Biweekly Pay Calculator
At $25 an hour for 40 hours a week across 52 paid weeks, gross biweekly pay is $2,000. This biweekly pay calculator converts either an hourly wage or an annual salary into estimated gross biweekly pay. Use your actual paid weeks per year so the weekly and biweekly figures match your schedule, then check the annual, monthly, and weekly equivalents.
Quick answer
Hourly pay first converts to annual gross pay using hourly wage x hours per week x paid weeks per year.
Use 52 for a fully paid year. If you plan around unpaid weeks off, enter the number of weeks you actually receive pay.
What this tells you
- •Hourly pay first converts to annual gross pay using hourly wage x hours per week x paid weeks per year.
- •Salary pay starts with your gross annual salary, then spreads that total across the paid weeks you enter.
- •Biweekly gross pay equals weekly gross pay x 2, so fewer paid weeks produce larger weekly and biweekly amounts from the same annual total.
- •All money values are rounded to 2 decimal places.
How to Use
- 1Choose whether you want to start from an hourly wage or an annual salary.
- 2Enter your gross pay amount for the path you selected.
- 3Set paid weeks per year. Use 52 for a fully paid year or a lower number if you expect unpaid weeks off.
- 4If you chose hourly wage, enter hours worked per week.
- 5Calculate to see your estimated gross biweekly pay plus annual, monthly, and weekly equivalents.
How It Works
Formula
Hourly path: annual gross pay = hourly wage x hours per week x paid weeks per year
Salary path: annual gross pay = annual salary
Weekly gross pay = annual gross pay / paid weeks per year
Biweekly gross pay = weekly gross pay x 2The calculator first sets a gross annual pay figure. For hourly workers it multiplies wage, weekly hours, and paid weeks. For salaried workers it uses the annual salary you enter. It then divides annual gross pay by paid weeks to get weekly gross pay, doubles that amount for biweekly gross pay, and divides annual pay by 12 for the monthly equivalent.
Calculation note: values are processed in the order shown above, using the current input units.
Worked Examples
$25 an hour with 2 unpaid weeks
Annual gross pay is 25 x 40 x 50 = $50,000. Dividing by 25 biweekly pay periods gives $2,000 per paycheck. The same inputs also equal $1,000 per week and about $4,166.67 per month.
$78,000 salary paid across 52 weeks
$78,000 divided by 26 biweekly pay periods is $3,000 per paycheck. That same salary equals $1,500 per week and $6,500 per month before deductions.
Hourly Wage to Gross Biweekly Pay
Common hourly wages converted to gross biweekly pay at 40 hours per week across 52 paid weeks.
| Hourly wage | Annual gross pay | Biweekly gross pay |
|---|---|---|
| $15 | $31,200 | $1,200 |
| $20 | $41,600 | $1,600 |
| $25 | $52,000 | $2,000 |
| $30 | $62,400 | $2,400 |
| $40 | $83,200 | $3,200 |
Each row assumes 40 paid hours per week and 52 paid weeks per year. Change paid weeks if you expect unpaid time off or seasonal gaps.
Common mistakes
- Confusing biweekly with semimonthly. Biweekly means every 2 weeks, usually 26 checks a year, while semimonthly usually means 24 checks.
- Leaving paid weeks at 52 when you know you have unpaid time off. Fewer paid weeks raise the weekly and biweekly amounts tied to the same annual total.
- Comparing gross biweekly pay with a take-home paycheck. Taxes, benefits, retirement contributions, and other deductions lower the amount you actually receive.
Limitations
This calculator estimates gross pay only. It assumes your hourly wage, annual salary, weekly hours, and paid weeks stay constant through the year. It does not account for overtime, bonuses, commissions, shift premiums, taxes, deductions, or payroll setups that spread annual salary differently from the paid-weeks assumption you enter.