What is a pay period?
A pay period is the span of dates one paycheck is based on. This guide shows the four common lengths, how a date falls into each, and how a pay period differs from a workweek.
Example: 2027-03-18 falls in these periods: weekly 2027-03-14 to 2027-03-20 (7 days); biweekly 2027-03-14 to 2027-03-27 (14 days); semi-monthly 2027-03-16 to 2027-03-31 (16 days); monthly 2027-03-01 to 2027-03-31 (31 days).
Estimate based on what you entered. Not legal or payroll advice; check it against your employer's records.
How to use it
- Find the start and end dates of your pay period on a pay stub.
- Pick the matching time card: weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly or monthly.
- Enter your hours for each day inside those dates.
- Compare the total with your pay stub when it arrives.
The four common lengths
| Type | How it is cut | The period holding 2027-03-18 | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | 7 days, starting on the day you choose (here, Sunday) | 2027-03-14 to 2027-03-20 | 7 |
| Biweekly | 14 days in a row, counted from a first day you pick (here, Sunday 2027-01-03) | 2027-03-14 to 2027-03-27 | 14 |
| Semi-monthly | The 1st to the 15th, or the 16th to the end of the month | 2027-03-16 to 2027-03-31 | 16 |
| Monthly | The whole calendar month | 2027-03-01 to 2027-03-31 | 31 |
After the biweekly period above, the next one starts on 2027-03-28. Your employer chooses the real start dates, so treat these as examples.
Pay period and workweek are different things
A pay period is how the paycheck is cut. A workweek is a different idea, and the federal regulations define it:
Under federal regulations, a workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours, which is seven consecutive 24-hour periods.
A two-week pay period holds two workweeks. A semi-monthly period does not line up with weeks at all, so it can start or end part-way through one. Because weekly rules look at workweeks, HoursPad splits longer cards into workweeks before it counts overtime. For how the count works, read how overtime works.
Pay period or payday?
The pay period is the span of work dates. The payday is when the money arrives. They are separate dates on a pay stub. HoursPad's calendars list the paydays you choose, for example the pay period calendar 2027, and count them in how many pay periods in 2027.
Pick the right card
Use the time card calculator for a week, the biweekly time card calculator for two weeks, the semi-monthly timesheet calculator or the monthly hours calculator. To compare the two most common schedules, see biweekly vs semi-monthly pay.
Questions
What is a pay period?
In HoursPad, a pay period is the run of dates that one time card covers and one paycheck is figured from. It can be a week, two weeks, half a month or a month. Your employer sets yours, so check your pay stub or ask payroll.
Is a pay period the same as a workweek?
Not always. A workweek is a fixed seven-day period, as the official quote on this page says. A pay period can be longer than a workweek, such as two weeks or a month. Overtime in HoursPad's federal mode is counted per workweek, so a longer card is split into workweeks first.
Is the payday the last day of the pay period?
Not necessarily. Some employers pay on a date after the period ends. The payday is a separate date, so check your pay stub for both the period dates and the pay date.
How do I find my pay period dates?
Look at a pay stub. It usually shows the period start and end dates and the pay date. If it does not, ask payroll or your manager.
Official sources
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29 CFR § 778.105 Determining the workweek (opens in new tab), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR).
“An employee's workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours—seven consecutive 24-hour periods.”
Checked November 11, 2026. Rules change; verify with the source.
These are summaries of what the official sources say, not legal advice. Laws change and exceptions apply. Check with your employer or your state labor department about your own job.