Last year Debby’s annual salary was s dollars and was paid semimonthly. This year she received a raise of i dollars per year. She is now paid biweekly.
How to Calculate Biweekly Salary After Receiving a Raise
Debby’s salary situation has changed in two ways:
- She received an annual raise of
idollars. - Her pay frequency changed from semimonthly to biweekly.
Step 1: Calculate Debby’s New Annual Salary
Last year, Debby earned s dollars per year. This year she received an additional i dollars. So her total salary now is:
New Annual Salary = s + i
Step 2: Understand Pay Frequencies
- Semimonthly: 24 pay periods per year (twice a month)
- Biweekly: 26 pay periods per year (every two weeks)
Since her pay is now biweekly, we divide her new annual salary by 26 to find her paycheck amount.
Step 3: Calculate Biweekly Pay
Biweekly Pay = (s + i) / 26
Therefore, Debby’s biweekly paycheck is
(s + i) ÷ 26 dollars.
Bonus: What Was Her Semimonthly Pay Before?
If you’re curious, Debby’s semimonthly pay from last year was:
Previous Semimonthly Pay = s / 24
Note: Biweekly and semimonthly are not the same. Though both seem similar, semimonthly results in 24 checks per year, while biweekly gives 26, which slightly affects budgeting and paycheck amounts.
