Biweekly Paycheck Calculator
Turn your hourly rate or salary into take-home pay for one biweekly check.
Biweekly paycheck calculator, 2026
Take-Home Pay (Net Pay), California, 2026
$1,615.79per biweekly check
Per year at this rate: $42,010.54 over 26 checks
- Gross Pay
- $2,000.00
- Federal Income Tax
- −$156.15
- Social Security
- −$124.00
- Medicare
- −$29.00
- California Income Tax
- −$49.06
- CA SDI
- −$26.00
- Total Deductions
- −$384.21
- Take-Home Pay (Net Pay)
- $1,615.79
Take-home pay $1,615.79 per biweekly check in California.
An estimate from what you entered, using 2026 federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare and state income tax withholding for a Form W-4 (IRS Pub 15-T), plus the state’s disability or paid leave line where it has one. City, county and school district taxes are not included. Not tax advice.
Biweekly pay calculator: how to work it out
Biweekly pay means one check every two weeks, 26 checks a year. The biweekly paycheck calculator above works it out in three steps.
- 1
Find gross pay per check
Hourly: rate × hours in the two weeks. Salary: yearly salary ÷ 26.
- 2
Take out deductions and taxes
Pre-tax 401(k) and health plans first. Then federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare (IRS Pub 15) and state tax.
- 3
Read your take-home pay
What is left is your net pay for that biweekly check.
Hourly example
$25 an hour × 80 hours = $2,000 gross pay for the two weeks. That is before any tax.
Salary example
$52,000 a year ÷ 26 = $2,000 gross pay per biweekly check.
Biweekly salary after taxes
Take-home pay per biweekly check by yearly salary. Filing single, no pre-tax deductions, 2026 rules, from the same engine as the calculator.
| Yearly salary | Gross per check | Take-home, Texas | Take-home, California |
|---|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | $1,346.15 | $1,165.48 | $1,131.79 |
| $45,000 | $1,730.77 | $1,474.51 | $1,418.90 |
| $55,000 | $2,115.38 | $1,783.56 | $1,699.39 |
| $65,000 | $2,500.00 | $2,092.60 | $1,976.56 |
| $75,000 | $2,884.62 | $2,368.94 | $2,214.05 |
| $90,000 | $3,461.54 | $2,774.81 | $2,555.29 |
Texas has no state income tax. California has state income tax and a state disability (SDI) line. Pick your own state in the calculator.
Need proof of your biweekly pay? Put this check on a pay stub with YTD totals.
Make a biweekly pay stub · $3.49 →Biweekly vs semi-monthly pay
These two get mixed up a lot. Biweekly is every other week, always on the same weekday. Semi-monthly pay is twice a month on set dates, like the 1st and 15th. Biweekly gives you 26 checks a year. Semi-monthly gives you 24.
| Biweekly | Semi-monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Every other week, same weekday | Two set dates, like the 1st and 15th |
| Checks a year | 26 | 24 |
| Each check | A bit smaller | A bit bigger |
| Months with 3 checks | Usually two a year | None |
$60,000 a year on each pay schedule
Same salary, Texas, filing single. Only the size of each check changes.
| Pay schedule | Checks a year | Gross per check | Take-home per check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 52 | $1,153.85 | $969.04 |
| Biweekly | 26 | $2,307.69 | $1,938.07 |
| Semimonthly (twice a month) | 24 | $2,500.00 | $2,099.58 |
| Monthly | 12 | $5,000.00 | $4,199.17 |
Biweekly income: weekly, monthly and yearly
Landlords and lenders often ask for monthly income. Here is how to get it from your biweekly pay.
- Yearly: one check × 26.
- Monthly: one check × 26 ÷ 12. Doubling one check comes out too low.
- Weekly: one check ÷ 2.
Example: a $2,000 gross biweekly check is $52,000 a year, or about $4,333 a month, not $4,000.
The months with three paychecks
Most months you get two biweekly checks. Usually two months a year bring three, because of how the dates fall. Many people budget on two checks a month and treat the third as extra. Your yearly pay does not change.
Applying for an apartment? Many ask for your last two pay stubs. Make both at once.
2 biweekly pay stubs · $6.49 →Hourly pay on a biweekly schedule
Enter every regular hour from both weeks. Full time is 80 hours. If you worked overtime, count it week by week. Under federal law (DOL, FLSA overtime), overtime is based on hours over 40 in one workweek. A 50-hour week and a 30-hour week still earn 10 hours of overtime, even though the two weeks total 80. The overtime calculator shows how.
Paid by the hour on a different schedule? Use the hourly paycheck calculator.
Tax shown is withholding for one check, as if every check in the year were the same. A check with extra hours can show a higher tax share. Your yearly return settles the real tax.
Common biweekly paycheck mistakes
- Entering 40 hours for a two-week check. Full time biweekly is 80.
- Dividing salary by 24. That is semi-monthly. Biweekly is 26.
- Averaging overtime across both weeks.
- Leaving out 401(k) or health insurance, which lowers your taxable pay.
FAQ
How do I calculate my biweekly pay?
Hourly: rate × hours worked in the two weeks. Salary: yearly salary ÷ 26. That is gross pay. Taxes and deductions come out next, and the calculator shows what is left.
How many biweekly paychecks are in a year?
Usually 26: one every two weeks.
How do I convert my salary to a biweekly paycheck?
Divide your yearly salary by 26 for gross pay per check. Then take out taxes and deductions. Choose "Salary" in the calculator to do it for you.
What is $35,000 a year biweekly after taxes?
About $1,165.48 per check in Texas, filing single with no pre-tax deductions, 2026 rules. Pick your state above for your own number.
What is semi-monthly pay?
Pay on two set dates each month, like the 1st and 15th. That is 24 checks a year. Biweekly is every other week, 26 checks, so each biweekly check is a bit smaller.
Is biweekly or semimonthly pay better?
Your yearly pay is the same. Biweekly gives two extra checks a year, and two months with three checks. Semimonthly checks are a bit bigger and land on the same dates each month.
Why is federal tax different from check to check?
Withholding is set per check. If your hours or extra pay change, the tax changes too.
Does overtime count over two weeks?
No. Federal overtime rules look at each workweek on its own. Hours are not averaged over the two weeks.
What should I enter for hours?
All the regular hours you worked in the two-week period. Put overtime hours in the overtime field.
How do I work out monthly income from biweekly pay?
Multiply one check by 26, then divide by 12. Do not just double one check: that leaves out the two extra checks in the year.