A biweekly pay schedule means you receive a paycheck every other week, or 26 times per year. Many hourly workers, nurses, retail staff, and government employees are paid on this cycle, and the most common question is simple: "What will my actual take-home number be on payday?" This calculator takes your hourly wage, your regular hours per week, and any overtime hours, and instantly shows your gross biweekly pay, the federal tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, and the net amount that lands in your bank account.
A standard biweekly period covers two weeks of your regular schedule — 80 hours for a 40-hour week. Overtime hours (anything beyond the regular schedule) are paid at 1.5x your base rate under the FLSA. Because there are 26 biweekly periods in a year rather than 24 (the semimonthly count), two months out of the year you receive three paychecks. Knowing your true net per period helps you plan rent, car payments, savings, and discretionary spending without guessing.
How to Use
- Enter your Hourly Wage — the base gross rate your employer pays you before any taxes or deductions. Overtime is paid at 1.5x this rate, so you only need the base number here.
- Set Regular Hours / Week to your straight-time schedule. The default of 40 is the standard full-time week; lower it for a part-time role.
- Set Overtime Hours / Week to the extra hours you actually log at time-and-a-half. Leave it at 0 if you never work overtime.
- Read the Gross Biweekly Pay line — this is regular pay plus overtime pay combined. It is the full amount your employer budgets for your labor before any withholding.
- Review the Federal Income Tax line. This calculator applies a flat 12% withholding rate, which is a common approximation for many middle-income hourly earners. Your actual W-4 withholding depends on your filing status, dependents, and any extra you instruct your employer to withhold.
- Check Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%). These FICA taxes are mandatory for almost all US workers and are withheld from every paycheck regardless of income level up to the Social Security wage base.
- The Net Biweekly Pay is the highlighted figure — your take-home amount. It is what you can expect to see deposited after taxes, before any pre-tax deductions like health insurance premiums, 401(k) contributions, or flexible spending account amounts.
- Use the Annual Gross and Annual Take-Home lines to see the full-year picture. Multiplying the biweekly net by 26 gives you a realistic after-tax annual income.
The Calculation Breakdown
Every biweekly paycheck starts with the same formula:
Regular Biweekly Pay = Hourly Wage × (Regular Hours × 2)
Overtime Biweekly Pay = Hourly Wage × 1.5 × (Overtime Hours × 2)
Gross Biweekly = Regular Pay + Overtime Pay
From that gross amount, three mandatory federal withholdings are subtracted:
- Federal income tax — 12% of gross. This is a simplified flat rate. Actual IRS withholding tables depend on your W-4 elections, filing status, and pay frequency. Many earners in the 12% bracket see a rate near this number on each paycheck.
- Social Security — 6.2% of gross. This FICA tax funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. It applies only to wages below an annual wage base (which adjusts each year).
- Medicare — 1.45% of gross. This FICA tax funds hospital insurance for seniors and certain disabled individuals. There is no income cap.
Combined FICA is therefore 7.65% of your gross pay. Adding the 12% federal withholding brings total deductions to roughly 19.65% of gross. That means your net biweekly pay is approximately 80.35% of your gross.
Worked example at a $25 hourly wage, 40 regular hours and 5 overtime hours per week: regular pay = $25 × 80 = $2,000, overtime pay = $25 × 1.5 × 10 = $375, gross = $2,375. Federal tax = $285.00, Social Security = $147.25, Medicare = $34.44. Total deductions = $466.69. Net take-home = $1,908.31 every two weeks. Without overtime the same wage would net $1,607; the 10 OT hours per period add about $301 to your check. Over 26 periods, that is about $49,616 in annual take-home pay on a $61,750 gross.
Biweekly vs. Semimonthly vs. Weekly
Pay frequency changes the number on each paycheck but not your annual gross. Here is how the three most common schedules compare at a $52,000 annual salary:
- Weekly — 52 checks per year, roughly $1,000 gross each, about $803 net.
- Biweekly — 26 checks per year, $2,000 gross each, about $1,607 net. Two months have three checks.
- Semimonthly — 24 checks per year, about $2,167 gross each, roughly $1,741 net. Always two checks per month.
If you are offered a choice, biweekly is often preferred by employees because the "extra" three-paycheck months act as a natural financial buffer. If you budgeted $1,607 per month, a three-check month lets you bank the extra $1,607 entirely.
