How to use the biweekly time card calculator
- Open Settings and set Start date to the first day of your two-week pay period. Set Week starts on to the day your employer's workweek begins (often Sunday).
- Type your in and out times for each of the 14 days. The line across the grid marks where week 2 starts. Leave days off empty.
- Add unpaid lunch minutes in the Break column, or set "Clock-ins per day" to 2 if you clock out for lunch.
- Enter your hourly rate to see gross pay for the pay period, with the pay for each week in the table under the total.
- Print or save the two-week card as a PDF, download a CSV, or copy the summary to send to your manager.
How a two-week time card is calculated
For each workweek: total hours, then overtime = hours over 40 and regular = the rest. Pay for the week is regular hours × rate + overtime hours × rate × 1.5. The pay period total is the two weeks added together.
Example: $19 an hour. Week 1 you work 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday to Friday. Week 2 you work 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday to Thursday and 8:00 AM to 2:45 PM on Friday.
| Week | Hours | Overtime | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 42:30 | 2:30 | $831.25 |
| Week 2 | 38:45 | 0:00 | $736.25 |
| 2 weeks | 81:15 | 2:30 | $1,567.50 |
Week 1 pay is 40 h × $19 = $760.00 plus 2.5 overtime hours × $28.50 (1.5 × $19) = $71.25. Week 2 is under 40 hours, so it has no overtime, even though the two-week total is over 80: 38.75 h × $19 = $736.25. In decimal hours the pay period is 81.25 hours: 78.75 regular and 2.50 overtime.
Why overtime isn't averaged over the two weeks
Being paid every two weeks doesn't mean overtime is worked out every two weeks. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a workweek is "a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours — seven consecutive 24-hour periods", and each workweek stands alone. The U.S. Department of Labor is direct about it: Averaging of hours over two or more weeks is not permitted.
Source: DOL Wage and Hour Division: Overtime Pay.
So the two-week total alone can't tell you your overtime. The same total can mean very different pay:
| Week 1 | Week 2 | 2-week total | Overtime hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 h | 40 h | 80 h | 0 h |
| 45 h | 35 h | 80 h | 5 h |
| 41 h | 41 h | 82 h | 2 h |
| 38 h | 44 h | 82 h | 4 h |
Example: 45 hours in week 1 and 35 in week 2, at $20 an hour. Counted per week, that's 75 regular hours × $20 = $1,500 plus 5 overtime hours × $30 = $150, so $1,650. If the weeks were wrongly added together first, 80 hours would show no overtime and $1,600, which is $50 short. It's an easy mistake to make in a spreadsheet that only sums the pay period; this calculator splits the pay period into workweeks before it applies the 40-hour rule.
One federal exception: hospitals and residential care facilities may, by prior agreement with employees, use a fixed 14-day period and pay overtime after 8 hours in a day and 80 hours in the 14 days (the "8 and 80" system; see DOL Fact Sheet #54). Some states also have daily overtime rules. This calculator uses the standard 40-hour workweek rule only.
When the pay period and workweek don't line up
Most employers start the biweekly pay period on the first day of the workweek, so the 14 days are exactly two workweeks. If yours starts mid-week, set the start date to the first day of the pay period and "Week starts on" to your workweek. The calculator then groups the days by workweek, and the week table can show three rows: a partial week, a full week and another partial week. Overtime for the partial weeks may depend on hours from the previous or next pay period, which isn't on this card, so check those weeks against your full schedule.
Biweekly vs semi-monthly pay periods
The two are easy to mix up, but they're counted differently:
| Feature | Biweekly | Semi-monthly |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Every other week | Twice a month (e.g. 15th and last day) |
| Paychecks a year | 26 (occasionally 27) | 24 |
| Days in a period | Always 14 | 13 to 16 |
| Hours at 40 h/week | 80 | About 86.67 on average (2,080 ÷ 24) |
| Workweeks | Two whole workweeks | Usually split across pay periods |
This calculator is built for weekly and biweekly time cards. It doesn't set up semi-monthly periods.
Biweekly time card with lunch
If you take an unpaid lunch, type the minutes in the Break column, for example 30. Ten workdays of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM with a 30-minute lunch come to 8 hours a day and exactly 80:00 for the pay period. If you clock out and back in for lunch, set "Clock-ins per day" to 2 under Settings. The time card calculator with lunch explains which breaks should be deducted and which are paid.
Other ways to count your hours
- Paid weekly? The time card calculator starts with a one-week grid.
- Need the hours between two times for a single shift? Use the hours calculator.
- Converting totals for payroll? See the minutes to decimal chart.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate a biweekly time card?
Add up the hours for each of the two workweeks separately, work out overtime for each week (hours over 40), then add the two weeks together. In the calculator, set Start date to the first day of your pay period and type your times for all 14 days. The week-by-week table under the total shows both weeks.
Is overtime calculated over two weeks or each week?
Each week. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, overtime is due for hours over 40 in a workweek, and the U.S. Department of Labor says averaging hours over two or more weeks is not permitted. Being paid every two weeks does not change that: 45 hours plus 35 hours is still 5 hours of overtime.
If I work 80 hours in two weeks, do I get overtime?
It depends on how the hours fall. 40 + 40 = 80 hours has no overtime, but 45 + 35 = 80 hours has 5 overtime hours in the first week. At $20 an hour that is $1,650 instead of $1,600.
How many hours are in a biweekly pay period?
A full-time 40-hour schedule gives 80 hours per biweekly pay period. There are 26 biweekly pay periods in most years (occasionally 27), so 26 × 80 = 2,080 hours a year.
What is the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly pay?
Biweekly means every two weeks: 26 paychecks a year, each covering exactly 14 days and two full workweeks. Semi-monthly means twice a month, often on the 15th and the last day: 24 paychecks a year, periods of 13 to 16 days, and workweeks that are split between pay periods. This calculator handles weekly and biweekly periods, not semi-monthly ones.
Can I use the biweekly time card calculator with lunch breaks?
Yes. Type an unpaid lunch in minutes in the Break column, or open Settings and set "Clock-ins per day" to 2 to enter lunch out and back-in times. Ten days of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM with a 30-minute lunch add up to 80 hours for the two weeks.
What if my pay period doesn't start on the first day of my workweek?
Set Start date to the first day of the pay period and "Week starts on" to your employer's workweek. The calculator groups the days into workweeks for overtime, so you may see three rows in the week table. The first and last workweeks are then only partly on this time card, so their overtime can depend on hours from the neighbouring pay period.
Does bi-weekly mean twice a week?
Not in payroll. A bi-weekly (or biweekly) pay period is every two weeks. Twice a week is usually called semi-weekly. Biweekly, bi-weekly and "every other week" all mean the same 14-day pay period here.
How do I work out biweekly pay from my hours?
For each week, multiply regular hours (up to 40) by your rate and overtime hours by 1.5 × your rate, then add the two weeks. For 42 h 30 min and 38 h 45 min at $19: week 1 is $760.00 + 2.5 × $28.50 = $831.25, week 2 is 38.75 × $19 = $736.25, so $1,567.50 gross for the two weeks.
Is this biweekly time card calculator free?
Yes, it is free with no sign-up. Your two-week time card is saved in your own browser only, separately from the weekly calculator, and nothing is sent to our servers.