Semi-Monthly vs BI-Weekly Payroll: Whats the Difference?

In the most practical terms, that means employees who are paid bi-weekly receive more paychecks than employees who are paid semi-monthly. This is an important consideration for workers who would rather get paid more often. If you’re looking for more, we created this handy table showing the pay dates for bi-weekly and bi-monthly pay. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 43% of employees are paid biweekly. On the other hand, only 19% of employees are paid using the semimonthly payroll frequency.

Since the commission and hourly wages need to be divided between two different pay periods, it can be difficult for employers to adjust without needing to do it separately. Because each month contains a little more than four weeks, twice a year employees will actually receive three paychecks a month. For HR or payroll administrators, it also means that processing day only comes once every two weeks. Although bi-weekly offers smaller paychecks each pay period compared to a semi-monthly pay schedule, it still equates to more paydays. This makes it easier for employees to save more money during certain months because they receive an additional paycheck.

How to Calculate Effective Hourly Payroll

Businesses should check with their state before choosing how often to run payroll. A biweekly payroll schedule pays employees 26 cheques per year every second week, usually on a Friday. This method is preferred by companies who pay their employees on an hourly basis and need to keep a reliable payment schedule. Bi-monthly pay, also referred to as semi-monthly pay occurs twice a month.

Following a semi-monthly pay-schedule has its own advantages and benefits. For companies with a global presence, or those who hope to have one, read our guide on payroll processing across international borders. Doing so will allow a business to manage its income and overall finances with greater predictability and ease. Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy, you just haven’t fully grasped the semi-monthly vs. bi-weekly payroll debate yet.

Payday differences

As you got older, you started to realize the best times to ask for extra cash—right when that sweet, sweet paycheck came in every two weeks. While taking care of their interests, they also need to give due consideration to the state regulations. In many states, there are regulations about how often the employees need to be paid. Thus, it is important to check the frequencies of payment in different states before arriving at the final decision. Further discussion into some of the advantages and disadvantages of employing a bi-weekly payroll schedule both from an employer’s and an employee’s perspective.

Semimonthly pay schedules for salaried employees are straightforward. Typically, employers will divide an employee’s salary by 24, or the number of yearly paydays. So, an employee may get paid on a Friday and Tuesday that month. If you run biweekly payroll, employees receive their wages the same day each pay period.

Pros And Cons Of Semi-Monthly Pay

The four most common pay period options are weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, and monthly. But, biweekly and semi monthly can be confusing, as employees receive roughly two paychecks per month. First, consider how many employees there are and which ones are https://kelleysbookkeeping.com/professional-bookkeeping-services-belay/ hourly or salaried. To combat this, it may be beneficial to process payroll semimonthly for salaried employees and biweekly for hourly workers. With a biweekly pay schedule, there are two months in the year where employees receive three paychecks.

• However, it’s more straightforward for your salaried employees who are earning consistent amounts.
• Having fixed paydays also allows employees to budget their finances effectively.
• And determining your pay frequency can impact your business’s financial health.
• You may need to specify that the pay period ends earlier for semi-monthly payments than biweekly payments.
• That means you will receive three paychecks in December, the third of which will not include these flat rate premium deductions.
• Paying your salaried workers biweekly is tricky when you have to stop and factor in leap years.

Bi-weekly and semi-monthly pay are similar, but there are three key differences. A semimonthly would be a great choice for an entrepreneur who wants to put the same amount of money into their payroll each month. The trade-off would be having to make sure that your payroll clerk stays on top of the ever-changing payday.

Working overtime trying to pay your employees? Download Namely’s Guide to Payroll.

Many people stick with the traditional 1st and 15th but it’s possible to choose other dates if they make more sense for you financially. Most months contain three full weeks, as well as enough extra days to bring the total up to 30 or 31 days. The key to this puzzle lies in the meanings of the prefixes semi- and bi-. Most business owners will be quick to Intuit Bookkeeping Expert Careers Remote Bookkeeping Jobs Quickbooks Live tell you that they don’t look forward to running payroll (even if they’re passionate about compensating their employees for a job well done). It’s another administrative task that they need to get through. If you have the flexibility, you might want to use a couple of different payment schedules depending on the types of employees you have on staff.

If an employee earns a fixed amount or is salaried, the pay check received will be of the same amount every time it is received. In the case of hourly pay, the amount in the paycheck may differ as it will be as per the number of hours worked in that specific pay cycle. When it comes to Semi-Monthly payroll, new hires will typically need to wait 4-6 weeks before receiving their first paycheck. This depends on the day they started in comparison to the payment schedule. For example, if an organization pays based on the previous period like the 16th to the end of the month. Then, if an employee starts on the 1st, they wouldn’t be paid until the end of the month.