks per pay period = 26. Two months each year will contain three paydays because calendar months are longer than exactly 4 weeks.
- How do I convert an hourly rate to a biweekly paycheck?
- Multiply your hourly rate by hours worked per week, then multiply by 2. For example: $20/hr x 40 hrs x 2 = $1,600 gross biweekly.
- Is biweekly the same as semi-monthly?
- No. Biweekly = every two weeks (26 pay periods/year). Semi-monthly = twice per month, typically on the 1st and 15th (24 pay periods/year). Each semi-monthly check is slightly larger than a biweekly check for the same annual salary.