How biweekly pay works
Biweekly pay is the most common pay schedule in the US: you're paid every other week, 26 times a year. Your paycheck covers two separate workweeks, and that detail matters for overtime.
Biweekly pay = week 1 pay + week 2 pay, where each week's pay = wage × regular hours + wage × multiplier × hours over the threshold.
Example: Alex earns $20 an hour and works 48 hours in week 1 and 36 in week 2. Week 1: 40 × $20 + 8 × $30 = $1,040. Week 2: 36 × $20 = $720. Total = $1,760. If overtime were (wrongly) averaged over 84 hours, Alex would get only $1,680.
Why week-by-week matters
Averaging hours across two weeks can hide overtime you're owed. This calculator applies the overtime threshold to each week separately, which matches how most employers and labor laws treat overtime.
Tips
- Set the threshold to match your contract — some workplaces use daily or different weekly limits.
- Use the paycheck calculator to estimate deductions and take-home pay.