Biweekly Pay Schedule Calculator
Paid every two weeks? This free biweekly pay schedule calculator builds your full year of paychecks. Enter your annual salary and your first payday, and it generates all 26 payday dates in 14-day steps, your gross pay per paycheck, and flags the months that hand you a bonus third paycheck.
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Your results
Enter your numbers to see your pay schedule.
How to use this calculator
Enter your annual gross salary — the amount before taxes and deductions — and pick your first payday of the year. The default is January 2, 2026, the first Friday of 2026. Results update instantly as you type, or press Calculate.
The calculator shows your gross pay per paycheck, a month-by-month breakdown of paydays and gross earnings, and the full list of all 26 dates. Months with three paychecks get a badge so you can spot the bonus months at a glance.
How it works
Biweekly pay means you are paid once every 14 days. Since a year has 52 weeks, you get 52 ÷ 2 = 26 paychecks per year, and each gross paycheck is your annual salary ÷ 26. For example, $65,000 ÷ 26 = $2,500.00 per paycheck.
Twenty-six paychecks cannot be spread evenly across 12 months — most months get two paychecks, but two months per year end up with a third. These three-paycheck months are a quirk of the 14-day rhythm: which months get the extra check depends entirely on where your first payday falls. With a first payday of Friday, January 2, 2026, the schedule lands 26 paydays inside 2026, and January (2, 16, 30) and July (3, 17, 31) each contain three.
All amounts shown are gross pay before taxes — federal and state income tax, Social Security, Medicare, insurance premiums, and 401(k) contributions are deducted before you see your take-home pay. This calculator also assumes paydays fall exactly on the 14-day rhythm; some employers shift paydays that land on weekends or bank holidays to the nearest business day, so confirm the exact dates with your payroll department.
Frequently asked questions
How much will each biweekly paycheck be?
Divide your annual salary by 26. For example, a $65,000 salary works out to $2,500.00 gross per paycheck. That is the amount before taxes, insurance premiums, retirement contributions, and other deductions — your take-home pay will be lower.
Which months have three paychecks in 2026?
If you are paid every other Friday starting Friday, January 2, 2026, there are 26 paydays in 2026. January has paychecks on January 2, 16, and 30, and July has paychecks on July 3, 17, and 31. If your first payday is a different date, enter it above to see your exact three-paycheck months.
What is the difference between biweekly and semimonthly pay?
Biweekly pay means you are paid every 14 days, which adds up to 26 paychecks per year — and that is what creates three-paycheck months. Semimonthly pay means you are paid twice per calendar month, on fixed dates like the 15th and the last day, which adds up to 24 paychecks per year with no three-paycheck months.
Does changing my first payday change the schedule?
Yes. The calculator builds your schedule in 14-day steps from the first payday you enter, so a different anchor shifts every date. Some employers also shift paydays that fall on weekends or bank holidays to the nearest business day — check with your payroll department if a date looks like a holiday.
How should I budget for a three-paycheck month?
A common approach is to base your monthly budget on two paychecks, since most months have two, and treat the third check as a bonus: send it to savings, debt payoff, or investing. A three-paycheck month brings in about 50 percent more than a regular month, so planning ahead keeps it from disappearing.