Semaglutide dosage chart: mg to units
Updated 24 October 2026
On a U-100 insulin syringe, 1 unit is 0.01 mL. The units for a semaglutide dose depend only on your vial's concentration in mg per mL: 0.25 mg is 25 units from a 1 mg/mL vial but 5 units from a 5 mg/mL vial. Small doses make small numbers, and that is where most mistakes happen.
How many units is 0.25 mg of semaglutide?
At 2.5 mg/mL, 0.25 mg is 10 units (0.1 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. At 5 mg/mL it is 5 units (0.05 mL), and at 1 mg/mL it is 25 units (0.25 mL).
The 5 units at 5 mg/mL is the exact case in the FDA's overdose reports: patients drew 50 units instead of 5, ten times the dose.
Semaglutide units calculator
Enter the concentration printed on your vial and your prescribed dose.
Draw 10 units (0.1 mL)
0.25 mg at 2.5 mg/mL on a U-100, 1 mL (100 units) syringe. Round to the nearest mark your syringe has.
Draw to 10 units
U-100, 1 mL (100 units) insulin syringe
Free, no account needed. Your vials stay on this device.
Semaglutide dosage chart (U-100 syringe)
Find your dose on the left and your vial's concentration across the top.
| Dose | 1 mg/mL | 2 mg/mL | 2.5 mg/mL | 5 mg/mL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | 25 units (0.25 mL) | 12.5 units (0.125 mL) | 10 units (0.1 mL) | 5 units (0.05 mL) |
| 0.5 mg | 50 units (0.5 mL) | 25 units (0.25 mL) | 20 units (0.2 mL) | 10 units (0.1 mL) |
| 1 mg | 100 units (1 mL) | 50 units (0.5 mL) | 40 units (0.4 mL) | 20 units (0.2 mL) |
| 1.7 mg | over 1 mL | 85 units (0.85 mL) | 68 units (0.68 mL) | 34 units (0.34 mL) |
| 2 mg | over 1 mL | 100 units (1 mL) | 80 units (0.8 mL) | 40 units (0.4 mL) |
| 2.4 mg | over 1 mL | over 1 mL | 96 units (0.96 mL) | 48 units (0.48 mL) |
For doses of 5 units or fewer, a 0.3 mL syringe is easier to read than a 1 mL one. See insulin syringe sizes.
The formula
units = dose (mg) ÷ concentration (mg/mL) × 100
Example: 1 mg from a 2.5 mg/mL vial is 1 ÷ 2.5 = 0.4 mL, and 0.4 mL × 100 = 40 units. If your label gives the whole vial instead ("5 mg/2 mL"), divide first: 5 ÷ 2 = 2.5 mg/mL.
Semaglutide dose steps in the FDA labels
Wegovy (weight management) escalates every 4 weeks (Novo Nordisk):
- Weeks 1–4: 0.25 mg once weekly
- Weeks 5–8: 0.5 mg
- Weeks 9–12: 1 mg
- Weeks 13–16: 1.7 mg
- From week 17: 2.4 mg maintenance (or 1.7 mg)
The 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg steps are for starting and escalating, not maintenance. Ozempic (type 2 diabetes) also starts at 0.25 mg for 4 weeks, then 0.5 mg, with increases to 1 mg and 2 mg each after at least 4 weeks (FDA label). Wegovy also has a 7.2 mg dose, approved in March 2026 for people who have been on 2.4 mg for at least 4 weeks; it is sold as a single-dose pen (HCPLive).
Compounded semaglutide
Compounded semaglutide comes in multi-dose vials whose concentration varies by pharmacy. Compounded drugs are not FDA-approved, and the FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality. The FDA also says the salt forms, semaglutide sodium and semaglutide acetate, are different active ingredients from the one in approved drugs (FDA). Ask your pharmacy which form you have.