Biweekly Pay

Biweekly pay is a payroll schedule where employees are paid once every two weeks. Employers usually choose a consistent payday, such as every other Friday, which results in 26 pay periods in most years.

For hourly employees, each paycheck generally covers the hours worked during the corresponding two-week pay period. Salaried employees can also be paid biweekly, with their annual salary divided across the year's pay periods.

Because a biweekly schedule follows a 14-day cycle rather than specific dates on the calendar, employees usually receive two paychecks in most months and three paychecks in two months each year. In some years, the calendar can result in 27 biweekly pay periods instead of 26.

Biweekly pay is different from semimonthly pay. Biweekly employees are paid every two weeks, while semimonthly employees are paid twice per month, usually on two set dates. A semimonthly schedule typically has 24 pay periods per year.

Employers choosing a payroll schedule should also consider applicable state payday laws, which may set requirements for how often employees must be paid.

Frequently asked questions

How many paychecks are there with biweekly pay?

Employees paid biweekly usually receive 26 paychecks per year. Because of the way calendar dates fall, some years may have 27 biweekly pay periods.

Is biweekly pay the same as twice a month?

No. Biweekly means employees are paid every two weeks, while semimonthly means employees are paid twice each month. Biweekly schedules generally have 26 pay periods per year, compared with 24 for semimonthly schedules.

How does biweekly pay work for salaried employees?

A salaried employee's annual salary is generally divided across the number of biweekly pay periods in the year. In a typical 26-pay-period year, each paycheck represents one twenty-sixth of the employee's annual salary, subject to applicable deductions and payroll adjustments.

Does biweekly pay affect overtime?

No. A biweekly pay period doesn't change how federal overtime is calculated. For covered nonexempt employees, overtime is generally determined by each individual workweek, not by combining hours across the full two-week pay period.