How do I calculate my biweekly pay from an hourly rate?

To get your gross biweekly pay from an hourly rate, multiply your hourly rate by the number of hours you work per week, then multiply by 2. For example, if you earn $20 per hour and work 40 hours per week, your biweekly gross pay is $20 × 40 × 2 = $1,600.

How many biweekly pay periods are in a year?

There are 26 biweekly pay periods in a standard year. Since a biweekly schedule pays you every 14 days, and a year has 365 days, you receive 26 paychecks. In leap years, this is still 26 periods for most employees. Two months per year will have three paydays instead of the usual two.

What is the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly pay?

Biweekly pay happens every 14 days — resulting in 26 paychecks per year. Semi-monthly pay happens twice per month on fixed dates (like the 1st and 15th) — resulting in exactly 24 paychecks per year. Biweekly workers get 2 extra checks each year compared to semi-monthly workers. Your hourly rate and gross annual salary do not change, but biweekly paychecks are slightly smaller than semi-monthly ones.

How do I convert an annual salary to biweekly pay?

Divide your annual salary by 26 to find your biweekly gross pay. For example, a $52,000 annual salary equals $52,000 ÷ 26 = $2,000 per biweekly paycheck before any deductions. To find net pay, subtract taxes, FICA contributions, health insurance, retirement, and any other withholdings.

What deductions are taken from a biweekly paycheck?

Common deductions from a biweekly paycheck include: federal income tax (varies by W-4 and income), Social Security tax (6.2% up to the annual wage base), Medicare tax (1.45%), state income tax (0% to over 13% depending on your state), health insurance premiums, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) or retirement contributions, and any voluntary deductions like FSA or life insurance.

Biweekly Pay Calculator – Convert Hourly Wage or Annual Salary to Every-2-Weeks Paycheck with Net Pay

Biweekly Pay Calculator

Enter your hourly wage or annual salary to see your exact gross biweekly paycheck, net take-home pay after deductions, and full income breakdown across all pay periods — free, instant, and works for workers worldwide.

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Works worldwide

26 pay periods covered

Enter Your Pay Details

Hourly Rate ($)

Hours Per Week

Standard full-time is 40 hrs/week

Currency Symbol

Pay Periods / Year

Most biweekly workers = 26 periods/year

Income Tax Rate (%)

Your main income tax rate (federal, national, or PAYE)

Regional / Local Tax (%)

State, province, county, or local tax rate (0% if not applicable)

Social Insurance / FICA

US FICA: Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45% = 7.65%. Toggle off if not applicable.

Pension / Retirement (%)

Percent of gross pay going to pension or retirement fund

Health / Insurance ($/period)

Your share of health or insurance premium per pay period

Other Deductions ($/period)

Union dues, transport levy, welfare contributions, etc.

Your Biweekly Pay Breakdown

Fill in your wage on the left and click Calculate to see your full biweekly paycheck breakdown.

Gross Biweekly Pay

$0.00

every 14 days (26 periods/year)

Income Breakdown

Hourly Rate —

Hours Per Period —

Gross Biweekly —

Gross Monthly —

Gross Annual —

Gross vs. Deductions Breakdown

Income Across Pay Periods

How Biweekly Pay Works

Biweekly pay means you receive a paycheck every 14 days — once every two weeks. Workers on a biweekly schedule get 26 paychecks per year. Two months each year will land with three paydays instead of the usual two.

Your gross biweekly pay is simply your hourly rate × hours per week × 2. For salaried workers, it is your annual salary divided by 26. The amount on your actual paycheck (net pay) is lower after income tax, social insurance, and any benefit deductions are taken out.

In Australia and New Zealand, biweekly pay is called fortnightly pay — same schedule, different name. You can use an overtime calculator alongside this tool if you regularly work more than your standard hours.

