Understanding Pay Periods and Hours

Pay schedules affect hours worked and conversions.

For apples‑to‑apples comparisons, convert salary to hourly with /finance/salary-to-hourly-calculator.

Common schedules

• Weekly (52 paychecks)
• Biweekly (26 paychecks)
• Semimonthly (24 paychecks)
• Monthly (12 paychecks)

Why it matters

• Hours per pay period vary
• Benefit deductions schedule affects take-home
• Overtime calculations differ by schedule/employer

Example

Biweekly: 80 hours per period; Semimonthly: typically ~86.7 hours/month average

FAQs

Which schedule is best?

No universal winner—biweekly is common and predictable; semimonthly aligns with calendar months.