Semi-monthly pay means employees are paid twice a month on set dates, such as the 15th and the last day, for 24 paychecks a year. It suits salaries well and hourly pay less well.
| Semi-monthly | Biweekly | |
|---|---|---|
| Paydays | Fixed dates, e.g. 15th and last day | Every other week on the same weekday |
| Checks per year | 24 | 26 (27 in some years) |
| Salaried check | Annual salary / 24 | Annual salary / 26 |
| Hourly check | Varies with 10 to 12 workdays per period | Steady 10 workdays per period |
| Overtime | Workweeks split across periods | Two whole workweeks per period |
For a full comparison of all frequencies, see pay period types.
A full-time employee works 8 hours every weekday at $18 an hour. In 2026, a semi-monthly period contains anywhere from 10 to 12 weekdays. The February periods each have 10 workdays, or 80 hours and $1,440. The second half of March has 12, or 96 hours and $1,728. Same job, same rate, a $288 difference between checks.
To total hours with breaks and overtime, use our time card calculator.
Overtime adds a second wrinkle. With a Sunday to Saturday workweek, the week of November 15 to 21, 2026 starts on the last day of the first November period and ends in the second. Overtime for that week cannot be known until Saturday the 21st, so it goes on the November 30 check. The DOL says overtime is normally paid on the regular payday for the period in which it was earned; when it cannot be calculated in time, it is paid as soon as practicable after. Your payroll setup has to handle that split every time.
Semi-monthly pay fits teams that are mostly salaried, because each check is the same and lines up with monthly bills and monthly accounting. It also gives two fewer payroll runs a year than biweekly. For mostly hourly teams, the varying hours per period and the split workweeks usually make biweekly or weekly simpler.
Some employers run two frequencies: semi-monthly for salaried staff and biweekly or weekly for hourly staff. That works, but it doubles the payroll calendar to manage, so set both calendars at the start of the year.
Salaried employees who start or leave partway through a semi-monthly period need a prorated check. Employers commonly use one of two methods: the number of workdays in that period, or a daily rate based on the year. Pick one method, write it down and use it every time, so two people who start on the same day get the same check.
| Method | How it works | Start on Monday, June 8, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Workdays in the period | Check amount x workdays worked / workdays in the period | $2,166.67 x 6 / 11 = $1,181.82 |
| Annual daily rate | Salary / 260 workdays x workdays worked | $52,000 / 260 x 6 = $1,200.00 |
The June 1 to 15, 2026 period has 11 weekdays, and a Monday, June 8 start means 6 of them are worked. The two methods differ by about $18, which is why the policy should name one.
A semi-monthly employer has a Sunday to Saturday workweek. In 2026, the workweek of November 29 to December 5 begins in the November 16 to 30 period and ends in the December 1 to 15 period.
An hourly employee works 46 hours that week. The 6 overtime hours cannot be calculated until Saturday, December 5, so they are paid on the December 15 check. The payroll team keeps a list of every split workweek for the year so none is missed.
24, two per month.
No. Semi-monthly is twice a month on fixed dates, 24 times a year. Biweekly is every other week, 26 times in most years.
Divide the annual salary by 24. A $52,000 salary is $2,166.67 per check.
Most employers pay on the last business day before. Check your state’s rules and apply the same approach every time.
Use one written method every time, such as workdays worked divided by workdays in the period, multiplied by the regular semi-monthly amount.
Many states allow it, but some require more frequent pay for certain workers, such as manual workers in New York. Check your state’s pay frequency rules.
EZTime turns clock-ins and approved corrections into signed monthly reports you can export to PDF or Excel for payroll.