Biweekly payroll: how often it is and how it compares
Biweekly payroll means employees are paid every two weeks, every 14 days, which gives 26 paychecks in most years and 27 in some. It is not the same as semimonthly payroll, which pays twice a month for 24 paychecks. "Bi-monthly" is ambiguous: payroll teams often use it to mean twice a month, but it can also mean every two months, so ask which one an offer letter means.
Biweekly payroll is a pay schedule in which employees are paid every two weeks on the same weekday, for 26 pay periods in most years.
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Biweekly vs semimonthly vs weekly vs monthly
| Schedule | How often | Paychecks a year | Gross per check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Every 7 days | 52 | $1,000.00 |
| Biweekly | Every 14 days | 26 (27 in some years) | $2,000.00 |
| Semimonthly | Twice a month, such as the 15th and last day | 24 | $2,166.67 |
| Monthly | Once a month | 12 | $4,333.33 |
Math: $52,000 divided by the number of paychecks.
For hourly staff, each biweekly check covers two full workweeks of gross pay, 80 hours on a 40-hour schedule. Semimonthly suits salaried staff and makes monthly benefit deductions easier, since there are always two checks a month. See how to choose a payroll schedule.
The 27-paycheck year
A year has 52 weeks plus one or two days, so a biweekly payday drifts. If your payday is a Thursday and the first one is January 1, 2026, the 27th falls on December 31, 2026. A Friday schedule starting January 2, 2026 has 26.
Plan for it. Paying a $52,000 salary as $2,000 a check over 27 checks costs $54,000. Dividing the salary by 27 instead gives $1,925.93 a check, which employees notice. Either way, tell staff before the year starts, and check the yearly total in the employee cost calculator.
State rules on pay frequency
Federal law sets no pay frequency. States do, and most accept biweekly. A few default to weekly: Connecticut requires weekly pay unless the labor commissioner approves longer, Rhode Island requires weekly for most employers, and Vermont defaults to weekly but allows biweekly after notice to employees. New Hampshire allows weekly or biweekly, and semimonthly only with written permission. Many states, including California, Illinois and Ohio, require at least two paydays a month, which a biweekly schedule meets. The payroll compliance checklist covers the rest, and setting up payroll walks through picking a schedule.
Overtime under federal law is counted per 7-day workweek, not per pay period. An employee who works 50 hours one week and 30 the next is owed 10 hours of overtime even though the biweekly total is 80.
Does pay frequency change what payroll software costs?
Not with most small-business software. Gusto ($49 + $6 per person a month on Simple) and OnPay ($49 + $6 per worker) charge monthly, however many times you run payroll. Per-run pricing is different. Paycom does not publish prices; a third-party quote put it at $4 to $6 per employee per pay run (Fit Small Business, July 2026). For 10 employees that is $1,040 to $1,560 a year biweekly against $960 to $1,440 semimonthly. Compare plans in our payroll software rankings and payroll cost per employee.
Frequently asked questions
Bi weekly is how often?
How many days is biweekly?
What is a semi monthly payroll?
Is bi-monthly the same as biweekly?
I get paid every two weeks: how many paychecks do I get a year?
What does a bi-monthly salary mean?
Sources (5)
- US Department of Labor: State payday requirements (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Gusto: Gusto pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- OnPay: OnPay pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Paycom: Paycom pricing page (checked Oct 16, 2026)
- Fit Small Business: Paycom review (third-party quote, updated Jul 7, 2026) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.