Semi-monthly pay is a payment schedule where employees receive their salary or wages twice a month, typically resulting in 24 pay periods per year. Under this system, payments are usually made on specific days of the month, typically either on the first and the fifteenth of the month or on the fifteenth and the last day of the month. This can vary slightly depending on weekends and holidays, but generally, the structure remains consistent throughout the year. Employers often use semi-monthly pay to streamline payroll processing and provide employees with a regular and predictable payment schedule, which can help in budgeting and financial planning.
Source - https://accountingbyte.com/semi-monthly-vs-bi-weekly/