Biweekly Pay Formula

The core math for gross biweekly pay:

From Hourly: Hourly Rate × Hours/Week × 2
From Annual: Annual Salary ÷ 26
Net Pay: Gross − Income Tax − Regional Tax − Social Insurance − Benefits
Gross Monthly: Biweekly × 26 ÷ 12

Example: $22/hr × 40 hrs × 2 = $1,760 gross biweekly. After ~20% income tax and 7.65% social insurance = about $1,270 take-home (varies by country).

Quick Reference – Hourly to Biweekly

Hourly Rate	Gross/Week	Gross Biweekly	Gross Annual
$12.00	$480	$960	$24,960
$15.00	$600	$1,200	$31,200
$18.00	$720	$1,440	$37,440
$20.00	$800	$1,600	$41,600
$22.00	$880	$1,760	$45,760
$25.00	$1,000	$2,000	$52,000
$30.00	$1,200	$2,400	$62,400
$35.00	$1,400	$2,800	$72,800
$40.00	$1,600	$3,200	$83,200
$50.00	$2,000	$4,000	$104,000

Based on 40 hrs/week × 52 weeks. Gross only — before any deductions.

Pay Period Comparison

All four common pay schedules for a worker earning $52,000 per year:

Pay Schedule	Periods/Year	Each Paycheck
Weekly	52	$1,000
Biweekly	26	$2,000
Semi-Monthly	24	$2,167
Monthly	12	$4,333

Biweekly pays 2 extra checks vs. semi-monthly each year. Annual gross is the same regardless of schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Multiply your hourly rate by your weekly hours, then multiply by 2. For example, if you earn $20 per hour and work 40 hours a week: $20 × 40 = $800 per week. $800 × 2 = $1,600 gross biweekly. This is your gross pay before any taxes or deductions come out.

Because a biweekly cycle is exactly 14 days and months are 28–31 days, the math does not divide evenly. In 52 weeks (364 days) you get exactly 26 pay periods. Two of those 26 paydays will fall in months that already had a payday on the 1st and 14th — so those months appear to have three checks. Your annual total stays the same; the money just arrives at a slightly different pace two months per year.

Common deductions vary by country. In the USA, FICA covers Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) — totaling 7.65% of gross wages. In the UK, National Insurance contributions are deducted similarly. In Australia, superannuation (retirement) is employer-paid at 11%+. In India, PF (Provident Fund) is typically 12% of basic wages. In all cases, income tax is also withheld each pay period. Use the Deductions panel above to enter your specific rates — the calculator works for any country.

Biweekly means you get paid every 14 days — 26 times per year. Semi-monthly means you get paid twice per month on set dates — 24 times per year. Neither is definitively better, but biweekly workers receive 2 extra checks annually. Biweekly paychecks are slightly smaller per period ($52,000 ÷ 26 = $2,000 vs. $2,167 semi-monthly). For budgeting, biweekly may feel more predictable since the interval is always exactly 14 days.

Multiply your biweekly gross pay by 26 (total pay periods) and then divide by 12 (months in the year). Example: $2,000 biweekly × 26 = $52,000 annual. $52,000 ÷ 12 = $4,333 per month. Avoid simply doubling your biweekly check — that gives you $4,000, which underestimates the true monthly average because of the extra two paychecks per year.

Yes, the formula is the same in result, just different starting points. Salaried workers divide their annual salary by 26. Hourly workers multiply their rate × hours per week × 2. Both methods arrive at the same gross biweekly figure. Salaried workers generally get the same amount each period regardless of exact hours; hourly workers' biweekly pay changes if their hours change.

Health and insurance premiums are deducted each pay period. On a biweekly schedule, your annual premium is split across 26 paychecks. If your annual health premium is $3,900, that is $150 per biweekly paycheck. Pension or retirement contributions (like a 401k in the USA, superannuation in Australia, or workplace pension in the UK) reduce your take-home pay each period. A 6% pension contribution on a $2,000 gross paycheck = $120 deducted, lowering your take-home by that amount before tax calculations.

Gross Biweekly Pay by Hourly Rate and Hours Worked

All values are gross pay (before deductions). Assumes hours/week shown × 2 weeks.

