Why overtime is calculated per week, not per pay period
A very common payroll mistake is to add up a two-week period and only pay overtime above 80 hours. Under the US Fair Labor Standards Act each workweek stands alone: if you work 50 hours in week one and 30 hours in week two, you are owed 10 hours of overtime for week one, even though the two-week total is exactly 80. This calculator therefore applies the weekly threshold to week 1 and week 2 separately and shows each week's total in its header row.
How to use it
- Enter clock-in and clock-out times for every day you worked in the two weeks; leave days off blank.
- Add unpaid lunch or meal breaks in minutes.
- Set the overtime rules: 40 hours per week by default, plus an optional daily limit (for example 8 hours in California).
- Add your hourly rate to see regular pay, overtime pay and gross pay for the pay period.
Biweekly vs semi-monthly pay
Biweekly means every two weeks – 26 paychecks a year, always on the same weekday. Semi-monthly means twice a month (for example the 15th and the last day) – 24 paychecks a year with a varying number of days. Hourly workers are usually paid biweekly or weekly. To compare annual pay, try the hourly to salary calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours is a full-time biweekly pay period?
A standard full-time biweekly period is 80 hours (40 hours × 2 weeks). Anything above 40 in either individual week is normally overtime.
Is overtime calculated over two weeks?
Under US federal law, no. Overtime is based on each fixed 7-day workweek. Averaging two weeks to avoid overtime is not allowed for non-exempt employees.
Can I save my biweekly time card?
Your entries are automatically saved in your browser on this device. You can also download a CSV file or print the time card.
How do I convert the total to decimal hours?
The calculator already shows decimal totals. Manually, divide the minutes by 60: 76 hours 45 minutes = 76 + 45/60 = 76.75 hours.