Weekly, Biweekly, Semi-Monthly and Monthly Pay Explained
Employers pay on different schedules. Knowing the difference helps you budget, compare job offers and check that a paycheck is correct.
The four common pay schedules
- Weekly: paid every week, 52 paychecks a year
- Biweekly: paid every two weeks, usually 26 paychecks a year
- Semi-monthly: paid twice a month, for example on the 15th and the last day, 24 paychecks a year
- Monthly: paid once a month, 12 paychecks a year
Biweekly is not the same as semi-monthly
These two are often confused. Biweekly means every other week, so you receive 26 paychecks and two months a year contain three paydays. Semi-monthly means two fixed dates each month, so you always get 24 paychecks. A biweekly check is a little smaller than a semi-monthly check for the same salary because the yearly pay is divided into more pieces.
Example with a $52,000 salary
Gross pay per paycheck, before taxes:
- Weekly: $52,000 ÷ 52 = $1,000.00
- Biweekly: $52,000 ÷ 26 = $2,000.00
- Semi-monthly: $52,000 ÷ 24 = $2,166.67
- Monthly: $52,000 ÷ 12 = $4,333.33
The yearly total is the same in every case. Only the size and timing of each paycheck change.
Converting between pay periods
To go from one schedule to another, first convert to yearly pay and then divide by the new number of periods. A $2,000 biweekly paycheck equals $2,000 × 26 = $52,000 a year, which is $4,333.33 a month. Do not simply double a biweekly check to get monthly pay, because that gives $4,000 and leaves out two paychecks a year.
Hourly workers
If you are paid by the hour, multiply the hourly wage by hours worked in the pay period. At $22 an hour and 80 hours in a biweekly period, gross pay is $1,760. If your hours change from week to week, the check changes too, so use the average when budgeting.
The "extra" paychecks in a biweekly year
In most years a biweekly worker has two months with three paydays. Many people treat that as a bonus and use it for savings or larger bills, but remember that it is already part of your yearly pay and not extra income.
Budgeting tips
- Base your monthly budget on yearly pay ÷ 12, not on a single paycheck times 2
- If rent or bills are due once a month, set aside money from each paycheck in a separate account
- For irregular or hourly income, use the lowest typical monthly amount as your planning figure
Gross pay vs take-home pay
Every figure above is gross pay. Your actual deposit is lower after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state and local taxes and benefit deductions. Your pay stub shows each deduction.
Related tools
Use our Hourly to Salary Calculator to see yearly, monthly, biweekly and weekly pay at once, or the Salary to Hourly Calculator to go from a salary to an hourly rate. For the basics, read how to convert an hourly wage to a salary.
Example: moving to a different pay schedule
If your employer switches you from biweekly to semi-monthly, a $2,000 biweekly paycheck becomes $2,166.67 per check. The yearly total is unchanged at $52,000, but you receive 24 checks instead of 26, so each one is bigger. Plan your bills around the new dates.
Example: a three-paycheck month
On a biweekly schedule, a month with three paydays gives you 3 × $2,000 = $6,000, while an ordinary month gives $4,000. Your monthly average is $4,333. If you budget from the average, the three-payday months give you room to save.
Raises and pay periods
A 4% raise on a $52,000 salary is $2,080 a year, so the new salary is $54,080. Per biweekly paycheck that is $2,080 and not $2,000, a gain of $80 per check before taxes.
Overtime and pay periods
Overtime under federal law is calculated for each workweek, not for the whole pay period. If you work 30 hours in week one and 50 hours in week two of a biweekly period, you have 10 overtime hours even though the two-week total is 80. See how overtime pay works.
Frequently asked questions
How many biweekly paychecks are in a year?
Usually 26, and occasionally a calendar year contains 27 biweekly paydays depending on the schedule.
Which is better, biweekly or semi-monthly?
Total pay is the same. Semi-monthly gives consistent monthly amounts, while biweekly gives two extra paychecks in some months.
Why does my paycheck vary even with a salary?
Changes in taxes, benefit costs, pre-tax deductions or unpaid time can change the amount.