Biweekly Overtime Pay Calculator
Calculate biweekly overtime pay with separate calculations for each week. See your gross pay including overtime rates.
Biweekly Overtime Pay Calculator
How the Calculation Works
How It Works: This calculator computes biweekly gross pay by calculating overtime independently for each week, then combining both weeks' earnings.
Critical Concept: Overtime is calculated per week, not per two-week period. This is important because some weeks may have high hours while others are normal, and overtime is calculated separately for each.
Formulas (per week):
- Regular hours: Minimum of (hours worked, weekly threshold)
- Overtime hours: Maximum of (hours worked − threshold, 0)
- Regular pay: Regular hours × Base rate
- Overtime pay: Overtime hours × Base rate × Multiplier (typically 1.5)
- Weekly gross: Regular pay + Overtime pay
- Biweekly gross: Week 1 gross + Week 2 gross
Key Point: The calculator does NOT combine 80 hours biweekly before calculating overtime. Instead, it calculates overtime threshold per week (typically 40 hours) for each week independently.
Worked Example
Example: Base rate $20/hour, weekly overtime threshold 40 hours, overtime multiplier 1.5:
- Week 1: 45 hours worked
- Regular: 40 hours × $20 = $800
- Overtime: 5 hours × $20 × 1.5 = $150
- Week 1 total: $950
- Week 2: 35 hours worked
- Regular: 35 hours × $20 = $700
- Overtime: 0 hours
- Week 2 total: $700
- Biweekly gross: $950 + $700 = $1,650
How to Use This Calculator
How to Use This Calculator: Enter your hourly rate and the total hours worked in each week of the pay period (Week 1 and Week 2). Set your weekly overtime threshold (typically 40 hours) and the overtime multiplier (commonly 1.5x). Click "Calculate" to see each week's earnings and your total biweekly gross pay.
Overtime Rules Vary Widely: Some employers use 40 hours per week as the threshold, others use 44 or different amounts. Some jurisdictions or industries have different overtime rules. This calculator uses your specified threshold.
No Averaging Across the Pay Period: This calculator correctly avoids the common mistake of combining 80 biweekly hours and then calculating overtime. Overtime is typically calculated per week based on your employment agreement or local labor laws.
Informational Disclaimer: This calculator shows gross pay before taxes, Social Security, Medicare, retirement contributions, and other deductions. Your actual take-home will be lower after these are applied. Overtime eligibility, definitions, multipliers, and tax treatments vary significantly by employment classification, industry, jurisdiction, and employment agreement. This is an estimation tool, not legal or tax advice. Consult your HR department for your specific situation.
Last updated: October 1, 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How is biweekly overtime pay calculated?
Overtime is calculated separately for each week based on your weekly threshold (typically 40 hours). Each week's regular and overtime pay are calculated, then added together for your biweekly total. The calculator does NOT average hours across both weeks.
What if I work 45 hours in week 1 and 35 in week 2?
Week 1 has 5 overtime hours (45 − 40), which are paid at your overtime rate. Week 2 has zero overtime hours because you worked only 35. Your biweekly pay is the sum of both weeks' gross pay.
What's the difference between this and the Overtime Calculator?
This calculator is designed for biweekly (two-week) pay periods where you need to calculate overtime separately for each week. The general Overtime Calculator handles single-period calculations.
Is 1.5x the only overtime multiplier?
No. Some employers use 1.5x for regular overtime and 2x for hours over 12 per day or over 60 per week. Some industries and contracts have different multipliers. Enter your specific multiplier.
What about salaried employees?
Most salaried (exempt) employees don't receive overtime pay regardless of hours worked. This calculator is designed for hourly (non-exempt) employees. If you're salaried, use our Salary to Hourly calculator instead.