Do You Get Paid for Two Weeks if You Get Paid Biweekly?

Understanding biweekly pay can be confusing, especially regarding the work duration covered and how it translates into your paycheck. Clarifying the mechanics of biweekly pay helps employees manage finances and understand earnings. This article explains what biweekly pay entails and the factors influencing your net paycheck.

What Biweekly Pay Means

Biweekly pay refers to a compensation frequency where employees receive their wages every two weeks. This schedule means that paychecks are issued on the same day of the week, such as every other Friday. Each biweekly paycheck covers a specific 14-day work period. For a full-time employee, this typically amounts to 80 hours of work within that period.

Biweekly pay differs from semimonthly pay. Semimonthly pay involves receiving wages twice a month, usually on fixed dates like the 15th and the last day of the month. This results in 24 paychecks per year, while biweekly pay generally leads to 26 paychecks annually. The consistent day of the week for biweekly payments provides predictability for budgeting.

How Pay Periods Align with Pay Dates

While a biweekly paycheck covers a two-week work period, the actual pay date typically occurs a few days after the end of that work period. This lag allows employers sufficient time to process payroll, calculate hours, apply deductions, and ensure accuracy. This means the work you perform in a given two-week period is compensated shortly thereafter, but not immediately.

A standard year usually translates into 26 biweekly pay periods. However, due to the calendar’s alignment, some years will contain 27 pay periods. This occurs approximately every 11 years due to the calendar’s alignment. In such a year, employees receive an additional paycheck. For salaried employees, employers may choose to either issue a 27th paycheck or prorate the annual salary over 27 periods, resulting in slightly smaller individual checks but the same annual earnings.

Factors Affecting Your Biweekly Paycheck

Even when covering a consistent two-week work period, the net amount of a biweekly paycheck can vary due to several factors. Deductions are a primary reason for differences between gross pay (earnings before deductions) and net pay (take-home pay). Mandatory deductions include federal income tax withholding, which is calculated based on an employee’s Form W-4, filing status, and income.

Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes are also mandatory deductions, funding Social Security and Medicare. For 2025, employees contribute 6.2% of their wages to Social Security up to an annual wage base limit (e.g., $176,100 in 2025), and 1.45% to Medicare on all wages. An additional 0.9% Medicare tax applies to wages exceeding certain thresholds (e.g., $200,000 for single filers).

Beyond taxes, pre-tax deductions for benefits like health insurance premiums, HSAs, FSAs, and retirement contributions (e.g., 401(k)s) reduce taxable income before taxes are calculated. Other factors influencing paycheck amounts include overtime hours, commissions, and bonuses. Conversely, unpaid leave or wage garnishments for court-ordered payments like child support can reduce the net amount received.