Bi-Weekly Time Card Calculator (2 Weeks)
Built for employees paid every two weeks (26 pay periods a year). It lists the 14 real dates, figures overtime one workweek at a time and shows the total for the whole pay period.
Bi-weekly time card
Fourteen days, two workweeks, one pay period.
Bi-weekly time card ·
| Date | Clock in | Clock out | Break (min) | Hours |
|---|
Enter your numbers above and the result appears here.
How this was calculated
Why a bi-weekly pay period needs a different calculation
A bi-weekly pay period is 14 days, but overtime does not work on 14 days. Under the federal rule each workweek stands alone: a 50-hour week followed by a 30-hour week contains 10 hours of overtime, even though the two weeks average exactly 40. The U.S. Department of Labor states that averaging of hours over two or more weeks is not permitted. A calculator that only adds up 80 hours and checks whether the total is over 80 will under-report overtime.
This tool splits the 14 days into workweeks that start on the day you choose and applies the overtime rule inside each one. The table beneath the result shows the split so you can compare it with your pay stub.
Worked example: two weeks that look average
Week 1: 42:30. Week 2: 38:00. Rate $22.00.
Total for the period: 42:30 + 38:00 = 80:30.
- Week 1: 40:00 regular + 2:30 overtime = 40 × $22.00 + 2.5 × $33.00 = $880.00 + $82.50 = $962.50.
- Week 2: 38:00, all regular = 38 × $22.00 = $836.00.
- Period gross: $962.50 + $836.00 = $1,798.50.
If someone wrongly averaged the two weeks, 80.5 hours would show only 0.5 hours over 80 and underpay the 2.5 overtime hours in week 1.
How to fill in the two weeks
- Pick the first day of your pay period as the start date. Your employer's calendar or last pay stub shows it.
- Set the workweek start day. If you do not know it, ask payroll; it is often Sunday or Monday.
- Enter in and out times for every day you worked. Leave days off blank.
- Add the unpaid meal break in minutes.
- Check the per-workweek table: each row should match the weekly totals on your timesheet.
Bi-weekly pay in numbers
Bi-weekly means 26 paychecks a year, and in some months a bi-weekly employee receives three paychecks. That is different from semi-monthly pay, which is 24 paychecks on fixed dates such as the 15th and the last day. The bi-weekly vs semi-monthly guide compares the two, and the hourly to salary calculator shows the gross amount of one bi-weekly check for any hourly rate.
For a quick sense of scale at 40 hours a week: $15/hour is $1,200 per bi-weekly check, $20/hour is $1,600 and $25/hour is $2,000, all before taxes.
Reading the per-workweek table
Under the result you will see one row per workweek and a total row. Check three things against your pay stub. First, each week's total should match the hours on your timesheet for that week. Second, the regular column is capped at 40:00 under the federal rule, so a week with 45 hours shows 40:00 regular and 5:00 overtime. Third, the period total is the sum of the weeks, not a re-run of the rule on the combined hours. If your stub shows fewer overtime hours than this table, the most likely cause is that your employer averaged the two weeks, which the Department of Labor says is not permitted, or that your workweek begins on a different day than the one you selected.
Choosing the right workweek start day
Your employer sets the workweek, and it can start on any day and hour. The easiest way to find it is on a pay stub or timesheet header that says “week ending”: if the week ends Saturday, it starts Sunday. If you pick the wrong day, a long Monday-to-Friday run might be split across two workweeks and the overtime split changes. Example: 10 hours each on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday is 50 hours in one 7-day window, but with a Monday start it is 40 hours in one workweek (Thursday to Sunday) and 10 in the next, so no overtime. That is why the start day matters.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate bi-weekly hours?
Total the hours for each of the two workweeks, then add the weeks together. Figure overtime separately inside each workweek, not on the combined total.
Is overtime calculated on 80 hours in a bi-weekly pay period?
Not under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Overtime is measured per workweek (over 40 hours) and the Department of Labor says averaging hours over two or more weeks is not permitted.
What if my pay period starts in the middle of a workweek?
Use the box labelled Hours already worked earlier this workweek. Those hours count toward the 40-hour limit for the first workweek shown.
How many bi-weekly pay periods are in a year?
26, because 52 weeks divided by 2 is 26. Some calendar years contain 27 paydays depending on where the first payday falls.
Can I print the bi-weekly time card?
Yes. Use Print this result and pick Save as PDF, or print it directly.
Sources and last checked
Last checked: . Rules change; confirm with the linked agency before relying on a figure. This is general information, not legal or payroll advice - see our disclaimer.