Is overtime averaged across the two weeks of a bi-weekly period?

No. Under the FLSA the workweek is the unit for overtime, so each of the two weeks is measured against 40 hours on its own. Working 45 + 35 across a bi-weekly period earns 5 overtime hours; it is not an 80-hour average with none.

How many hours are in a bi-weekly pay period?

A standard full-time bi-weekly period is 80 scheduled hours (two 40-hour weeks). There are 26 bi-weekly pay periods a year, which is why bi-weekly paychecks are larger but arrive twice a year as three-paycheck months.

Bi-weekly vs semi-monthly — what is the difference?

Bi-weekly means every two weeks (26 paychecks a year, always on the same weekday). Semi-monthly means twice a month, typically the 1st–15th and 16th to month end (24 paychecks a year), and the period can split a weekend differently — which matters for overtime accounting.

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Bi-weekly timesheet calculator

Paid every two weeks? Enter all 14 days below. Each workweek’s overtime is computed on its own 40-hour threshold, and the period total and gross pay update as you type. Set the first day of your pay period with the date picker.

Pay period

Period starts

Hourly rate

$/hr

Settings

Overtime rule

Time entry

Workweek starts

Punch pairs per day

Punch rounding

Hours format

Daily OT after (hours)

Weekly OT after (hours)

Overtime is figured per workweek (7 days from the start day you pick), never averaged across a pay period. When a semi-monthly or monthly period starts mid-week, earlier days of that workweek can be entered so its 40-hour threshold is right.

Enter your hours

Type times like 8:30 AM, 830a, 5p or 17:30. An out time earlier than the in time is an overnight shift.

Paid holiday / PTO hours this periodPaid at your regular rate. Not hours worked, so it never counts toward overtime.

Total Summary ↓

Estimates only, not payroll or legal advice. Hours are summed per day from your punch pairs, unpaid breaks are subtracted, and overtime is split per workweek under the rule you pick; daily overtime is never counted twice in the weekly total. Your employer's rounding, premiums and deductions may differ.

Last updated: October 18, 2026

How bi-weekly overtime works

Federal overtime law counts overtime per workweek, never averaged across a pay period. In a bi-weekly period that means two independent 40-hour thresholds. A period of 45 + 35 hours pays 5 overtime hours even though 80 is the standard period; so does 30 + 50.

Bi-weekly vs semi-monthly

	Bi-weekly	Semi-monthly
Paychecks a year	26	24
Period length	Always 14 days, same weekday	1st–15th and 16th–end (uneven)
Overtime unit	Each 7-day workweek	Each 7-day workweek (may straddle periods)
Three-paycheck months	Two a year	None

Because a semi-monthly period can end mid-week, employers must split that week’s hours across two periods and carry overtime accounting correctly — a common payroll headache. The calculator models both: pick Semi-monthly and every day of the half-month gets its own dated row, and the earlier days of a workweek that started in the previous period can be entered so its overtime is right.

Worked bi-weekly example

Week 1: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm with a 30-minute lunch, Monday to Friday = 40 hours. Week 2: the same schedule Monday to Wednesday (24 hours), Thursday runs to 6:30 pm (10 hours), and Friday is a paid holiday (8 hours, not worked). Week 2 has 34 hours worked.

Holiday pay is not hours worked under federal law, so the holiday does not count toward the 40-hour threshold and neither week has overtime. At $22.50 an hour: $900 (week 1) + $765 (week 2) + $180 (holiday) = $1,845 gross for the period. Under California rules, Thursday’s 10 hours include 2 daily overtime hours, which makes the period $1,867.50.

To check it above: press Fill weekdays, change the second Thursday’s out time to 6:30 pm, clear the second Friday, enter your rate and put 8 in Paid holiday / PTO hours. Then try your own two weeks. California users should read the daily overtime rules, which apply inside each week, and convert totals with the decimal hours chart.

Last updated: October 18, 2026.