How to convert salary to hourly pay
The quick formula is: hourly wage = annual salary ÷ (hours per week × weeks per year). A full-time schedule of 40 hours for 52 weeks is 2,080 hours a year, so a $60,000 salary works out to about $28.85 per hour. Going the other way, multiply an hourly rate by 2,080 to estimate a full-time annual salary. A handy shortcut: double the hourly wage and add three zeros ($25/hour ≈ $50,000/year).
This calculator accepts pay per year, month, week or hour and converts it into every other period at once. Change the hours per week for part-time work or long schedules, and adjust weeks per year if you take unpaid time off.
Biweekly vs. semimonthly
Biweekly pay means every two weeks, which is 26 paychecks a year. Semimonthly means twice a month, which is 24 paychecks. A biweekly paycheck is slightly smaller than a semimonthly one for the same salary, but two months each year include a third paycheck.
Comparing job offers
- Overtime: salaried exempt employees usually do not get overtime. If a salaried job routinely needs 50 hours a week, its real hourly rate is lower than it looks. Enter 50 hours to see it.
- Benefits: health insurance, retirement matching and paid time off can be worth 20–30% of salary. An hourly contractor rate should be higher than an employee's to make up for them.
- Taxes: these figures are gross (before tax). Take-home pay depends on federal, state and local taxes and deductions.
Paid time off
If you are paid for holidays and vacation, keep weeks per year at 52. If you are hourly and unpaid for two weeks off, use 50 weeks to see your real annual income.
Frequently asked questions
How many work hours are in a year?
A standard full-time year is 40 hours × 52 weeks = 2,080 hours.
Is $20 an hour good?
At full time, $20/hour is about $41,600 per year before taxes. Whether it is enough depends heavily on local cost of living.
Are these numbers before or after tax?
Before tax. Use a paycheck or tax calculator to estimate take-home pay.