Hourly Rate	30 hrs/wk 60 hrs/period	35 hrs/wk	37.5 hrs/wk	40 hrs/wk	45 hrs/wk	50 hrs/wk

Formula: Hourly Rate × (Hours/Week × 2). Currency: $. No overtime premium applied here.

Estimated Net Biweekly Take-Home After Tax

Gross biweekly at 40 hrs/week minus social insurance (7.65%) and estimated income tax. Adjust for your country's rates.

Hourly Rate	Gross Biweekly	After 12% Tax+SI	After 22% Tax+SI	After 24% Tax+SI	After 32% Tax+SI

Social insurance (SI) is 7.65% of gross in this estimate. Income tax rate shown is applied to the remainder. Regional tax, benefits, and pension not included. Actual withholding varies by country.

Annual Income from Biweekly Pay

Total gross yearly income based on consistent biweekly gross pay (26 periods).

Hourly Rate	Gross Biweekly	Annual (×26)	Monthly Avg	Weekly	Daily (÷5)	Hourly Back-Calc

Monthly average = Annual ÷ 12. All at 40 hrs/week.

Paycheck Amount by Pay Schedule

Same annual salary, different pay schedules — shows how your per-check amount changes.

Annual Salary	Weekly (÷52)	Biweekly (÷26)	Semi-Monthly (÷24)	Monthly (÷12)

Biweekly column highlighted. Annual gross is identical across all schedules — only the per-check amount changes.

Pay Frequency Norms by Country

Common pay schedules used around the world for full-time employees.

Country	Most Common Schedule	Periods/Year	Legal Minimum Frequency	Notes
🇺🇸 USA	Biweekly	26	Varies by state	Most common in private sector
🇨🇦 Canada (Ontario)	Biweekly / Semi-Monthly	26 or 24	Varies by province	Ontario: at least semi-monthly
🇬🇧 UK	Monthly	12	No federal mandate	PAYE system; monthly most common
🇮🇪 Ireland	Weekly / Biweekly	52 or 26	Varies by employer	PAYE; weekly common in manual jobs
🇦🇺 Australia	Fortnightly (biweekly)	26	At least monthly	"Fortnightly" = biweekly; super paid separately
🇳🇿 New Zealand	Fortnightly	26	At least monthly	Similar to Australia
🇮🇳 India	Monthly	12	By 7th of following month	PF deducted at 12% of basic wages
🇵🇭 Philippines	Semi-Monthly	24	Twice per month required	Labor Code mandates at least semi-monthly
🇰🇪 Kenya	Monthly	12	Monthly	PAYE; NHIF & NSSF deducted monthly
🇺🇬 Uganda	Monthly	12	Monthly	PAYE; NSSF 10% employee contribution
🇹🇿 Tanzania	Monthly	12	Monthly	PAYE; NSSF deducted each month
🇩🇪 Germany	Monthly	12	Once per month	Monthly is standard
🇫🇷 France	Monthly	12	Once per month	13th-month bonus common
🇯🇵 Japan	Monthly	12	At least monthly	Bonuses paid separately
🇧🇷 Brazil	Monthly + 13th month	12+1	Monthly required	13th month = mandatory bonus
🇲🇽 Mexico	Weekly or Biweekly	52 or 26	Weekly required	Many workers paid weekly
🇿🇦 South Africa	Monthly	12	Monthly	Some weekly for manual workers

Rules vary by employer, industry, and province/state. Always verify with local labor authority.

Social Insurance & Deductions on a Biweekly Paycheck

What gets deducted from a gross biweekly paycheck at various pay levels. US FICA rates shown — adjust via the calculator for your country.

Gross Biweekly	Social Security (6.2%)	Medicare (1.45%)	Total SI / FICA (7.65%)	After SI	Income Tax Est. (22%)	Approx Net

US FICA rates used here for illustration. Income tax estimate at 22% marginal rate. Regional tax, benefits, and pension are separate. For other countries, use the calculator above with your own rates.