Examples
Example 1 — Entry-level retail worker. Someone earning $15.50/hour gets a gross biweekly paycheck of $1,240.00. Federal tax is $148.80, Social Security is $76.88, Medicare is $17.98. Total deductions are $243.66, leaving $996.34 in net take-home every two weeks. That is about $25,905 per year after taxes.
Example 2 — The knowledge-base standard at $50/hour. This is the benchmark example used by payroll references: $50/hr × 40 hrs/week × 52 weeks = $104,000 annual gross, which splits into $4,000 per biweekly paycheck. After the standard deductions — $480 federal, $248 Social Security, $58 Medicare — the net check is $3,214.00 every two weeks, or about $83,564 a year. This is the number to compare any other offer against.
Example 3 — Skilled tradesperson at $25/hour with overtime. Regular pay is $2,000 per period. Add 5 overtime hours a week (10 per period at 1.5x) and overtime pay is $375, bringing gross to $2,375. After $285 federal tax, $147.25 Social Security, and $34.44 Medicare, the net check is $1,908.31. Annual take-home is roughly $49,616.
Example 4 — High-earning contractor at $75/hour. Gross biweekly is $6,000. Deductions total $1,179.00 (federal $720, SS $372, Medicare $87). Net pay is $4,821.00 every two weeks, or about $125,346 per year. At this income level the flat 12% approximation understates actual withholding; a higher earner should consult the IRS percentage-method tables or their HR department for a precise figure.
FAQ
How do I calculate my biweekly paycheck?
Multiply your hourly wage by 80 hours to get gross biweekly pay. Then subtract 12% for federal income tax, 6.2% for Social Security, and 1.45% for Medicare. The result is your net take-home pay. For example, a $25 hourly wage yields $2,000 gross and roughly $1,607 net per pay period.
How many paychecks are there in a biweekly year?
There are 26 biweekly pay periods in a year. Because 52 weeks divided by 2 equals 26, you receive two paychecks most months and a third paycheck in two months of the year. This differs from semimonthly pay, which always has exactly 24 paychecks (twice per month).
Why is my net paycheck lower than the calculator shows?
This calculator includes only federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. Your actual paycheck may also deduct state income tax, local income tax, health insurance premiums, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) or other retirement contributions, flexible spending account (FSA) deposits, wage garnishments, union dues, or other voluntary deductions. Each of these reduces your net further.
Are Social Security and Medicare taken out of every paycheck?
Yes. Almost every W-2 employee in the United States pays 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare on every paycheck. Social Security stops once you reach the annual wage base (indexed each year), but Medicare has no cap and continues for the entire year. Employers also match these amounts, so the true FICA cost is 15.3% split between worker and employer.
Does the 12% federal withholding rate apply to everyone?
No. The 12% is a simplified approximation. Your actual federal withholding depends on your filing status (single, married filing jointly, etc.), the number of dependents and credits you claim on Form W-4, any extra withholding you elect, and your total annual income. Higher earners may face a 22%, 24%, or higher marginal bracket. Use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator for a personalized figure.
How do I account for overtime in this calculator?
Enter your regular weekly hours in the "Regular Hours / Week" field (default 40) and your overtime weekly hours in the "Overtime Hours / Week" field. The calculator pays overtime at 1.5x your base rate and applies the same 12% federal, 6.2% Social Security, and 1.45% Medicare rates to the combined gross. For example, 5 overtime hours per week at $25/hr adds $375 of overtime pay per biweekly period, or about $301 of take-home after deductions.
What is the difference between biweekly and semimonthly pay?
Biweekly means every two weeks (26 paychecks per year). Semimonthly means twice per month, usually on the 15th and last day of the month (24 paychecks per year). Biweekly paychecks are smaller per period but arrive more often, and two months each year contain three paychecks.
Disclaimer
This biweekly paycheck calculator is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, payroll, or financial advice. Estimates use a simplified 12% federal withholding rate and do not account for state or local income taxes, pre-tax benefits, retirement contributions, garnishments, or your specific W-4 elections. Actual paycheck amounts vary by employer, location, filing status, and tax law. Always confirm your net pay with your employer's payroll department or a qualified tax professional before making financial decisions.