Semaglutide Dosage Chart (Ozempic and Wegovy)

By DoseGauge Editorial · Updated 2026-06-12 · 4 min read

Semaglutide is dosed on two different FDA ladders depending on the brand. Wegovy escalates 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.7, then 2.4 mg once weekly, with 2.4 mg as the maintenance and maximum dose. Ozempic escalates 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, then 2.0 mg once weekly, with 2.0 mg as the maximum. Both start at 0.25 mg once weekly for the first 4 weeks and step up at intervals of at least 4 weeks. The charts below are the FDA label schedules for the approved injectable semaglutide products, not a dose anyone should pick on their own.

The Wegovy dosing chart

The FDA Wegovy label sets a five-step escalation for adults, increasing the dose every 4 weeks until the 2.4 mg maintenance dose is reached. The label lists 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.7, and 2.4 mg once weekly, with 2.4 mg as the recommended maintenance dose.

The label notes that if a person does not tolerate a dose during escalation, the increase can be delayed. It also describes 1.7 mg as a possible maintenance dose if 2.4 mg is not tolerated. The 4-week interval is a minimum, so steps can be held longer.

The Ozempic dosing chart

The FDA Ozempic label sets a different ladder, used for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. It starts at 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, increases to 0.5 mg, and may step up to 1.0 mg and then 2.0 mg if additional glycemic control is needed, each step after at least 4 weeks. The maximum is 2.0 mg once weekly.

The Ozempic label frames 0.25 mg as an initiation dose that is not intended for glycemic control, and it permits stopping the increase once a dose provides adequate control. So 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, and 2.0 mg are all valid maintenance doses under the label.

Converting your dose to syringe units

The chart gives you milligrams. It does not tell you how far to draw the plunger, because that depends on how the vial was reconstituted. If you have a lyophilized vial that you dissolve in bacteriostatic water, the volume of water you add sets the concentration:

concentration (mg/mL) = vial strength (mg) / water added (mL)
draw volume (mL)       = dose (mg) / concentration (mg/mL)
units (U-100 syringe)  = draw volume (mL) x 100

Worked example. Put 2 mL of bacteriostatic water into a 5 mg vial and the concentration is 2.5 mg/mL. A 0.25 mg dose is then 0.25 / 2.5 = 0.10 mL, which is 10 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. Change the water volume and every number changes: the same 5 mg vial in 1 mL is 5 mg/mL, so 0.25 mg becomes 0.05 mL, or 5 units.

Because the units depend on your specific vial and water amounts, compute the number from your own inputs rather than copy someone else's.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum semaglutide dose?

It depends on the product. The FDA Wegovy label sets a maximum maintenance dose of 2.4 mg once weekly. The FDA Ozempic label sets a maximum of 2.0 mg once weekly. There is no approved injectable semaglutide dose above 2.4 mg weekly.

Why does Ozempic stop at 2.0 mg but Wegovy goes to 2.4 mg?

The two products are approved on separate labels with separate indications and dose ladders. Ozempic is labeled for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes with a 2.0 mg maximum. Wegovy is labeled for chronic weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction with a 2.4 mg maintenance dose. The controlling document for any person is the label for the specific product they were prescribed.

Is the starting dose really only 0.25 mg?

Yes. Both labels start at 0.25 mg once weekly for 4 weeks and describe this as an initiation dose for tolerability, not a dose intended to deliver the full treatment effect. The escalation to higher doses follows from there at intervals of at least 4 weeks.

Informational and educational only. Not medical advice. DoseGauge computes from the values you enter and does not recommend a dose. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any peptide or GLP-1 medication.