Biweekly and semimonthly sound alike, but they pay on different schedules. Biweekly means every two weeks, usually on the same weekday. Semimonthly means twice a month, usually on fixed dates such as the 15th and the last day of the month.
The quick comparison
| Biweekly | Semimonthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Paychecks per year | 26 (sometimes 27) | 24 |
| Payday | Same weekday every two weeks | Fixed dates, twice a month |
| Hours per period | Always two full weeks | Varies with the calendar |
| Each paycheck on a $52,000 salary | $2,000.00 | $2,166.67 |
| Months with an extra paycheck | Usually two a year | None |
The annual total is the same. Semimonthly checks are a little larger because the salary is split 24 ways instead of 26.
Worked example: $52,000 a year
- Biweekly: $52,000 ÷ 26 = $2,000.00 per paycheck.
- Semimonthly: $52,000 ÷ 24 = $2,166.67 per paycheck.
- Monthly average for both: $52,000 ÷ 12 = $4,333.33.
Three-paycheck months
With biweekly pay, most months contain two paydays, but because 26 is more than 24, two months each year usually contain three. Many people budget on two paychecks a month and treat the third as extra. With semimonthly pay, every month has exactly two paydays.
The 27-paycheck year
A calendar year is 52 weeks plus one day, or two days in a leap year. Every so often those extra days add up, and a biweekly schedule fits 27 paydays into one calendar year. Employers handle this differently. Some keep each paycheck the same, so annual pay is higher that year. Others divide the salary by 27, so each check is smaller. On a $52,000 salary, dividing by 27 gives $1,925.93 per check.
Hourly workers and overtime
For hourly employees, biweekly periods line up with workweeks: each pay period is exactly two workweeks. That makes overtime easy to follow, because federal overtime is counted per workweek, never averaged across a pay period.
Semimonthly periods don’t line up with weeks. A workweek can start in one pay period and end in the next. Overtime for that week may only be calculated once the week ends, so it can appear on a later paycheck.
Which is better?
Neither pays more over a year. Biweekly gives predictable paydays and lines up with weekly hours. Semimonthly lines up with monthly bills such as rent. Usually the employer chooses, and some states set rules about how often employees must be paid.
Tools
- Biweekly pay calculator: two weeks of hours with overtime counted per week, or a salary divided by 26.
- Gross pay calculator: gross pay for weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly periods.
- Hourly to salary calculator: every pay period side by side.
Sources
About this guide. Written for US employees as general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules can differ by state, employer, and contract. See our methodology and disclaimer.