Guide

What Is a Biweekly Pay Period

Learn what biweekly pay periods mean, how date ranges work, and how they differ from semi-monthly pay.

Definition

A biweekly pay period covers 14 calendar days. Many workers receive 26 biweekly paychecks in a typical year.

Biweekly means every two weeks. Semi-monthly usually means twice per month and does not always cover the same number of days.

Even in a biweekly pay period, overtime often needs to be reviewed by week instead of only by total two-week hours.

Combine two weekly hour totals into a biweekly timesheet estimate with regular hours, overtime hours, and gross pay.

Calculate pay period end dates and next period start dates from a start date and period length.

How long is a biweekly pay period?

It is 14 calendar days.

Is biweekly the same as twice a month?

No. Twice a month is usually semi-monthly.