Biweekly Timecard Calculator
Enter your hours for a full two-week pay period. Overtime is calculated per week, not averaged, because that's what the FLSA requires.
Week 1
Week 2
Hourly Rate (Optional)
Overtime Settings
Overtime is calculated per week (FLSA). Hours are never averaged across the two-week period.
Gross pay before taxes. Download Hours44 for take-home pay with all deductions.
Daily Breakdown
Enter times above to see daily totals
Track Hours Automatically
Tired of filling out timecards by hand? Hours44 tracks your clock-ins and breaks, figures out overtime, and shows your pay after taxes.
How to Use This Biweekly Timecard Calculator
Enter your start time, end time, and break duration for each day across both weeks. The calculator subtracts breaks and updates totals as you type. There's no "Calculate" button to click.
Step 1: Enter Your Times
Fill in the start and end times for each day you worked. You can use the time picker or type directly (e.g., 09:00, 17:00). Leave days blank if you didn't work. Overnight shifts work too: if your end time is earlier than your start time, the calculator assumes you crossed midnight.
Step 2: Add Break Time
Enter your unpaid break time in minutes for each day. A 30-minute lunch break is typical, but you can enter any amount. Break time gets subtracted from your daily total (capped at zero if the break is longer than the shift).
Step 3: Choose Your Overtime Settings
The default overtime threshold is 40 hours per week, which matches the federal FLSA standard. Some states allow 44 or 48 hours before overtime kicks in. Select "None" if your position is overtime-exempt. Choose 1.5x (time and a half) or 2x (double time) for your overtime multiplier.
Step 4: Add Your Hourly Rate (Optional)
Plug in your hourly rate to see how much you'll earn: regular pay, overtime pay, total gross pay, and your effective hourly rate for the pay period.
Convenience Shortcuts
- Copy Week 1 to Week 2 copies all Week 1 times and breaks into Week 2. Good for consistent schedules.
- Copy Mon to empty days fills Monday's values into any blank weekdays within each week.
- Clear all resets every field so you can start over.
- Print creates a printable timecard you can hand to your employer or keep for your records.
FLSA Overtime Rules for Biweekly Pay Periods
A common payroll mistake is averaging hours across a two-week pay period. The FLSA does not allow this. Overtime has to be calculated for each workweek (7 consecutive days) on its own.
Example: Say you work 50 hours in Week 1 and 30 hours in Week 2. You have 10 hours of overtime in Week 1, even though the two weeks average out to 40. Your employer can't offset Week 1's overtime with Week 2's shorter hours.
The federal threshold is 40 hours per workweek, and overtime pay must be at least 1.5x your regular rate (time and a half). A few states, including California, Alaska, Nevada, and Colorado, also have daily overtime thresholds (typically 8 hours per day). This calculator covers weekly overtime only. For daily overtime rules, see our overtime calculator.
Converting Minutes to Decimal Hours
Payroll systems use decimal hours, not hours and minutes. People often write 1 hour 30 minutes as 1.30, but the correct decimal is 1.50. Just divide the minutes by 60.
| Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.08 | 35 | 0.58 |
| 10 | 0.17 | 40 | 0.67 |
| 15 | 0.25 | 45 | 0.75 |
| 20 | 0.33 | 50 | 0.83 |
| 25 | 0.42 | 55 | 0.92 |
| 30 | 0.50 | 60 | 1.00 |
For a full conversion tool, use our Payroll Time Converter.
Standard Biweekly Hours by Schedule
| Schedule | Daily Hrs | Days/Wk | Weekly | Biweekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 to 5 (no break) | 8.00 | 5 | 40.00 | 80.00 |
| 9 to 5 (30 min break) | 7.50 | 5 | 37.50 | 75.00 |
| 9 to 5 (60 min break) | 7.00 | 5 | 35.00 | 70.00 |
| 8 to 5 (30 min break) | 8.50 | 5 | 42.50 | 85.00 |
| 8 to 5 (60 min break) | 8.00 | 5 | 40.00 | 80.00 |
| 4x10 schedule | 10.00 | 4 | 40.00 | 80.00 |
| 3x12 schedule | 12.00 | 3 | 36.00 | 72.00 |
| Part-time (6 hrs) | 6.00 | 5 | 30.00 | 60.00 |
| Part-time (4 hrs) | 4.00 | 5 | 20.00 | 40.00 |
Biweekly vs. Other Pay Frequencies
Biweekly pay happens every two weeks, giving you 26 pay periods per year, always on the same day of the week. Most US employers use biweekly pay because it keeps payroll simple without making employees wait a full month.
- Weekly: every week, 52 pay periods/year
- Biweekly: every 2 weeks, 26 pay periods/year
- Semi-monthly: twice per month (e.g., 1st and 15th), 24 pay periods/year
- Monthly: once per month, 12 pay periods/year
Don't confuse biweekly with semi-monthly. Biweekly always falls on the same weekday and produces 26 paychecks per year. Semi-monthly falls on fixed dates (like the 1st and 15th) and produces 24 paychecks per year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about biweekly timecards and pay periods
How does a biweekly timecard calculator work?
You enter your clock-in time, clock-out time, and break duration for each day across a two-week pay period. The calculator subtracts break time from your shift length to get daily hours, then totals them per week and for the full period. If you enter an hourly rate, it also calculates gross pay with an overtime breakdown.
Is overtime calculated per week or per pay period?
Per week. The FLSA says overtime has to be calculated for each workweek (7 consecutive days), not averaged across a biweekly pay period. If you work 50 hours in week 1 and 30 in week 2, you still have 10 overtime hours in week 1, even though the average is 40.
How many work hours are in a biweekly pay period?
A standard biweekly pay period with 5 eight-hour days per week totals 80 hours. With a 30-minute daily lunch break deducted, it drops to 75 hours. Your actual total depends on your schedule, overtime, and break policy.
How do I convert minutes to decimal hours for payroll?
Divide the minutes by 60. For example, 45 minutes = 45/60 = 0.75 hours. Common conversions: 15 min = 0.25, 30 min = 0.50, 45 min = 0.75. This calculator does the conversion automatically.
What if my shift crosses midnight?
Enter your start time normally (e.g., 10:00 PM as 22:00) and your end time the next morning (e.g., 6:00 AM as 06:00). The calculator detects that the end time is earlier than the start and counts hours across midnight.
How many biweekly pay periods are in a year?
There are 26 biweekly pay periods in a year (52 weeks / 2). Occasionally a year will have 27, depending on when pay periods fall relative to the calendar.
What's the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly pay?
Biweekly pay happens every two weeks (26 times per year, always on the same day). Semi-monthly pay happens twice per month (24 times per year, usually on the 1st and 15th). Biweekly is the most common pay frequency in the US.
Does this calculator account for taxes?
No. This calculator shows gross pay, which is your earnings before any tax withholding. For take-home pay estimates with federal, state, Social Security, and Medicare taxes deducted, download the Hours44 app.
Need More Than a Quick Calculation?
Hours44 tracks your shifts, calculates overtime automatically, and shows your real take-home pay.